Pallet wood is readily available and can be crafted into many projects in the home and around the garden.
But before using these pallets they must be prepared to hold paint so your final coat does not crack or peel away.
Another point to make about pallet wood is it is always rough cut, which means it does not feel flat.
Before painting and sealing your pallet wood, we would recommend you sand your timber down to make it smoother and much more presentable.
Once sanded pallet wood become super smooth and can be used on the floor, walls or ceiling depending on your pallet wood making project.
TOP TIP: Most pallet wood is pine or spruce, if sanded with high grit sandpaper you will have a super smooth piece of pine or spruce ready for your next project!
How To Pepare Wooden Pallets?
Pallet wood is made from softwood timbers such as pine or spruce, these trees are quick growing unlike slower-growing hardwoods such as oak or mahogany.
Sanding these pallets down is super easy, they do not need too much elbow grease if you use a hand sander or belt sander.
If you are looking for a more rustic look then leave your pallet boards rough cut and go straight to the next task of sealing your pallet wood ready for painting.
Pallet wood can be painted, oiled, stained or varnished depending on your preference.
How To Seal Wooden Pallets?
Before painting your pallet wood you must use a primer to seal the wood ready for painting.
This will stop the pallet wood from absorbing the moisture from your final paint layer making it brittle and flake off.
You can use a clear wood primer or a white undercoat. Both will work for this paint job and make your finish coat stand out better and grip tight onto the pallet wood.
- Clear wood primer
- Undercoat
- Finish coat of paint
If you are varnishing, oiling or staining your pallet wood then you do not need to preserve the wood before applying your desired finish.
The more coats of oil, varnish and stain the better, because this is softwood it will need as much protection from the outside elements as possible.
If you wanted to be extra thorough then you can use Polycrylic to seal any paint, oil or stain applied to these boards.
Fixing Your Pallet Boards Together
If you are making a structure out of your pallet boards then be sure to use screws and not nails, this is because they hold better.
Softwood will also split if you drive the screws straight through the pallet boards. So be sure to drill a pilot hole before fixing screws through your boards.
Pallet Wood Ideas
There are hundreds of ideas to upcycle pallet wood, you can use them in the garden or around the home.
Here are some ideas to help you make use of your pallet wood:
- Decking/pathways
- Planters/grow boxes
- Cladding walls and ceilings
- Chairs/tables
- Units/cabinets
- Book Shelves
- Desks and shelves
- Benches
- Cat/Dog house
- Radiator covers
- Kitchen and bathroom backsplash
- Compost Bins
- Canvas for artwork
- Coffee tables
- Your own indoor or outside bar
There are so many ideas when it comes to recycling wooden pallets with many more ideas not mentioned in this post.
If you are reading and we have missed any wooden pallet ideas then feel free to mention these in the comments section below.
Where To Find Wooden Pallets
Wooden pallets are used for transporting goods and keeping product held safely together.
If you are looking for ideas to find wooden pallets then your local industrial estate will have many stacked for collection.
We would advise you to ask the owner of the pallets before loading up your car with wooden pallets because you might get into trouble.
Just simply ask inside the premises or give them a ring.
- Back of your local shop
- Industrial estates
- Pallet repair factory
- Online market places
- In your local area
Top tip: Always ask the owner of the wooden pallets before taking them, remember they will belong to someone so be sure to ask to avoid any mistakes!
Another option would be to buy your wooden pallets, you could go to a wooden pallet repair factory where they tend to sell for around £3/4 each.
Also good option is eBay or another online market place, but they would need to be collected in person.
Happy Pallet Crafting 😉