INSIDE: Holiday pallet projects provide endless possibilities. Whether you’re looking to create woodworking projects to sell, give as gifts, use as decor, or for storage, try these recycled pallets ideas.
You can create fantastic woodworking projects to sell, give as gifts, or spruce up the Christmas decor in your home this holiday season. Wooden pallets provide the perfect material to create your artwork and eye-catching holiday decor. A recycled pallet can also create a great storage space solution, decorated for the season and situated strategically.
A quick glimpse at Pinterest shows us that wood pallet, reclaimed wood DIY projects and other rustic holiday decor matches the season’s hottest trends. Whether you’re seeking holiday decorations for your home, your office space, or your small business, DIY pallet crafts create the perfect complement to Christmas trees and other traditional holiday decor.
Where to Find Pallets for Your Holiday Pallet Projects
Before you begin your holiday pallet projects, you probably have tons of questions about, including:
- Where can I buy wood pallets?
- Where I can find free pallets?
- What kind of holiday decoration can I make from an upcycled pallet
This article will answer these questions and more about turning scrap wood or a repurposed pallet into fantastic Christmas decorations that will last year after year. DIY project, here we come!
Where to Get Wood Pallets
You can buy a reclaimed pallet if you have a hard time finding any for free. But don’t give up your hunt for free pallets too quickly; you’ll find plenty of pallet sources online and in your community. With a little persistence, ingenuity, and outreach, you can find free pallets near you.Â
Also see: Wher eare the best places to find free pallets?
Facebook Trading Groups
Most communities have one (or several) buy, sell, trade groups on Facebook, which are the perfect place to source items for your holiday pallet projects. Go to the Facebook Marketplace, click “Browse” and choose your location and the distance you are willing to travel. Type “wood pallet” or “plastic pallets” and you’ll undoubtedly find a few to choose from.
Freecycle
Believe it or not, the original grassroots neighborhood trading group, Freecycle.org, still exists. And it’s still a viable source to find items for your holiday pallet projects that others may not want anymore. In fact, it has more than 9 million members around the world.
Browse listings to find wood pallets or put up a request to members. Remember, Freecycle works because people give and receive. Clear some clutter from your home to make room for your new pallet project by listing unneeded items in the group to keep the “cycle” going.
Small Businesses
Small businesses receive shipments regularly, and they often need to get rid of those shipping pallets after they unload their merchandise. Smaller businesses are less likely to have a process for clearing their empty pallets, so build relationships with a few local store owners, find out what day they receive shipments, and enjoy an endless stream of free pallets.
Some of the best stores to obtain pallets include:
- Furniture stores
- Liquor stores and beer distributors
- Feed or pet stores
- Local flooring and hardware stores
Ask before taking free pallets, as the business owners may be saving them for something else, or may have a deal to sell them to a pallet recycler.
Where to Buy Wood for Your Pallet Project
Part of the charm of DIY pallet crafts is using recycled material to build your creation – and it’s a bonus when you can obtain free pallets for your DIY Christmas project.
But in a pinch, you can buy reclaimed wood and recycled pallets from several stores or online. Buy a wooden pallet from:
- A pallet recycler, which may have the largest variety and best prices on pallets
- Walmart online
- Home improvement stores
Outdoor Holiday Decor to Build from Wood Pallets
From pallet signs to a wood Christmas tree or snowman, you can build amazing nearly any Christmas decoration using an old pallet.
Preparing Wood for a Pallet Craft You Can Make With No Tools
Many DIY projects and pallet crafts require few or no tools, but if you’re creating an outdoor holiday decoration, you will need to prep your pallet board. This may require a few tools, such as a pry bar or claw hammer, a sander, and, of course, a paint brush to paint or stain the wood.
First, carefully remove any nails from the wood. Always wear safety glasses. Depending on the project, you may want to keep the pallet intact or you may need to pull apart the separate pieces.
Then sand the wood. Wear a respirator and sand the wood outside to avoid breathing in sawdust and chemicals or contaminants that may be on the lumber.
Finally, stain or paint the wood with a weatherproof paint for an outdoor project. Even if you want a natural color, you should use stain to protect the wood from the elements and keep your reclaimed pallet project looking new year after year.
Now, you’re ready to create your holiday pallet projects!
Holiday Ideas for Outside Holiday Decorations
Outdoor signs created from reclaimed wood are all the rage in home decor this season. A rustic Christmas tree created from pallets also brings holiday cheer to your front lawn. In fact, DIY Christmas trees are a growing trend with dozens of variations. Explore these possibilities and more to create a winter wonderland from recycled materials this holiday season.
Pallet Sign Options
Use a single piece of lumber from your reclaimed pallet to create a “Welcome” or “Happy Holidays” sign. A pallet sign is easy to build if you’re just getting started in DIY crafts.
While store bought signs may only offer a few colors or design variations, you can use your imagination and create a customized sign. Paint a different holiday greeting and design on either side and flip it depending on your mood or the weather.
Need some fun ideas?
Paint “Let It Snow” on one side and “Happy Holidays” on the other. You can use your pallet sign during the holidays all the way through January and February.
Since Chanukah falls before Christmas this year, you can also paint Happy Chanukah on one side and then flip the sign for Christmas greetings later in the month. Or paint “Season’s Greetings” on one side and welcome 2021 with “Happy New Year” on the opposite side.
You can attach premade wooden decorations or letters on your sign, ranging from snowflakes or snowmen to winter birds like a cardinal. Get creative with Dollar Store decorations and add bells, birds, or mistletoe to your sign.
Consider getting 25 wood numbers and make a “countdown to Christmas” pallet sign advent calendar.
DIY Christmas Tree
A wood Christmas tree adorned with LED lights rated for outdoor use will turn heads as people drive down your street during the holiday season. A trio of pallet Christmas trees can decorate your yard or sit propped against your house as an eye catching display.
First, you’ll want to separate the pallet. Then decide how tall you want to make your DIY pallet Christmas tree. Lay out the pallets one by one horizontally and then sketch a rectangle shape across all of them. This will show where you need to cut the wood to form the tree shape.
Paint each board individually, as it will be easier to reach ever corner before they are attached to the base. Then, attach all the horizontal boards to one vertical board, which will be the tree trunk. Nail or screw the horizontal boards to the trunk.
To create a free-standing pallet tree, you can either build a wooden base or mount the tree to a wooden crate. Alternatively, you can simply hang the trees on your house or prop them up for a fun and easy display.
Snowman
Here’s another fun holiday pallet project. You can create a snowman in the same way you made your Christmas tree.
You may need two or three pallets to build a snowman of realistic proportions. Separate the boards and lay them out horizontally, and then draw two circles – one for the head and one or two for the body. Attach the pieces on a long board. You can use outdoor acrylic paint to add features to the snowman’s face, or use pieces of lumber that you trimmed off your pallet.
Add a hat by screwing shorter pallet pieces together.
For an easier snowman, leave a whole pallet intact and use acylic paint to draw and color a snowman. Add wood to create his face (or paint it on), add a festive bow, and display on your porch or lawn.
Pallet Christmas Wreath
Want something different for your front door? Cut five pallet boards to size and place them together to form a hexagon shape. Paint and decorate with pine cones, pine garland, and holiday flowers.
Why Choose Pallet Wood for Outdoor Decor?
Both pallet wood and plastic pallets make the perfect rustic decor for the holiday season. Pallets are sturdy, versatile, and long-lasting.
Sure, everything you make from free pallets tends to retain the look of a pallet. But that’s part of the charm of rustic decor. You can tell your pallet project is crafted from recycled materials, which makes it both creative and environmentally friendly.
There are other benefits of woodworking, too. Having a hobby can help relieve stress, and the physical labor of creating something with your hands is also good for your heart and muscles.
Best of all, you’ll gain the benefits of moving your body while creating fun and unique rustic decor for your home.
Indoor Holiday Decorations Made from Wood Pallets
While pallet projects withstand the elements well, you don’t have to keep them outside! You can prop your pallet sign next to your fireplace as easily as on your front porch. Or use a single piece of lumber from a pallet to create a mantel decoration bearing your family’s last name or a favorite inspirational phrase like, “Believe,” or “Peace, Joy, Love.”
If you have young children, consider a mantel decoration atop your fireplace that says “Santa stops here.”
Can’t decide on a saying for your sign? Paint it with chalkboard paint and keep a tin cup or mason jar of chalk next to the sign. Change the words whenever the mood strikes!
Christmas tree boxes in place of tree skirts began trending last year and they make great holiday pallet projects. You can easily build a wooden crate from pallet boards to hold your real or artificial Christmas tree.
Holiday Storage to Build with Wood Pallets
Need to increase storage space around your home during the holidays? Build a box for hats and gloves, or a wooden crate to store sleds using pallets.
You can even build a pallet wine rack to match your home’s rustic decor, giving you a place to stock up on wine and spirits for the season.
We love holiday pallet projects for their versatility, sustainability, and durability. Not to mention, if you find free pallets, they are one of the most cost-effective DIY crafts you can create. Whether you decide to sell, give away, or treasure your pallet creations, these holiday crafts won’t disappointed.
–By Dawn Allcot
