Wood Pallet Cross Tutorial

Wood Pallet Cross DIY @savedbyloves

Today’s project is a great way to use up those wood scraps leftover from previous projects. I will show you how to make this sturdy wood cross using pallet scraps and pocket holes. You will also learn how to easily create the chippy, distressed paint look seen here.

Wood Pallet Cross DIY

To start, I cut one scrap wood piece (2×4) to 18 inches and two pieces to 5 inches long.

I attached the 5 inch pieces to the 18 inch piece using pocket holes with my Kreg Jig (see How to Use Kreg Jig). The pocket holes are circled in the photo.

*Place a pocket hole on the bottom of the 18 inch piece for attaching the finished cross to a base. You want to do this before attaching the patchwork pieces in the next steps.

Folk Art Home Decor Chalk

I used Folk Art Home Decor Chalk to create the distressed paint look. It is super easy!

How to Distress Wood

I brushed base coat on thin pallet wood pieces and let that dry.

Create Chippy Paint Look

Using the Layering Block, I added more colors.

Create Weathered Wood Look with Paint

Lightly dragging the block across the dry painted board adds color in a chippy, random distressed fashion. Layer as many colors as you want, drying between each layer.

Patchwork Wood Cross

Once I had all the boardws painted, I cut them into random sized pieces and placed them on the cross. I made necessary cuts to the patchwork pieces with my mitre saw until everything fit into place.

Reclaimed Wood Projects

I glued the pieces into place and used my Ryobi AirStrike Nailer with one inch brads to secure them.

Reclaimed Wood Cross Tutorial

To finish, I centered the cross on a 2×4 rectangle and attached it with a pocket hole on the back of the cross and wood glue.

For more inspiration, visit our 50+ Scrap Wood Projects:

And our 50+ Wood Pallet Projects:

Psalm 93 DIY Wood Pallet Nursery Sign

DIY Nursery Decor Wood Pallet Sign Psalm 93 @savedbylovesMy friend Jordan will be a momma any day now. I wondered if I would end up delivering the little guy the day she came over to make this nursery wall art, but he is not here yet! Today I am sharing how we created this lovely Psalm 93:4 sign for next to nothing out of pallet wood. It is so perfect in her nautical themed nursery! Download the cut file below and follow the steps to make your very own!

SUPPLIES:

Five pallet wood planks (Here is my video: How to Break Down Wood Pallets)

White chalky paint

Blue acrylic or chalky paint

Black vinyl for your die cut machine and transfer tape if you are die cutting the letters (if you don’t have a die cut machine, you could download the phrase below and transfer the letters to the sign to hand paint it like I showed you here: DIY Hand Painted Rustic Wood Signs)

Die Cut machine and software to trace jpg file provided below (this is not needed if you are hand-painting the sign as shown in the previous link)

Drill and 1/2 inch hole saw bit

Rope

Kreg jig

1 1/4 inch Pocket Hole Screws

2 inch flat paint brush and round stencil brush

Psalm 93:4 text download

Free Anchor Clip Art

Mod Podge Matte Finish

TUTORIAL:

DIY Nursery Decor

Cut your boards to about 45 inches wide and attach them with pocket holes, staggered as shown – (Here is How to Use a Kreg Jig).

DIY Nursery Decor2

Paint the sign white with chalky paint (we used Folk Art Home Decor Chalk).

Let that dry, then dry brush blue randomly as shown.  We used a round stencil brush for this.

Let dry and cut or print and transfer text and anchor.  We used a 12×24 inch mat  and filled the entire area with the text.  We sized the anchor to 5 inches and cut everything in black vinyl.

DIY Nursery Decor3

Center and adhere vinyl letters and anchor using transfer tape. Seal letters and sign with Mod Podge Matte or desired finish.

DIY Nursery Decor6

Mark desired placement of holes and drill with spade bit to fit diameter of rope you are using. (We have the letters covered in this image because the Mod Podge wasn’t dry and the saw dust would stick in it.  Don’t judge, we were in a hurry)!

DIY Nursery Decor8We inserted the rope and hung it from a cool anchor hardware piece that Jordan found at Hobby Lobby for just $3!

DIY Nursery Decor Ideas

We LOVE it!! Jordan did a fantastic job with this nursery, and our sign tops it off perfectly.

We hope you are inspired to create your own!

How to Break Down Wood Pallets Video Tutorial


How to Break Down Wood Pallets Video DIY@savedbyloves

It is no secret that I love to create all kinds of things with wood pallets. Why wouldn’t I?  They are readily available and usually one their way to landfills or bon fires by the time I get my hands on them.  Lumber can be expensive, so why not use pallet wood for your projects to save some cash and help the planet in the process?  I have gotten several questions on how I break down my pallets, so I made a quick video of the process to share with you.

YOU WILL NEED:

Crowbar

Hammer

Reciprocating Saw

Safety Goggles

Wood Pallet

Now that you have your pallet broken down, you are ready to build.  Here are some ideas:


Woodworking Project Gallery Page

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DIY Shipping Pallet Dog Bed

Shipping Pallet Dog Bed Tutorial from @savedbyloves #thehomedepot & #3MPartner

What kind of DIY blogger am I, with my dogs sleeping on a pillow tossed on the floor?  I know.  That is why I thought a striped doggie bunk bed made from shipping pallets would be perfect for the “Get It, Got It, Go” Summer Blog Hop hosted by ScotchBlue™ Painter’s Tape and The Home Depot!  This project is a wonderful upcycle that can be color customized to fit any decor, and requires beginner woodworking skills to achieve.

MATERIALS USED

Shipping Pallet Dog Bed 2

ScotchBlue™ Painter’s Tape Multi-Surface with Advanced Edge-Lock™ Paint Line Protector 2093EL

Behr  Marquee™ Paint in Costal Storm #MQ6-20, Recycled Glass #MQ6-18 and Aquifier #MQ6-8 colors

Wooster® Shortcut 2 in. Nylon/Polyester Angle Sash Brush

Shipping Pallet Dog Bed 3

Shipping pallets

1/2 inch plywood sheets

Reciprocating saw with blade for cutting metal

Kreg® jig

1 1/4 inch Kreg® screws

2 inch wood screws

drop cloth or plastic painters tarp

Wood Glue

jig saw

Drill

Hammer

Crow bar

Table saw or circular saw

TUTORIAL

Shipping Pallet Dog Bed 4

The first step in this, and any pallet wood project, is breaking down the pallets.  My favorite method for this is cutting through the nails holding the wooden slats to the support beams with a reciprocating saw.  Sometimes it is necessary to use the crow bar and hammer to create enough space for the reciprocating saw blade, then you just cut through the nails and free one board at a time.

Here is a quick video showing the pallet breakdown process:

Shipping Pallet Dog Bed 5

To build the bottom bed, I cut two 35 inch pieces and two 28 inch pieces from the pallet wood for the sides.  I picked these measurements based on the dimensions of the pillow I already had on hand. Using my Kreg® pocket hole system (I showed you how to use a Kreg® jig HERE), I attached the four sides together with 1 1/4 inch screws and wood glue. For the top “bunk”, I followed the same process, cutting two sides 20 inches and two sides 18 inches long.

Shipping Pallet Dog Bed 6

To create floors for the beds, I placed the bed frames on a large piece of 1/2 inch plywood and used a marker to outline the inner edges of the frame onto the plywood.  I cut along these lines using my table saw, for a floor that fit right inside each frame.

Shipping Pallet Dog Bed 7

To attach the floors, I placed pocket holes every 5-6 inches around all four sides and screwed the floor into the frame with 1 1/4 inch pocket hole screws/wood glue.

After building the individual beds, it was time to join them.  For this, I created three 2×2 poles by ripping a 2×4 with my table saw.  Two of the poles I cut to 19.5 inches and one to 15 inches in length.

Shipping Pallet Dog Bed 8

I attached the three poles to the bottom bed, using the top bed to guide placement.  The shorter pole goes in the back right corner of the bottom bed, and the top bed rests on top of it (which will become clear in the next step).  The two longer poles will go through the floor of the top bed, nestling up against the right front corner and back left corner of it.  Once they were placed in the correct location on the bottom bed to fit where they needed to on the top one, I used wood glue and 2 inch wood screws to secure them in place.  I placed clamps to hold everything in place until the glue was dry.

Once that dried, it was time to secure the top bunk in place.  I needed to create holes in the floor at the right front and back left corners for the poles.

Shipping Pallet Dog Bed 9

To do this, I took a scrap 2×2 and traced it where I wanted the holes to be.

Shipping Pallet Dog Bed 10

Shipping Pallet Dog Bed 11

I drilled a hole in the middle of the square I just traced, for the jigsaw blade.

Shipping Pallet Dog Bed 12

Using the jigsaw, I cut out the square for the pole.

Shipping Pallet Dog Bed 13

Shipping Pallet Dog Bed 14

To finish the assembly, I just placed the top bed with the poles extending up from the bottom bed in their corresponding corners.  The back right corner was secured in place with a 2 inch wood screw going through the floor of the top bed, into the top of the back right pole.  The other two corners where the poles extended up through the floor were secured with 2 inch wood screws though the side of the top bed, into the poles.

Finishing

Once the bed was built, I decided to paint randomly patterned stripes.

Shipping Pallet Dog Bed 15

Shipping Pallet Dog Bed 16

Shipping Pallet Dog Bed 17

Shipping Pallet Dog Bed 18

I placed the ScotchBlue™ Painter’s Tape and began painting with the first color.  The paint coverage was great!   I wanted a distressed look, so I used the dry brush technique with Wooster® Shortcut Brush.

Once the first color was dry, I taped again and repeated for the 2nd and 3rd colors.  It was no problem to tape over the paint, but keep in mind that Delicate Tape is the recommended tape to use on freshly painted surfaces (24hrs).The lines were perfect, and the tape didn’t remove the paint when I taped over the stripes I had already added.  There was no pattern in the colors, I just painted randomly.

For the top bunk, I dry brushed the entire bed in Aquifier.

Shipping Pallet Dog Bed 19

I love it, and so do my boys!  Way better than the pillow on the floor, right?!

I am proud to be a 3M, Behr®, and Wooster® – sponsored blogger, and, as part of my responsibilities, I get the opportunity to evaluate products. Opinions are my own and additional product used in the project were selected by me.

Find the products used for this project, and tons more inspiration at the following links:

Wooster® Brushes Behr® Paint

The Home Depot

The Home Depot Consumer Program

ScotchBlue™ Painter’s Tape Facebook

ScotchBlue™ Painter’s Tape Twitter

ScotchBlue™ Painter’s Tape Pinterest

The Home Depot Facebook

The Home Depot Twitter

The Home Depot Pinterest

320 Sycamore: Front Porch Project

Simply Designing: DIY Board & Batten

Brooklyn Limestone: Farmer’s Market Display Stand

Fave Crafts: DIY Aztec Planters

Domestic Imperfection: Rusty Metal Shed Makeover

Studio Pebbles: Faux Frame Modern Art

Whipperberry: BBQ Tool Storage

Dukes & Duchesses: Color Block Umbrella Table

HoneyBear Lane: Patriotic Lanterns

Uncommon Designs: Striped Workbench

Better After: Geometric State Art

I Heart Nap Time: Striped Hall & Gallery Wall

The Pinning Mama: Oversized Painted Wall Frame

Love of Family & Home: Grain Sack Table

The Girl Creative: DIY Lemonade Stand

At The Picket Fence: Over-sized Outdoor Checker Board

 

Dollar Tree Pallet Wood Bathroom Organizer Tutorial

[pinit]$3 Dollar Store Craft Idea Reclaimed Wood Organizer @savedbyloves[pinit]

Could you stand to be a little more organized in your bathroom?  I know I could.  I find organizing rather boring, unless I can combine it with creating a cool home decor accent.  Today I am sharing a project fitting that bill- a rustic, chalkboard reclaimed pallet wood bathroom organizer using cute little jars I scored at the Dollar Tree recently!  For only $3 and some supplies I had on hand, this project packs a big punch on the cheap.  You can totally make this.  Give it to Mom for Mother’s Day!

SUPPLIES:

How to make wood pallet bathroom organizer

Pallet wood plank about 15 inches

Amazing Goop or E6000

Saw tooth hanger

Hammer

3 Dollar Tree Jars

Chalkboard Paint

Small Paint Brush

Tape Measurer

Marker or pencil

TUTORIAL:

Begin by hammering the sawtooth hanger in the middle upper back of the wood.  You want to do this before gluing the jars in place.

How to attach jars to wood with Amazing Goop

Measure placement for the jars and mark three evenly space dots on the front of your board with pencil or marker.  This board already had 3 evenly space holes drilled for a project that never happened.  Apply a generous dot of Amazing Goop on the board on the marked spots and on the jars in the middle back.  Let this sit for 2-10 minutes, then place jars, holding gentle pressure on each for about 1 minute.  Let this cure for a couple of hours before the next step.

How to make wood pallet art

Paint the indented area with Chalkboard paint.  This took several light coats, drying 15 minutes between each.

DIY Wood Pallet Dollar Store Craft

Label with chalk and hang on wall!

Do you love it?  I do!

Be sure and visit our 60+ Dollar Store Crafts Roundup:

And our 50+ Wood Pallet Projects Roundup!

How to Make a Wood Pallet Recycle Bin

Make-Wood-Pallet-Furniture

I am crazy about wood pallet projects.  If you have been here long, you know already know that, and you also know I am equally gaga for creating with recycled aluminum cans.  Today’s project combines those two eco-friendly obsessions into a lovely aluminum can recycle bin made with reclaimed wood pallets!  The piece is topped off with a cool knob and chalkboard sign.  Come see how you can create your own…

SUPPLIES:

table saw

miter saw

Ryobi Air Strike Nailer

tape measure

pencil

square

knob (optional)

2 hinges

broken down shipping pallets or other scrap wood (I use a circular saw to do mine)

HERE IS A GREAT VIDEO DEMONSTRATING HOW TO BREAK DOWN PALLETS (By Ryan Schmitz):

How-to-Make-Wood-Pallet-Furniture

I got the idea for this wood pallet recycle bin from this post at My Carpentry:  Wood Waste Basket.  I followed the instructions there, using pallet wood instead of fence board.  You may have to adjust measurements based on the wood you have on hand.

wood-pallet-DIY

When I got done, I wasn’t in love with it like I should be for a DIY aluminum can recycle bin hand made from discarded shipping pallets… you know?  So I decided to take it up a notch.

Wood-Pallet-Furniture

That is when I came up with the idea to add a knob, and a framed chalkboard label to seal the deal.

How-to-take-apart-wood-pallets

I used these Tim Holtz rub ons to add a vintage grunge number to a white knob I picked up at my local Habitat for Humanity Restore.

I just drilled a hole and screwed into the knob with a flat top screw just long enough to go through the wood and grab the knob.

How-to-Make-Wood-Pallet-Furniture

How-to-make-a-chalkboard-sign

For the sign, I spray painted a dollar tree frame and glued chalkboardpaper to the back.  Then I glued jute to the back of that to form a loop for hanging.  LOVE my new storage for cans!

Easy Pallet Sign Using Kreg Jig

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SerenityPallet2

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I have been a long time fan of making signs from reclaimed wood.  If you have tried to make a pallet sign, you may have run into the same dilemma as I have.  How do you attache the wood pieces together?  Some people use the pallets as they are and just paint on them.  I prefer each plank to be the touching edge to edge.  Before I discovered the Kreg Jig, I scabbed my pallet planks together like I showed you in this How to Make a Sign From Reclaimed Wood Tutorial.  This is a way easier process using the jig.  You drill perfect pocket holes based on the wood thickness and the join is flush, edge to edge.  A Clean, strong, quick and easy attachment, that I am told doesn’t even require wood glue!  I used it anyway because I am just like that.  Pallet signs have gotten way easier since I made this investment.  This is not a sponsored post!  Read on to see how it works.

SUPPLIES:

how to use a kreg jig

Kreg Jig with drill bits and clamp

1 1/4 inch Kreg Screws

Shipping Pallet Boards (I pry mine off of the pallet with a pry bar a.k.a I have my husband do that part)

Stencils for words (I cut mine with my cricut machine)Wood Stain and lint free cloth

Acrylic paint (I used Tim Holtz Distress paint but anything will do)

TUTORIAL:

how to drill pocket holes with Kreg Jig

I drill two holes in each pallet, one one each end, a few inches in.  The pocket guide is set to 3/4 inch since that is the thickness of this pallet wood.  You can go down to half an inch but remember to use shorter screws.  There is a great chart that shows you what settings to use.  So the neck of the drill bit has a stopper that you set, then the guide with the holes that you drill through is set to that number, and there is a corresponding screw length.  The jig comes with a handy chart for quick reference.  SUPER easy!

Kreg jig pallet sign tutorial

Once your holes are drilled in each board (except the bottom one, which doesn’t need holes), swap to the screw driver bit which is shown in the drill in this photo (both bits you need come with the jig).

How to make a reclaimed wood sign @savedbyloves

Add some wood glue or don’t (see above).

SerenityPallet10

Then drill your screw into the pocket hole.

SerenityPallet11

Keep going until all of your pieces are attached.  I stained my sign with Walnut color Minwax Gel Stain.  Let dry.

SerenityPallet12

Use your stencil to create the phrase.  I cut mine from contact paper using my Cricut.

Attach wire to the back with nails or a staple gun and hang!

Shipping Pallet to Coffee Table and Finishing Tips

[pinit]Repurposed Wood Pallet Furniture; DIY Coffee Table @savedbyloves[pinit]

Today’s project is a fun, quick DIY coffee table from wood pallets.  My building partner in crime and I whipped it up in an afternoon.  The plan we used is this Factory Cart Coffee Table from Ana White.  See how we adjusted the plan to fit the pallet scraps on hand, and how we finished the table to a lovely, united weathered gray look.

Repurposed Wood Pallet Furniture; DIY Coffee Table @savedbyloves

TUTORIAL:

Constructing the table

We followed Ana’s plan linked above with the following adjustments:  Instead of 1×6 boards we used thinner pallet slats across the top and the wider pallet slats for the sides.  We just laid out the top slats until the table was the width we wanted, and measured that width.  It was 42 3/4 instead of Ana’s 44 inches, so we adjusted the rest of the cuts accordingly.  The long side boards we cut to 44 1/4 (42 3/4 + 1.5 inches for the thickness of the short side boards ).  The short side boards  and bottom boards were cut to 23 1/2, per Ana’s plan – the same length as the pallet slats making the top of the table.

We used 5 inch diameter casters that we picked up just for this project at Menards.  Casters are more expensive than I had hoped, but considering the wood for the project was free, we still created this awesome table for less than $50!Repurposed Wood Pallet Furniture; DIY Coffee Table @savedbyloves

Finishing the table

I applied Minwax wood conditioner per instructions on the can.  It went on super easy.  I let it sit for 15 minutes, wiped away the excess then stained with Minwax Classic Grey Wood Finish.  This was my first time using wood conditioner, and it made the stain take beautifully.  I will probably use it every time I stain from now on.  It is quick to apply and makes a huge difference, for me anyway.  I usually have blotchy, uneven outcomes when I stain.

To seal I used Minwax Finishing Wax.

Repurposed Wood Pallet Furniture; DIY Coffee Table @savedbyloves

Not bad for a pallet on it’s way to a landfill!

Check out our Wood Pallet 50+ Roundup for more inspiration:

Budget Friendly Craft Room Storage Solutions

Wood Pallet Storage DIY

This post has been a long time coming.  I originally shared it with It’s So Very Cheri a few weeks back.  I have been dying to show you ever since I started the project.  Here it is, dear readers.  Today, I am going to reveal part of my craft room organization – the pallet organizers!  This project was so rewarding because my creative space was in desperate need of help. 

You may have seen this picture in my post where I admitted I had a serious problem…

Craft room organizing

Something needed to happen, am I right?!  Storage solutions are abundant, but can be expensive when purchased in big box stores.  I was determined to get creative and come up with some budget friendly ways to get it together.

I decided it was time to go vertical and make use of the abundant wall space. While driving around and looking for garage I spied a huge pile of pallets at a local Brewery.  They were happy to part with 2 of them, which I loaded into my truck and brought home. 

I cleaned them with the hose, let them dry, then I spray painted them black with Krylon Dual (paint and primer in one). 

Next I mounted them onto my wall and attached various racks/shelves I picked up at various thrift stores.  There was not much planning here.  I just spray painted the racks so everything was black, and attached them to the pallets like I would attach them to the wall.  That way, the only wall holes are the ones for the pallet.  Everything else hangs on the pallet, and is adjustable. 

Pallet Crafts

Wood Pallet Craft

I got the white horizontal tubs at the hardware store for $1.50 each.  They are great for fabric. 

Once you get the pallets hung, you can customize them to fit your needs.  Here are some examples…

Wood Pallet Projects

I am super happy with my pallet storage units.  The only holes in the wall are where I hung the pallets. Best of all… free!  Yeah, it took some time and effort, but it was well worth it. 

DIY Wood Pallet Crafts

Wanna see how I made that handy dandy hanging marker storage up there on the left?  Click the following image…

How about some free, stylish book storage?  Click the image below…

And here is a quick and easy dollar store 3 tiered organizer DIY:

Finally, for some more fun ideas to use those pallets, check out my 50+ pallet project roundup;

I hope you got some good ideas here today.  Thanks for reading!

xoxo,

 

50+ Wood Pallet Projects

Wood Pallet Projects

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Over 50 Repurposed Wood Pallet Projects to make @savedbyloves

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It is no secret that wood pallets can be repurposed into impressive furniture and decor, still this list will leave you wowed.  It is amazing what people have created from these abundant, often discarded resources that can usually be found for free with little effort.  Browse for inspiration, how to’s, and see what you can make of pallet wood!

Before the 50+ roundup, check out SBLCs ever growing list of woodworking projects, the majority of which include, or can be adapted to include, shipping pallet wood:
Woodworking Project Gallery Page

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50+ Wood Pallet Projects:



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