Would you like to enhance your home, terrace, or garden with custom-made furniture created by you? Try using pallets!

Commonly known as pallets, these wooden structures are used for transporting goods and are often discarded after use. However, lately, there are many creative ways to give them a new life. Pallets are increasingly becoming a part of our daily lives, offering numerous ideas for creating practical and decorative items. Given their design potential — so much so that they are now used to furnish pubs and restaurants — I thought I’d share a series of ideas for making the most out of pallets, particularly as outdoor furniture.

Pallets are perfect for unleashing your creativity outdoors: they can be transformed into coffee tables, sofas, carts… With a bit of free time, patience, and imagination, you can create many new pieces of furniture to decorate your home or garden in an original and cost-effective way.

It’s important to note that having outdoor space doesn’t necessarily mean having a large garden; many of us live in apartments. Nevertheless, with some ingenuity, this problem can be overcome. For example, you can take a pallet, even an old one, to achieve a more rustic effect, and add flower pots for a colourful touch that complements the pallet’s raw essence.

Pallets are typically made of raw wood, so if exposed to the elements, they might deteriorate. For this reason, before constructing garden furniture, it’s important to treat them with appropriate products like wood preservatives. Of course, you should start by sanding the surfaces; this can be done using a wood sander or simply sandpaper. Once sanded, you can paint the pallets in your preferred color, and then they will be ready to become your new garden furniture.

COFFEE TABLE

The quickest solution is to turn the pallets into a low coffee table. Simply stack two or more pallets on top of each other and secure them as desired (for example, with flathead screws or hot glue). If you like, you can also add a layer of glass or plexiglass on top, or even a wooden surface, to enhance the table and create a smooth top.

(In this case, I used 80×60 cm pallets and a 5 mm satin-finish, scratch-resistant glass top.)

POUF

For comfortable seating in the garden, you can create cozy poufs, perfect for enjoying a friendly drink surrounded by nature. Again, start by stacking the pallets on top of each other, but enhance them with soft cushions in your preferred color.

(Pouf measures 110×70 centimeters, with beige water-repellent fabric.)

SOFA

Creating an outdoor sofa using pallets is a bit more complex than the previous projects and involves more steps. The process is similar to the previous ones (stacking pallets), but careful planning is required since it’s a larger structure. For sofas, you must also create backrests, typically using one or more pallets arranged vertically to complete the seating area. The final result is well worth the effort.

(Sitting and backrest sections are 120×80 centimeters, with beige water-repellent fabric; I recommend utilizing the full depth of the pallet, which can also be converted into a bed if needed.)

Combining these ideas allows you to creatively and stylishly arrange a relaxing corner on your balcony, garden, or interior space. For example, the sofa paired with the poufs can be transformed into two comfortable and modern chaise lounges.

As you’ve seen, used pallets can easily be transformed into comfortable garden furniture. Additionally, recycling pallets is one of the best ways to reduce deforestation and unleash your creativity. So why not combine utility with pleasure?