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Just moved into a new home, empty spaces, and a tight budget. Explored around, learning from moms who creatively use self-made wooden furniture. After some searching, found a bright idea – Pallet Wood.
Bought a total of 15 Pallets (around $5-6 each – got mine for $4.5 each by being resourceful), 20 separate Pallet wood pieces (bought for $0.35 each), about 20 corner brackets ($0.10 each), spent around $15 on transportation from Binh Tan.
Accomplished so far: 1 sofa set (2 seats, can be separated into 4 seats), 1 bed (1m2), 1 bookshelf, 1 pot rack, 1 shoe rack, and 1 spice rack in the kitchen.
Showcasing the Achievements:
(Bookshelf, Bed, and Shoe Rack)
(Sofa-Dining Table Set)
1. What is Pallet?
It's a nifty piece designed to secure goods when using a forklift for transporting large loads. Pallets come in various types (wood, plastic, etc.) and sizes, but the commonly seen ones are 0.95x1.2m or 1x1m. Make sure to inquire and choose carefully.
Additionally, when crafting, it's essential to pay attention to the pallet surface.
There are specific types worth exploring:
- Disassembled wooden pallets with small slats: perfect for hanging items
- Versatile large-slat wooden pallets: multipurpose, suitable for crafting chairs, beds, shelves, and more.
- Tightly fitted wooden surface pallets: commonly used for dining tables, bedside tables, or any flat surface needs
Aside from the wooden surface, let's explore how pallets are connected: there are two main types, the notched block (in red) and the type with interconnected wooden pieces (in green).
2. What's Needed to Begin?
- Pallets – of course! In Saigon, you can find them in three areas: Behind the district 5 post office (a bit pricey but convenient), along the national highway in district 12 (good-quality and beautiful wood), and around Binh Tan district (search online to explore).
- Saw, wood-nailing nails, hammer (get a good one with a nail-pulling hook, or else you'll end up with a broken hammer – been there L )
- Wood glue (green bag in the bottom left corner). One kilogram should be more than enough.
- Electric drill for drilling into walls and connecting wooden slats. Don't forget to buy 4-prong drill bits for the drill.
- Wheels for attachment if needed
- Sandpaper to smooth out rough and dirty areas. (If using a sanding machine, it's better to get fabric sandpaper)
- Aromatic fuel for thinning paint or cleaning hands and brushes after painting. (Get it from a paint supply store)
- L-shaped brackets and wall anchors
Usually, nearby plumbing and electrical stores have them. Alternatively, you can check out Dân Sinh market in District 1.
- And the most crucial advice is never give up once you start. There were moments when we wanted to quit, but with two people working together, we managed to push through.
3. Implementation Steps:
- Use sandpaper to thoroughly sand all surfaces of the pallet. This step ensures a cleaner pallet and makes painting easier.
- Cut the pallet according to the design (In this case, cut it into 2 pieces to make chairs)
- Paint with your favorite color, or if not, use glossy paint for wood protection. You may need a second coat as wood sometimes absorbs paint unevenly, resulting in patches.
- Once dry, you can assemble the pieces using glue or attach them to the wall with screws. Your masterpiece is now complete.
This is an image of everything created:
Bed: 6 pallet panels underneath + 1 panel for the headboard and 2 wooden pieces placed on top for the headboard shelf
Sofa: 2 panels for the table, add 4 wheels underneath + 2 panels for 2 seats that can be separated into 4 chairs
Bookshelf: 1 panel + 6 individual pieces attached to 3 horizontal bars for placing items (at the bottom, attach them to the underside to create a drawer – 2 in the middle and on top, attach them on the upper side for placing items)
Shoe Rack: 1 SMALL panel cut in half + 4 notched blocks glued together (planned for a TV stand but since there's no TV at home, it became a shoe rack, haha)
Pot Rack and Spice Rack: 1 thin panel attached to the wall + buy additional iron hooks for hanging / 2 wooden pieces + 4 notched blocks for stability
That's just how simple it is.
Note:
- Easy to make, just a bit time-consuming. Do it one at a time, not all at once like I did, it took over half a month because I only had time on weekends. On weekdays, I could only work for 1-2 hours in the evening.
- The paint cost a bit, so consider whether to paint it (glossy paint is less expensive, quicker, and lazier)
- When buying pallets, carefully choose which panel to use for what purpose because each panel is different. If you want to assemble them, make sure to buy the same type.
- Think about the design beforehand to save effort and bring them all back in one go to save money. You can search for designs in many places, especially using English keywords. I checked Pinterest and Google with keywords like Pallet, DIY, Furniture,...
After completing the task, consider investing in a comfortable mattress (for chairs and beds), a glass tabletop, hooks, and more to enhance the organization of your belongings.
Best wishes for your success!
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