So, like everybody else, I've become fascinated with the numerous use of pallets. I mean have you seen what some people are turning them into?? Let me start with the two things that I love: their versatility and the rustic effect of the wood. My sister and brother in law were having a house warming party and I wanted to get them something. The more I thought about it, the more clueless I was about what to get them. Then I found some inspiration courtesy of Pinterest of course. Here is a link to the original image that got my wheels spinning: Inspiration Trays.
Luckily we already had pallets. No, not one or two pallets...maybe 6-8. My husband had been bringing them home from work for me for another project that I was going to do, but that had to get scrapped. Sigh. (We will get to that!) All that was needed were handles, sanding paper or a sanding block, and some stain. Once we got back from picking up those (everything was purchased at Lowe's) I asked the hubby ever so sweetly if he could separate the boards and remove the nails for me. Next, I picked the pieces that I liked best; I didn't want them to be perfect, I wanted some impurities in the wood, and it was alright with me if they were slightly warped as it created character. Once I had the pieces laid out, I knew I wanted to make two trays, with one being slightly larger than the other.
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Picked The Pieces
Then I asked the hubby to cut the wood into the lengths that I had measured. It doesn't matter if your cuts on these horizontal pieces are slightly crooked, jagged, or rough; they'll be covered by the vertical pieces that hold the unit together. Again, these aren't supposed to look perfect; at least I didn't want these to look that way!
Measured & Ready to Be Cut
Next was probably the worst part of the entire project, the sanding. I had purchased one of the sanding blocks, it look like a gigantic nail buffer. I knew I wouldn't enjoy this part, so that is why I wanted until the wood was cut down to size. No need to do extra work on the ends that were going to be scrap! I sanded. And sanded. And sanded. Then sanded more. Just when I thought I had sanded them enough I decided to go at them once again. Figured I'd rather be safe than slivered! Make sure you sand the tops, bottoms, ends, and all sides of the pieces. The sides are really most important on the pieces where the edges will be exposed. Sand everything as consistently as you can. It is a huge pain in the butt and will make your arms and wrists hurt, but it's necessary. (Please note, I am now asking for a sander for Christmas.)
Post Sanding
I am sure that you can see the difference in the color of the pallet wood. The sanding also helps to get off any stains from items that were on the pallets (in this case car parts,) but also helps to bring out patterns in the grain of the wood, and any knots that you might not have been able to see before. When everything was sanded and smooth, it was time to assemble the pieces. My way of determining if they were smooth? Gently rubbing my hand back and forth. Not the best (or safest,) way to test, but it worked for me, and I didn't end up with ANY slivers. Before I started drilling things together, I brushed the pieces off with a dry cloth and then wiped them with a damp cloth. No need to stain the dust that was left from the sanding process. Believe me, it goes EVERYWHERE.
Now I had everything wiped down, pieced together (again,) and ready to go. I flipped all of the pieces over, and began to drill in the screws. You want to make sure that the screws are a length that will NOT go through both pieces of the wood. I made sure to measure their length prior to using them, although I didn't remember to take a picture of this. Face down on your work surface you will have the two smaller pieces running vertically. I then placed the longer pieces running horizontally, and made sure to line up the edges. I screwed them in with a drill in a random order, one on one side, then to the other side, and so forth and so on. I never screwed the same board back to back. This allowed me to check that boards were staying where I needed them to, but also allowed me to make slight tweaks if I needed to ever so slightly realign the pieces. You should end up with a crew on each side of each piece of wood that is running horizontally.
Once they were all secured it was time to flip them over and stain. I must admit that this was my biggest challenge. Not the actual staining process, choosing the color of the stain! There were SO many. Knowing my sister's design aesthetic, I opted for a lighter color that was somewhat reminiscent of beach colors, this color ended up being SPOT on with what I wanted. The other perk? The color on the label, and the color of the stain are the same. You know what I am talking about, you get paint or stain and the color inside doesn't really look like the color on the label, or that little dot that they so nicely put on the top lid for you.
Highly Recommended!
I applied two coats of the stain to achieve the desired color. Although I loved using this and the color made we want to redo everything in my house, I was amazed at how badly the stuff smelled. No, I wasn't in an enclosed area. I was outside which surprised me even more that the aroma bothered me. Oh well, live and learn. After the stain had dried completely (the longest step in the process,) overnight, it was time to add the hardware. I'm sure staining things during the end of August in the humidity isn't recommended but since when have I ever followed directions?
I remember my husband asking me if I was going to measure where the hardware needed to go so that it was even. My response, of course, was "no, I will eyeball it." ...luckily for me, they are pretty spot on. Again though, some of the imperfections add to the charm of the piece. All four handles were attached- TA DA! I was in love. That always seems to happen, you make something for someone else and you desperately want it. Needless to say, I am currently working on my own set of pallet trays.
If you are anything like me you want to see the full before and after effect. Don't worry I made sure to do a side by side shot...don't you just love the features in the "InstaCollage" app? That's where I got the frame and where I added the text to the image you see below.
Before & After
..and here is one of the trays in the New Hampshire surroundings it now gets to enjoy. Whether you are using these outside, as tray tables to eat off of, or trays to help you carry lots of things from one place to another (think at a dinner party!) the uses are endless. Perfect example of this, the tray was put on the dining room table, with silverware, plates, and napkins for the desserts!
Finished Product
~Keep It ClaSea
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