It all started months and months ago, I wanted to build a table with old and neglected pallets for our patio. Rick and I finally had time to pick some up from a green energy company but then they sat in our garage for a couple of months. This last weekend we enjoyed a sunny weekend working on house projects, working on design projects, attending a bluegrass ho-down and avoiding the awful traffic so we thought it would be the perfect time to tackle this project.

The pallets were originally red and blue, which we thought was cool, as our original plan was for the table to go outside, which needed some lively color in the garden patio, but the tables needed a lot of sanding. Basically, they needed to be stripped down to the wood. We both started feeling the vibe of replacing our beloved coffee table just for a change (coffee table is taking a break in the garage). We made the correct measurements in height and decided to give the table a white wash to keep the integrity of the wood and characteristics.

We are now enjoying our table which brings a bit more masculinity against the flowers and mercury glass and we can easily bring the table outside when entertaining. win. win.

P.S. It is an ideal house for our books. (which typically hide under our bed)

Pallet Table

Need:

• Two Pallets (check craigslist, or keep your eyes open at grocery stores)
• Casters with the right size wood screws
• Hand sander
• wood stain or paint (depending on your style)
• pillars (we used 8 4 inch 2×4′s)
• 16  1 1/2 L brackets
• and absurd amount of screws
• Drill (recommended) or screwdriver

How:

Try to match the pallets as best you can in style and size, this makes putting them together a lot easier and more symmetrical. In our case we started with two palettes that were of slightly different sizes. First thing to do is to sand off all the rough spots. Be sure to go over it thoroughly removing any splintering wood or loose nails and boards. Once they are sanded apply your paint or stain. Let dry and finish the wood with a gloss, semi gloss or matte (we did a semi gloss in a spray can, worked great!) Attach the casters to the bottom palette. Attach the pillars to the top of the bottom palette with the L brackets then sandwich the palettes together and finish attaching the top L brackets. Depending on the size of your pillars you may have to attach the L brackets to the bottom of the top palette before you sandwich the two palettes together (I set the palettes together and marked the spots where I needed to attach the L brackets with a marker). If you have any questions use our contact page, we’re happy to help.