Pallets for Furniture
The wooden pallet furniture we all know is becoming an art form, also called skid (In some regions of South America also called stiba or palet).
Constructions with wooden pallets are reaching their peak in design, with fresh ideas for their use that are also transforming spaces and transcending their usual recycling to the borders of the most modern architecture, the most spectacular gardens, or simply as a socializing element.
So, we’re going to try to unravel everything we should know about pallet types, designs, and projects that really form an exquisite trend, and thanks to this wooden frame used for cargo movement, we can spark our imagination.
There are very good ideas! And easy to make, but first, we need to understand what types of pallets there are
Pallet types
Although in the industrial sector, we can find a wide variety of pallet types, more due to a typology of materials (plastic pallet, wood fiber, metal, cardboard, and conglomerates) or exact measurements according to the entrepreneur’s needs. The classification according to their characteristics:
- By size (The European 1200 x 800 mm, The American 1200 x 1000 mm, etc)
- By platform type – base (Flat, reversible, etc)
- By type of side entries (2 and 4)
- By special features (That are boxes, that have pillars, etc)
- By material (wood, plastic, metal, cardboard)
From a professional perspective, almost every country has regulations that govern (In the case of Europe, there is a specific one for the entire territory related to these types of wooden platforms) that establish specific characteristics for the types of platforms we can find.
According to standard and regulated dimensions, we will find them for decoration like:
European Pallet
The common one we will normally find is the European Pallet or Europalet which has specific dimensions and resistance according to legislation:
We can also find more information about measures and standards from HERE.
Universal pallet
Commonly known as American pallets, which is the one normally used in the industry and merchandise sector, with dimensions of 1200 x 1000 millimeters, and are the ones we will normally find in many dumpsters.
From the Spanish Association of Wood Trade and Industry (AEIM), we can consult all the regulations on wood that may affect us.
Common forms and names
To have an idea of the pallet ideas that can arise from the common forms and types we can find, they are identified in the following image:
The truth is that we have a wide range of pallets that we can use whole or disassemble, and with the slats and strips, start designing pallet furniture with the shapes we consider appropriate.
Pallet prices
In the market, there is a wide range of prices for pallets, and even more so if they are second-hand or new, and if we buy them online, they are cheaper. The buy-sell of this type of pallet is very lucrative, and we can find them painted, with thermal treatments, etc. But… How much does a European pallet cost?…
And I already mentioned that there are many places where we can get them at cheap prices, especially in those that specialize in the sale of second-hand construction materials. That’s a good place to start looking!
Even from Amazon, they sell them prepared from here. Just like the previous image, although we won’t have as much fun building a sofa or a table (Remember that if you buy online, check the measures)
What damage can they have? If they are second-hand pallets, check for possible breaks, especially a broken board.
So that we have an idea if it can serve us:
Furniture with pallets
Due to its wood and low economic cost, they have traditionally been used by many users for the elaboration and as a base wood structure for furniture recycling in the face of handicrafts, decoration, interior design with the pertinent question of how to make a pallet furniture; chairs, tables, sofas both indoors and outdoors … etc.
You can design any piece of furniture with a little DIY and patience (Headboards, sofas, tables, chairs, chill out, etc.). It’s about understanding how to recycle wooden pallets and, for example, furniture made with pallets and detailed instructions…
How to make furniture with pallets
We want to leave several assembly infographics; a bench, table, etc. with pallet furniture. Detailed plans, which also provide exact information about the number of elements we need and how to disassemble them.
The wood assembly instructions in PDF for these recycled pallet furniture are from the basurillas.org portal and are in independent format and respectively in PDF.
- Build a table with benches.
- Build a wooden planter.
- Build a folding chair.
- Build a seedbed.
- Build a composter.
If you want to see the instructions for a sofa and a bed, you can check the following image of the sofa and the following examples of beds to practice handicrafts:
By the way, on Amazon, they sell pallet cushions quite cheaply compared to other stores, you can find them from HERE.
Now, it’s time to see the world of videos, which are more practical for understanding what we can do with these wooden structures.
Although we actually have a huge range, there are few videos that really teach us DIY and crafts step by step, which is what really interests us.
Searching, we found a channel of interest where we will learn to make planters, tables, shelves, candle holders, a shoe rack, a magazine rack, a fruit box… etc. And always from a practical and easy-to-understand perspective. An example is the following tutorial…
The video is about how to make a coffee table with pallets from the Re-Recrea channel. Very good! And with step-by-step instructions and detailed explanations.
Additionally, it offers information on tools to use, how to disassemble, how to paint, how to sand or the essential treatments for wood. So we no longer have problems with how to make furniture with recycled pallets.
Examples of pallet furniture you can find many on the vast internet, in addition to explanations, of how to make them and necessary photos to be able to get started in search of the original furniture step by step (At the end of the article, we indicate two specific communities), but in this article, we are more interested in exploring what’s behind.
The how to recycle pallets depends more on the individual’s imagination than on their own handiness, it can turn out better or worse, with more precise or less precise finishes, but imagination plays an important role in being creative and original in a design that surprises us.
How to restore and paint pallets
The steps to follow to convert that old wood into new are:
- Pallet Selection and Preparation: Choose one in good condition, free of breaks or significant damage. First, remove all nails. Second, clean carefully to eliminate dirt, dust, and grease. If necessary, sand the surface.
- Repair and Reinforcement: Repair any break or crack in the wood using wood filler. If required, you can reinforce it with additional nails or screws.
- Priming and Painting: Apply a suitable primer for the wood and let it dry completely. Then, apply two or three coats of paint of the desired color, letting it dry well between each coat.
- Varnish – Protection: Apply a coat of varnish or protector to seal the paint and protect the furniture.
- Let it dry completely before using it.
Using them for socializing
Although the original sense of uses for recycling pallets is being lost today, there are still initiatives that demonstrate a tangible benefit for society.
We have to go to Johannesburg to see a social project, of creative recycling of wood that contributes to the community in a sustainable way. Mobile benches formed by different uses of recovered wood pallets by the creative artist r1.
The functionality of socializing, although it may seem strange to attribute this term to the pallet, is actually possible to create a city, literally, due to its low cost and adaptability to a space or environment, and we see this in Ghentville City. A city built with 4,250 pallets next to Ghent (Belgium) that every year forms a wonderful festival where the protagonist is the pallet.
Pallets in architecture
Who would have thought years ago that you can build a house with pallets or assemble a facade. The “Manifesto House” is an example of a modular structure, sustainable and eco-efficient, designed by James & Mau Arquitetura, as a concept project for the construction company, Infiniski.
A completely ecological house that combines the best of recycling with bioclimatic techniques where the facade is made entirely with different sizes of pallets. (We can also visit wooden constructions where we add more than 50 wooden manuals) but what we are going to do is designs with pallets of quality.
Remember that we have an extensive article on laminated floors for homes. Very good and detailed!
Following the same line, I-beamdesign wants to go a bit further democratizing homes with this type of material and turning them into a modular element that will come from the factory and you can build your home with all the pieces.
The module-house would look like the following image…
Remember that we have an extensive article that talks about prefabricated and modular homes and their advantages as well as all their important characteristics.
For commercial interior design in terms of pallet furniture and walls, it is also an option if treated well and with quality ideas. One of the examples I admire is this original coffee shop!
Or make office furniture entirely with pallets from the Most architecture studio. The combinations in this office reflect the imagination and power that this type of wood can achieve when properly combined with wooden furniture.
🟧 Note: Of interest is our article on modern offices.
1000 Ideas and images with Pallets
Since the Internet offers us the possibility of learning and finding step-by-step instructions on how to make a piece of furniture or any object of pallet decoration.
We have searched for specific communities dedicated to this art, and of course, they are excellent for finding ideas. Two communities stand out from the rest, they are in English, but easy to understand and very visual, where you can find many furniture ideas to start any project we propose:
- Instructables
- 1001Pallets
- Instagram from HERE we can see different panels with images of furniture with pallets! Some are great!
- Pinterest is also a good place to see photos, from HERE
- Wood
So, there is no excuse to enter the world of recycling.
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