wood pallet upcycle

Wood Pallet Cross Tutorial

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.

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.

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

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

Using the Layering Block, I added more colors.

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.

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.

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

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

by Johnnie Collier

My 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:

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).

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.

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

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)!

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

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!

DIY Reclaimed Wood Headboard

by Johnnie Collier

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If you have shipping pallets or other reclaimed wood you would like to make great furniture with, this DIY headboard project is a great place to start. The plan is from Ana White’s Reclaimed Wood Queen Size Headboard, with a little tweaking to fit the wood I had on hand. My version is made using fence board, old deck board from my mom’s deck demolition, and pallet wood. The finish is what I am most excited about, and you will see why. It is a new (to me at least) product from Minwax that makes staining and finishing as simple as the wipe of a cloth. You are going to want to use this stuff.

HOW I DID IT:

Instead of attaching a 1×2 and 1×3 for the legs like Ana shows in her plan (linked above), I used my table saw to notch out a segment from 2×3 pieces of wood I ripped from 2×8 reclaimed lumber. I did this by adjusting the height of the saw blade and making perpendicular cuts down the length of each leg to remove that segment.

I nailed a supporting piece to the back of the planks to stabilize them in the center.

Here is my favorite tool these days; Ryobi Air Strike Brad Nailer. I have talked about it before, but I will say it again. This thing is super handy. It is lightweight, requires no air compressor, is cordless and works like a charm. The price can’t be beat. Worth every penny.

This picture shows pallet wood clamped to the base of the headboard for trim. I put 2 pieces of pallet wood at the bottom to make it all the way across the width of the headboard. I hid the seam with wood putty before staining, and you can’t see it. Make do with what you have. It is cheaper, more sustainable and presents a fun challenge!

Here is the sneak peek I showed you before staining. I sanded with my orbital sander; 60 grit, 120 grit, 180 grit, then stained with the awesome new product I eluded to earlier…

I was at Lowes and saw these Minwax Wood Finishing Cloths. I was highly skeptical when I read “Wipe on Stain and Finish in One Easy Step… Dries in One Hour”. I used Walnut for this project, and was completely amazed by how easy it was to apply. The stain looks great! I finished the piece in 15 minutes. Stained and sealed. I may never use anything else. Seriously awesome.

How to Make a Chevron Table from Reclaimed Wood Pallet

by Johnnie Collier

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I am a little smitten with today’s project, which is made from shipping pallets and a $5 table I picked up at Habitat Restore. Reclaimed wood projects are here to stay, folks – at least for this DIYer. This modern chevron wood plank table took an afternoon to create, but will be enjoyed indefinitely!

SUPPLIES:

Pallet wood

Ryobi AirStrike Nailer

1 3/4 inch 18 gauge brad nails

Wood Glue

Circluar Saw

Mitre Saw

Wood Clamps

Random Orbital Sander

Rustoleum Wood Stain Dark Walnut

CeCe Caldwell Satin Finish

Lent free cloth

Paint brush

Tack cloth

Yard stick

Pencil

TUTORIAL:

Find a really awesome hairpin leg table for $5 at Habitat Restore and tackle anyone in the way of you and it. Bring it home.

Cut pallet wood to 45° angles using mitre saw. Meet wood in center to form 90° angles(I drew a line down center of table with pencil using a yardstick).

Glue and nail down with air nailer or hammer and finishing nails. This is where I use my Ryobi AirStrike brad nailer. The thing is amazing. I can’t believe how powerful, lightweight and inexpensive it is. I use it in all of my reclaimed pallet wood projects and it makes my life worth living, or at least way easier when building.

Use the circular saw to cut off excess wood extending over edge of original table top. This is way easier than cutting each individual plank to size. Way. Easier. And. Faster. Trim with 1x2s or rips from 2x8s like i did. I mitered the edges to 45° for a more finished look.

Again with awesome nailer (this is not a Ryobi sponsored post, btw) – glue and nail the trim in place.

Sand with orbital sander.

Wipe on Stain per directions, with the wood grain. This is the first time I have used this Rustoleum stain and I love it. Gorgeous color, easy to use, what is not to love?

How to Make a Wood Pallet Recycle Bin

by Johnnie Collier

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

DIY Storage Boxes from Recycled Pallets

by Johnnie Collier

DIY Numbered shipping pallet crates

Wanna make cool DIY storage boxes from old shipping pallets? That is what you will find here. This project came about because I have never really loved my tapered bookshelf and decided it was time to make it lovable. I found these DIY storage crates from pallets at Ana White, and came up with a plan to make small, medium and large ones to custom fit to my shelves. During the process of getting the numbers on there, I found a cool, accidental image transfer to wood technique. I finished the three boxes over 2 days, including letting stain sit overnight. Keep reading to see how.

SUPPLIES:

Wood from shipping pallets – (There are 1000 ways to break down pallets. I use a pry bar and circular saw. Google it to find videos.)

Kreg jig and screws (My wood was .75 inches thick so I used 1.25 inch Kreg screws)

1×12 board for bottoms of crates

Wood Glue

Clamps

Mod Podge (I used Antique Mod Podge)

Wood Stain and Conditioner or preferred finish

Scrapbooking Attitude or materials for your preferred transfer technique

TUTORIAL:

Based on my 3 shelf sizes, I decided to make three boxes sized as follows: 12×12.5 inch, 13×12.5 inch and 14×12.5 inch. To do this, I cut 6 sides from pallets, each 11 inches for the box sides. I cut a front and box in 12, 13 and 14 inches for each box. The bottom of the box I cut from 1×12 board to 1.5 inches shorter than the front/back pieces of each box (to account for the width of the sides). See all the pieces above.

Here you can see that I drilled pocket holes on each edge of the inner surface of the side boards for each box (to see how to use Kreg Jig and join wood with it, go to my Pallet Sign Tutorial)

Drill pocket holes in the bottom of the box for attaching it to the front, back and side box boards as pictured.

Start by attaching side to bottom using holes you drilled in bottom.

Here it is with all the boards attached. I used wood glue in addition to the screws. I always do. I learned that from Ana.

I sanded with 80 then 120 grit paper.

Clean away debris from sanding with damp lint free towel, then apply wood conditioner. Let sit 15 min, wipe away excess.

I stained with Minwax Classic Gray Wood Stain. I did an extremely quick and dirty finishing job on these since the wood is rustic and uneven anyway. That is one of the many things I love about pallet wood projects. I get to move quick and messy fits right in with the look.

I used these free cool vintage numbers from The Graphics Fairy. To get them filled in, I just pulled them into Photoshop and painted the open spaces black. I flipped them backwards and printed them onto Scrapbooking Attitude, an image transfer product you can read all about in my Image Transfer Halloween DIY using the product.

Cut out around number. Set aside and go to next step.

Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge where the image will be placed.

Peel film away from backing and place image, ink side down, onto the surface. Smooth out any wrinkles and press into Mod Podge/wood with fingers.

O.k. Here is where the happy accident starts. You can see the transfer film where you cut out the number and the clear “paper” around it. At this point I would just mod podge over everything, hoping that hid the edge of the film to an acceptable degree. What happened here was I realized I accidentally put the 2 on the largest box, where I really wanted the three. So, I tried to remove it, and the film came away leaving the ink behind! Yay! I did sanded it off the box so I could put the 3 on there, but removed the film for the rest of the numbers. I love how it looks!

Here you can see me removing the film, and the ink staying behind!

Brush a coat of Mod Podge over the entire surface, and the entire box to seal. I used Antique for an aged effect. Let dry and you are done!

So, they are awesome, am I right?

Wanna make everything under the sun from wood pallets?

Check out our 50+ Wood Pallet Project Round-up!

We also have 50+ Image Transfer Projects to inspire your creativity!

How to Resurface a Table with Reclaimed Wood

by Johnnie Collier

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Are you tired of your table, but not in a spot to spend money on a new one? Do what I did and cover your worn out kitchen table with reclaimed wood from pallets, fences and whatever scraps you have on hand. This project was fast, easy, cheap, and I am in love with the new look. I used milk paint for the legs, a first for me. I finished with CeCe Caldwell wax and aging wax. Read on for the full scoop from planning to finish!

I told you about this table/chair set I got at Habitat Restore for $6 and revamped a couple of years back. I spray painted the table top black and the legs silver, the chairs blue and green and this has been our kitchen table since 2010.

I measured the table’s length and width and cut 1×2 pieces I had on hand to frame the it.

I connected the sides to each other with wood glue, a Kreg pockethole and 1 1/4 inch Kreg screws and held them together with corner clamps while the glue dried.. I glued the frame to the table sides with wood glue and 2 inch brad nails, holding in place with clamps until glue set.

For the boards on the top, I just placed them and marked where I needed to cut the ones that stuck over the edge. I cut them, glued the boards in place, and used my nailer to nail some down for added security. I let that dry overnight, planed and sanded the top, stained with weathered wood from Minwax.

I used this milk paint, which comes in a powder that you mix with equal parts warm water.

This is after one coat.

This is after the second coat with 1 hour dry time between.

I love where this chippiness happened! I wanted the look everywhere, but it happend where it wanted.

I painted a few of the boards with the leftover milk paint. I distressed the legs with my hand sander in some spots. To finish, I sealed with a coat of CeCe Caldwell clear wax, followed by aging wax all over.

Shipping Pallet to Coffee Table and Finishing Tips

by Johnnie Collier

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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.

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!

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.

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

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

Wood Pallet Mixed Media Art

by Johnnie Collier

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Matt210Collage DIY mixed medial collage tutorial @savedbyloves [pinit]

This mixed media Christmas verse piece is made from recycled pallet wood, crepe paper circles, old sheet music, a wood tree, and upcycled soda can star. It is so fun and challenging to see what you can come up with from what you have in your stash. With creative layering of paint, paper and ink, the possibilities are endless.

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Here is how it went…

Supplies:

Acrylic paint in red, aqua, white

Paint brushes

Brayer

3D aluminum can or other star

White Gesso

Old sheet music

Matte gel medium or mod podge

Pencil

Pitt pen or other permanent black pen

Wooden tree silhouette

Adhesive dots

The “canvas” for my background came from this chevron pumpkin piece I showed you in the fall. It is composed of pallet wood.

TUTORIAL:

I wanted to update it to Christmas, and decided to cover the chevron with a festive, snowy background for my tree. The inspiration for this piece came from Claudine Hellmuth’s holiday layers card over at Ranger.com.

To start, I painted on a layer of Gesso. I didn’t really care if the chevron peaked through, so I just did one layer. Wben that dried, I used red fluid acrylic paint to lightly cover the gesso. It is ok to leave parts white. Not going for perfect here.

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When the red paint was dry, I added pieces of torn sheet music to the bottom to form a hill shape. Apply matte gel (or Mod Podge) to paper and adhere to canvas. Once in place, cover with layer of matte gel.

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I stamped aqua acrylic paint randomly.

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Once I was happy with the background, I painted on a thin layer of matte gel and let dry. I used my sizzix Assymetric rings die to cut rings and circles from white crepe paper and adhered them onto the layered background to create snow.

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When I had all the rings I wanted, I touched them up here and there with white acrylic paint, then coated the entire piece with matte gel and let dry.

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When that dried, I painted a blue scalloped edge at the bottom, outlined it with black Pitt artist pen and covered the entire piece with one more layer of matte medium.

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To create the tree, I painted green acrylic paint and doodled the verse with pencil first. I went over the text with Pitt artist pen. There will be a tutorial on how to do this in the future. I adhered the completed tree with permanent glue dots.

The star was made with Sizzix 3D star die from a coke can. I dipped it in Mod Podge and sprinkled glitter on and let dry. Adhered it to tree with permanent glue dot.

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I am a little bit in love with it. It may be the last transformation of the pallet canvas. It is ok. There are more pallet pieces in my garage just waiting to be pieced together for the next piece.

Make Wood Pallet Wall Art

by Johnnie Collier

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Do you love the wood shipping pallet signs infiltrating home decor lately? Learn how to make your very own aged pallet art. The quote from Moulin Rouge is provided for you to use in your die cut machine, or as a tracing template. You will also see how to age your sign with Cece Caldwell wax! This project is easy and can be completed in an afternoon.

Supplies:

WOOD PALLETS

KRYLON DUAL – WHITE FLAT

STENCIL TEMPLATE – for mine, just click thumbnail below and save full res version that appears

DIE CUT MACHINE – to create stencil from vinyl or contact paper

-OR-

TRANSFER PAPER – to outline letters onto pallet

CECE CALDWELL CLEAR WAX

CECE CALDWELL AGING CREAM DARK

STENCIL BRUSH

WAX BRUSH

DRY BRUSH

TUTORIAL:

That is it! I love my new sign. It is proudly displayed in our guest room, which is quickly becoming my favorite room in the house.

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

Wood Pallet Cross Tutorial

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

And our 50+ Wood Pallet Projects:

Psalm 93 DIY Wood Pallet Nursery Sign

SUPPLIES:

TUTORIAL:

DIY Reclaimed Wood Headboard

HOW I DID IT:

How to Make a Chevron Table from Reclaimed Wood Pallet

SUPPLIES:

TUTORIAL:

How to Make a Wood Pallet Recycle Bin

SUPPLIES:

DIY Storage Boxes from Recycled Pallets

SUPPLIES:

TUTORIAL:

Check out our 50+ Wood Pallet Project Round-up!

We also have 50+ Image Transfer Projects to inspire your creativity!

How to Resurface a Table with Reclaimed Wood

Shipping Pallet to Coffee Table and Finishing Tips

TUTORIAL:

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

Wood Pallet Mixed Media Art

Here is how it went…

Supplies:

TUTORIAL:

Make Wood Pallet Wall Art

Supplies:

TUTORIAL:

Meet Johnnie

Categories

Recent Printables

50+ Roundups

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

And our 50+ Wood Pallet Projects:

SUPPLIES:

TUTORIAL:

HOW I DID IT:

SUPPLIES:

TUTORIAL:

SUPPLIES:

SUPPLIES:

TUTORIAL:

Check out our 50+ Wood Pallet Project Round-up!

We also have 50+ Image Transfer Projects to inspire your creativity!

TUTORIAL:

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

Here is how it went…

Supplies:

TUTORIAL:

Supplies:

TUTORIAL:

Meet Johnnie

Categories

SBLC Topics