Salvage Style: Reinvent Shipping Pallets

barberlk The pallets found outside stores almost never are "wasted." They cost about 40 bucks a pop and get reused over and over again. There are even reclamation companies that take broken pallets and rehab them to be resold and reused. So, think twice before going and snagging one from some store's dock. They may view your project more as "theft" than "recycling."

helenh We never have any use for all the pallets that come in at our company. We leave them outside the back of the building, and they magically disappear in a couple of days. Perfect for everyone.

The Painted Home I LOVE using wood pallets in ways never thought of! Hi, I'm Denise Sabia from The Painted Home. I actually used the pallets to create the holder for my son's books , attached to the side wall, not for the wainscotting. But, if you check in my garage, I have a pallet wainscotting project under way as I write! Thanks for the mention. LOVE Houzz!

Wendy Cotter Image # 4 is not a coffee table made from pallets at all, it's a cart that was used in factories, likely still is used in some.

Ellen T. I love the idea of repurposing wood pallets. They are often advertised as free by some business looking to get rid of their extras in the community where I live. One problem is that the wood can be extremely hard (why they're so strong) and therefor difficult to work with. But, if one has the need, the muscle, and the tools, then they can be a great resource of free hardwood.
Oh, and yes, #4 is an old factory cart. I have one in my living room that I found by a supplier online. I chose it from a selection he had pictures of and he finished it to my preferences and shipped it across country by truck. It cost me the same to get an authentic cart with character and history the same as Pottery Barn offered for their reproduction.
Fun idea book; I love ideas that are unique!

R. Martin Choate Love the use of old wood pallets!
I have a great dining room table made of pallets, glass and steel!
Made by an artisan in New Orleans.

anoukpantoufle @barberik: that's a generalization that doesn't hold true for everywhere. Simply asking the permission of the store owner can take care of any doubt, though - as I did. The response was, "Oh, yes - PLEASE take them..."

patscats2 Loved the jewelry display, how cool.

jfutral @barberik, @anoukpantoufle is right. You should always ask first just in case the business is in the (good) habit of reusing them. All the same, the world is swimming in wooden shipping pallets. If you know someone spending $40 for anything but the newest, largest of shipping pallets, tell them they are getting ripped off. The typical 3' or 4' square is less than $10 a pop for recycled, a little more for new.

CAROLE MEYER These are GREAT! I love a little rustic added to almost any interior and you have put together some great ideas!

cdalygo Love them. Even if they don't match my decor or small space, they make me think.friends will love article

Rotsen Furniture Very nice ideas... Great use for all those shipping pallets we get!

ksiegelson Another use: prefab walls for outdoor chicken coop project, or walls for a compost bin.

Karen Before you use pallets make sure they are not the chemically treated ones. To know which pallets are safe to use and how to use them, check out Donna's guide at Funky Junk Interiors...http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/2011/04/all-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about.html

shamus 10 years ago, I was looking for pallets to put my washer and dryer on and couldn't find any businesses willing to give any up. They all get reused or sent back to the shipper.
When I was in college, a guy I knew got fired from his convenience store job for stealing pallets. So asking the business before helping yourself is definitely a good idea.

Paul I used pallets on almost a daily basis at work, most are nigh on junk, real cheap wood, splintered, flimsy, about to fall apart etc. Gone are the days they were made from decent solid timber, sadly.

Debbiedoo's Thanks for featuring my outdoor garden pallet.
http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com

tobeamiss this opens all new doors for me. I've been taking good looking pallets (throw aways) from our store for a couple of years now just knowing there was something I can do with them and now I've found it! I think I've found my new hobby in the Spring :)

Jason Shepard I LOVE this article. I'm really glad that pallets finally got a feature as they are excellent repurposing candidates. In fact, my wife and I will be using them in place of drywall in our tiny house build (we are angling to build the house entirely out of repurposed materials).

@Karen : Thank you SO MUCH for posting that link. It is a DEFINITE MUST-READ for anyone who hasn't worked with pallets before. Never, ever used chemically-treated pallets or pallets that have been used to carry chemicals of any type - the wood in the pallets will soak it up and you cannot get rid of those chemicals (which can be incredibly hazardous to your health). That article will get you pointed in the correct direction.

I don't have a vehicle that will carry pallets, so I have a guy that drives around and picks them up for me. I pay him $1 for pallets with broken boards and $2 for pallets in great condition plus a flat $25 additional for gas per load. He generally obtains between 100 and 300 at a time, so supply is definitely not an issue (he can obtain this many every couple of days if I need them that often).

It takes a LOT of work if you need to tear them apart. The corkscrew-like nails that hold them together are insanely tough. Be prepared to use copious amounts of elbow grease if you are disassembling them. However, as shown above, many can be used whole. In fact, not long ago, I came across an article where they were building homes for refugees entirely out of complete pallets.

I hadn't seen the coffee table idea yet. I might use that one for my son's room.

Thanks, Houzz!!!

tobeamiss Houzz you have brightened an otherwise drab and dreary day here in the northeast for me :) I have loads of ideas swimming around in my head now for future projects and can't wait to get started! thank you for featuring this article today :D

rockymtngal One of my fav blogs is Beyond the Picket Fence. She makes some AMAZING pallet projects and usually gives a DIY on how she did it. http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/