Another use for simple pallets

@JudyEv (338682)
Rockingham, Australia
January 31, 2022 3:30am CST
We stopped at a café, The Crooked Carrot, on our way to Bunbury in Western Australia. I’ve written about it before. It’s in the middle of a huge vegetable growing area. Wooden pallets are utilised a lot when transporting produce from the region. When we lived in Donnybrook, we pulled apart similar pallets and used the timber for other purposes. At this roadside café, they have made seating from the pallets although they don’t look very comfortable. It was too hot in the sun for anyone to be using them but perhaps they put cushions on them at other times. Pallets are made from very inferior wood but then they can be used to create other items. Sometimes, it seems everything has more than one use in its lifetime.
27 people like this
28 responses
@DaddyEvil (137249)
• United States
31 Jan 22
I wouldn't want to risk sitting on those. Pallets always have splinters just looking for someone to poke and I like my... fundament... without extra holes in it.
4 people like this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jan 22
Fair enough. They are very basic but would be okay with cushions on them.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137249)
• United States
31 Jan 22
@JudyEv True and they might be comfortable with enough sanding first, too.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jan 22
@DaddyEvil Yes, that's right but they certainly have a lot of splinters if left 'undressed'.
2 people like this
@Fleura (30172)
• United Kingdom
31 Jan 22
We mostly just use them for stacking our firewood off the ground, but they are popular for making compost heaps and such. Recently there has been a trend to re-purpose them into indoor furniture such as coffee tables and beds! (I imagine a lot of planing and sandpapering would be needed as they're usually pretty rough).
Gallery of the best pallet furniture ideas, plus tips for choosing and using patio furniture in your home. Check out these great ideas!
2 people like this
@Fleura (30172)
• United Kingdom
31 Jan 22
@JudyEv That looks really nice. You two are so handy!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jan 22
@Fleura We often joked that our materials were cheap but we could never have charged by the hour! No-one could have afforded us.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jan 22
We had a thicknesser (which should have been called a thinnerer!) and would put them through that till all the rough stuff disappeared. There are some great ideas in the link. We made a ramp to get the sheep up into the trailer. The sides of our bar were rough wood but from an old dressage arena rather than from pallets. We didn't try to make them smooth. We just used them as they were. I miss having somewhere to put some 'good junk' in case we need to make something. Here's the bar. The top was a jarrah slab that we had dressed.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (470823)
• Switzerland
31 Jan 22
Pallets seem to be popular right now. I have seen many different usages for pallets.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (470823)
• Switzerland
1 Feb 22
@JudyEv - I suppose it is the additional antivrus installed in my browser.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jan 22
Fleur sent a link to some of the uses they can be put. You could make almost anything from them if you had a few skills.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 22
@LadyDuck I get that too from time to time. Mostly with music links but I only open a few of those.
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99405)
• Atlanta, Georgia
1 Feb 22
My niece used pallets to build a deck. After finishing and painting it looks really nice.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 22
Pallets are such a cheap source of material and they can be put to no end of uses.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 22
@RubyHawk Did she smooth the pieces off first?
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99405)
• Atlanta, Georgia
1 Feb 22
@JudyEv I would never have thought of building a deck from pallets but it really looked good when she finished with it.
1 person likes this
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
1 Feb 22
It's just a matter of being creative to be able to re-use things that we usually think of throwing away. That cafe indeed has done its share of saving our planet by recycling.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 22
Yes, you just need a bit of imagination and the cafe is doing a great job.
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Feb 22
@sunrisefan I can believe that. Some people have quite miserable lives.
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
3 Feb 22
@JudyEv Here in our country, those pallets would well serve as dwelling for poor people when they use those to construct makeshift tiny little homes.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40243)
• United States
31 Jan 22
What an inventive use of pallets
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 22
They would cost next to nothing to make.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Feb 22
@FayeHazel Is it? I don't really keep up with what's in style and what isn't.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40243)
• United States
7 Feb 22
@JudyEv And that rustic/rugged look is all the rage
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (179768)
• United States
1 Feb 22
They should spruce those up a bit, and make them a bit more attractive and inviting. Someone around here makes 4th of July decorations from them, painting them red, white and blue, and turning them into a flag design. They are really gorgeous. Reusing and repurposing things like that, is great to do!
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (179768)
• United States
1 Feb 22
@JudyEv They are really great looking.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 22
They could certainly do with another coat of paint. I bet the flag ones looked great.
1 person likes this
• United States
1 Feb 22
Years ago someone framed up my pump house using pallet boards and then we put siding on it. It lasted for around 20 years before I had to replace it.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 22
That was a good idea and would have been economical to make.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (112761)
• El Paso, Texas
1 Feb 22
Most of the pallets that might have been available goes to the Mexicans who come here to retrieve them and then they burn them to try to keep warm. Juarez gets many out of control fires in winter because the really poor people use them to either try to keep warm or cook with.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (112761)
• El Paso, Texas
2 Feb 22
Those who are poor will use anything they can get to try to keep warm, I can't blame them really.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Feb 22
@rebelann Me either.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 22
Most would think they were only good for firewood. I'm sure the Mexicans are pleased to have them on a cold night.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (105317)
• Marion, Ohio
31 Jan 22
I love using pallets. But those dont look comfortable
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (105317)
• Marion, Ohio
1 Feb 22
@JudyEv Yes they would
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 22
No, they need cushions.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317004)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
31 Jan 22
Ingenious how they used the pallets.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 22
There are a myriad of uses for them but you need a bit of imagination to come up with ideas.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317004)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
1 Feb 22
@JudyEv Some people have more imagination than others.
1 person likes this
@Rashnag (30592)
• Surat, India
31 Jan 22
Beautiful picture. Glad to know about it. Hope you enjoyed your trip
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Jan 22
We did enjoy our trip thanks. The films were really good.
1 person likes this
@Rashnag (30592)
• Surat, India
31 Jan 22
@JudyEv Glad to know about it. Take care
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203422)
• Nashville, Tennessee
31 Jan 22
I have seen these before but not for many years. A great way to repurpose.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 22
There is a variety of items you could make from pallets. Half of the problem is having the imagination.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 22
@CarolDM I tend to think it is a 'muscle' that gets better with use. Some have much more 'muscle' than others though!
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203422)
• Nashville, Tennessee
1 Feb 22
@JudyEv Yes, I envy those that have creativity the comes natural.
1 person likes this
@sharonelton (28472)
• Lichfield, England
1 Feb 22
That's a good way to use old pallets.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 22
Better than burning them. They can be reused for all sorts of things.
1 person likes this
@sharonelton (28472)
• Lichfield, England
1 Feb 22
@JudyEv Yes, that's true. It would be a waste to burn them.
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
1 Feb 22
yes and even the wire cable round spool. We used one as a table at one time too. I see there.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 22
Yes, they were using several of them as tables.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (50866)
• Canada
31 Jan 22
In theory they are nice, very rustic looking. The wood, which I believe is balsam, tends to break apart and give splinters quite easily. It would make for a nice potting table, you wouldn't feel slivers in your bum.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 22
Here, they are mostly made of reject pine but they still have splinters. Fleur gave a link for the top 25 items that you can make with packing pallets. I guess you could make just about anything from them. We made small boxes and photos frames.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (217941)
• Walnut Creek, California
31 Jan 22
I just wonder (as a sanding expert) if they sand the edges so nobody gets splinters.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 22
I doubt it. I didn't look closely. I think maybe on busy days they'd put a long cushion on them. If we go there again, I'll check it out.
@JESSY3236 (19892)
• United States
1 Feb 22
cool, but yeah they need cushions.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 22
Definitely cushions would make a huge difference to the comfort level.
1 person likes this
@Neil43 (3268)
1 Feb 22
Looks very creative though. I like it actually.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 22
I like stuff like this too. I'm always happy if I can make something from nothing.
• Indonesia
1 Feb 22
it seems uncomfortable to sit there, should add a cushions ^^
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (338682)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Feb 22
Yes, cushions would make them much more comfortable.