Boring, cheap wood gets new life as furniture There?s much to love about upcycled furniture: You can save money, keep items out of landfills, and add some personal style. But one person?s recycled armchair on Pinterest might be another person?s DIY disaster.
Pallets?the wooden platforms used in warehouses and factories to store or move materials?offer a solution. Usually made of rough, undressed wood and measuring 4 by 4 feet, pallets are so ubiquitous that you can usually get them for free from old warehouses and shipping areas. That means that even when you make a mistake, you?ll have plenty of material to try again.
You can turn pallets into just about anything, and their appeal comes in part because you don?t need an apprenticeship in woodworking to make something beautiful. It?s important, however, to know a bit about the pallets you are using. Pallets can be exposed to things like harsh chemicals, mold, or bugs, so it?s best to clean them up and determine their origin before you begin any project. Newer pallets require a logo that says how they were treated, and most pallets are reused within specific industries.
The best?and safest?pallets come from dry goods industries, so that?s a good place to start. Head over here for a comprehensive look at how to tell if a pallet is safe for reuse.
Once you have your pallets, the sky?s the limit. We turned to Instagram to round up 36 innovative examples of pallet furniture?for all parts of your home?to get you start...