Pallet Project

After our patio project we were left with several wood pallets that the pavers were delivered on.  We like to reuse materials as much as we can so we leaned them up against the shed figuring we'd use them to stack our firewood on or something.

When we planted our vegetable garden Paul painted one in our trim color to act as a trellis against the side of the shed.  You can see it in the background of this photo- it does a great job holding up our tomato plants and also adds a little interest to the side of the shed:

Since then I've been brainstorming and google searching and came across a whole slew of people who are using pallets to make fabulous things like coffee tables, plant stands, and outdoor furniture.  And so over the weekend I decided to try my hand at a little pallet refashioning!

My first project was a little crate to hold all of LP's toys and things that usually end up strewn all over the yard by the end of the day.  I basically cut the two ends off a pallet (Paul helped me with his reciprocating saw) and then used some of the wood leftover from the middle section to make a bottomless box out of the two pallet ends. (How's that for a confusing description of my process!?!) 

Set at the base of our deck it's a great way to corral all of his loose garden tools and bouncy balls.  The gaps in the ends of the pallet hold his rakes and shovels neatly in place, and the crate is low enough on either side that he can easily reach in and grab a ball.

I left it bottomless so that I wouldn't have to worry about rain or dirt collecting in there. 

After my first pallet project was deemed a success I set out on a slightly more ambitious one.

Next to Paul's grill there was an empty space under the mudroom window that was just calling out for a counter-height table.  Paul is always juggling trays of food, grilling utensils, and a frosty beer when he's manning the BBQ so I thought that putting something in that corner would be really useful to him.

We've been looking around and have seen some great options in various places but let's face it, we're both really cheap and after shelling out for the patio this summer we decided to hold off on anything else.

I really wanted to dress up our deck a bit though as it really only holds the grill- it's not spacious enough for a table and chairs.  I took another pallet and basically created the same type of box.  I had to rip off a few more pieces of wood (and pull out quite a few nails) this time, but was able to build this very sturdy shelf/table that fits just perfectly under the window. 

I painted it in our grey trim color so it would look a little nicer and then added a bottle opener that has been floating around in the garage for a while.  Eventually I'll purchase a rubbermaid container or two for Paul to store all his grilling equipment in on the shelves. 

Sure, it's not the fanciest, most glamorous piece of furniture you'll ever see, but it's functional and free which are two of my most favorite things!

Hmmm... what to do with the remaining 3 pallets?  Any ideas?