Recycling, upcycling, repurposing - the idea of turning unwanted or abandoned items into valuable, useful new objects is no longer a fad and has entered the mainstream. Wooden pallets are a wonderfully rich source of material for all kinds of projects, either decorative or functional and sometimes both. Some of them are designed for use indoors, like pallet beds, but many of the most inventive and surprising are for the garden. The wood used in pallet construction is tough and resilient so it stands up well to harsh weather conditions. It also has the advantage of being cut to manageable lengths and widths so it can be reused with fairly minimal use of saws. As part of our service providing pallet collection in London, we've seen some outstanding results.
Here are some of the ideas we've seen work well. Why not try some yourself? The only limit is your imagination.
There's no need to spend a fortune on expensive brands when you can achieve your own unique look by turning pallets into tables, chairs, footstools and garden sofas. These types of furniture have very simple structures. Provided that you get your angles right and apply a good finish, they'll look impressively individual. Add cushions of different sizes to complete the effect.
Garden Shelf
Instead of trying to find a place on a wall where you can put up a shelf, or if you only have fences, you can use a pallet as a support for a freestanding shelf. Varnish or paint the pallet, then place it on its end against a wall or fence to act as the support. You can then either create a shelf from unused pallet slats or use small paving slabs. It's a perfect spot for displaying pots, sculptures and ornaments.
Vertical Garden
For maximum impact with minimal effort, just hang a pallet on a garden wall using sufficient weight bearing fixings, and then you can either grow plants and herbs through the slats, or hang potted plants from them. Bare, untreated pallets might look a little rough and ready, but with the imaginative use of paint, you can give the pallet wall planters themselves an aesthetic appeal and use them in contrast with the living greenery. You may need several pallets, so it's worth getting in touch with a company that specializes in pallet collection in London to see if they can supply you with three or four which they can't reuse.
Planters
With a few basic carpentry skills, you can fashion very attractive square planters from old pallets. You'll have to cut the slats down to size but this won't be too onerous. Once you've made your planter you could line it with any kind of durable plastic, but if you do, you'll need to drill drainage holes. If you leave it unlined this may not be necessary as the pieces of wood will not form watertight seals.
Tree Bench
For the more ambitious, this is a project that can add a truly charming feature to your garden. If you have a tree in a particularly favoured spot then you could disassemble a pallet or pallets and reconstitute the parts into a seat that surrounds the trunk, creating a focus of interest and a perfect spot to sit and relax. The wood used in pallets is very resistant to the effects of the weather so it should last for many years.
Garden Bar
This is an ingenious way to create your own foldaway bar, which you can open up on sunny summer days or whenever you have guests round for a barbecue or drinks alfresco. Remove the slats and attach them side by side to the pallet's supporting structure to build the back of the bar, then use other pieces to make the folding front, which you can attach with chains at either end. Store your bottles and glasses inside and lower the front to create a surface for mixing and serving.
Make the Most of Pallet Collection in London
There are millions of pallets in circulation at any one time and huge numbers are collected from companies who are often more than happy to see them go to new homes for new uses. Find your nearest collection company and start personalising your garden. You'll be the envy of your friends.