Outdoor Pallet Wood Bar

Got some old pallets and don't know what to do with them? That's what happened with me. So I decided to make a bar from the pallet wood by pulling inspiration from the internet and from inside my head. Some of the work is a bit odd and awkward to do, but the end result was well worth it.

• Pallets with good wood (2-3 is best for this. I used only 2 and I'll show you how to make that work) *make sure one pallet is wider than the other, not required, but looks cooler*
• Screws (amount undefined, just however many you feel content with)
• Plywood
• 2 Shelving boards (make sure it is at least 4 inches longer than front side pallet)
• Primer (and brush depending on whether you buy spray or brush primer)
• Spray paint (2 colors) *need much more of one color that you will the other*
• Nails
• Hammer
• Drill
• 1/8' drill bit
• Orbital sander w/ at least 80-grit sandpaper (only sandpaper is fine, just takes way longer)
• Jig Saw
• Circular Saw
• *table saw* (I don't have one, but having one will make a few of the cuts easier)
• Saw horses (or table to cut wood on)

My neighbor had two pallets, and we got them. After a few days, we decided we wanted a bar, so after some digging on the internet and some personal creativity, I settled on a plan. The first portion of making my plan work was cutting down the smaller of the two pallets. One pallet was 5 inches taller and about 8 inches longer than the other, so the smaller of the two became the sides. I set it up on the sawhorses and in a combination of the jigsaw, circular saw, and hand saw, I was able to cut it in half. Obviously, you can go shorter than halfway if you need or want to, but this is just what I did.

This step was a pain, but on the bright side, it was over quickly. After cutting the smaller one, I faced the challenge of attaching the two halves together. To do this, I first took that plywood sheet and cut 4 strips with the circular saw, about one inch shorter than the short pallet and only about an inch wide (no need to be perfect, just approximate). I then attached the two halves of the small pallet to the large one with screws, perpendicular to the ends of the big one, to make a big, boxy u. Then, I took two of the four strips, screwed them to the inner 90-degree joint of the pallets (one on either edge) with the 1/8' bit and drill. Mirror to the other side. It's up to you how many screws to put on it to hold it together. I used roughly 15 total for this whole step. Screws should be strategically placed to maximize the hold. Location will vary based on construction of pallets.

The bigger pallet we got had 1'5" gaps between the pre-installed pieces of wood. To solve this problem, I went to Lowe's and got a sheet of plywood. I marked out pieces that were as tall as the front side pallet and about an inch wide. I cut about 9 pieces, but of course, your number may be much different than mine. After cutting them, I just nailed them to the original pallet wood and made sure it was completely secure (I also hammered the original slits back to the pallet because they were a tad loose).

I put four shelves on this thing. Take one of your two shelving boards. Measure it out to where 1"-2" hangs over the left and right of the pallet, and at least 1" over the front (this should leave a larger overhang over the back), however, as long as there is a larger overhang at the back of the shelf than at the front, you should be fine. The lower shelf will be a bit trickier. Now, this is gonna sound out of order, but trust me. Measure the tops of the side pallets (I know, weird right? Trust me, I'm getting to the middle shelf). Take your second board, mark the length you just measured on it from the end, all the way across. Make a mark in the center of the end, all of the way to the measurement mark. Take the jig or circular saw and cut your two perpendicular lines. These two pieces will be the side top shelves. Whatever is left from the second board, use it to make the lower shelf. Use whatever measurement you think works for you here. Go get more wood. This part is really up to interpretation and up to you. Just as long this piece of board is pushed all of the way to the front, touching the front slits of wood, any measurements that'll work for you.

First, place top shelf piece on the top of the pallet where it's gonna go (refer to previous step for placing). Drill through in three places with the 1/8" bit. DO NOT install screws yet. Repeat for middle shelf (middle board of front pallet, refer to previous step for placement) and side shelves (side pallet tops).

This part sucked, but it's necessary. Sand down every surface (except where the shelves will go). You shouldn't need to sand down the shelves, they were finished from Lowe's if you bought actual shelves.

After everything is sanded, primer is next. Do the shelves first. Only the top and sides need paint and primer, don't worry about the bottom. Actually, for this, the paint will work just fine. The pallet wood, you'll need primer. I had brush-on primer that dried white. Since I was doing mine white and it was gonna be outside, I decided just primer would do until I had enough paint. It takes a lot. If you're not doing white, then I'd get at least 3 cans of whatever color you're doing the pallets (shelves should be different color). Just make sure that there is a very good coat of paint on the outer side. The inner side of the pallets don't really need color, just get the outer sides coated well.

Insert your screws into the shelves with the tips out, and line up the screws with the holes that you drilled in it earlier. Once it's lined up, drill it in, and make sure everything is secured and squared up. Repeat for every shelf. Order doesn't matter, just get them on.

Congrats, you've made a pallet bar. Enjoy it. Feel free to customize the paint from here.