outdoor pallet table diy
July 13, 2011 A midweek hello to you!
One of the many things keeping me busy lately has been a backyard overhaul. While I wait to finish a few final touches to the backyard/patio, I want to share our diy pallet table.
To make the table, we used two wood pallets, one 4x4, 4 caster wheels with nuts & bolts, L-brackets & skrews, and then gray stain. First we determined the height we wanted (21"), subtracted the height of the casters and two pallets (15"), then cut the 4x4s for the additional 6" legs. We then attached the 4 legs to the top of the lower pallet and also the underside of the upper pallet. After attaching the 4 casters using nuts & bolts, we decided a little color might look nice. We chose a gray stain hoping for a subtle coloring, but the wood absorbed stain so fast we ended up with a nearly black table. And I will add the amount of work to cover every surface inside of the pallets was....brutal. Do-over I would probably recomend keeping the natural wood color. I still really like the dark look and the size of the table is perfect for our patio.
So there you have it! Works great as an outdoor movable table, and a great alternative to expensive patio furniture. If anyone is interested in more specific direction, just let me know. I realize this wasn't the most detailed diy ever posted.
What do you think of the final product?
// UPDATE // My apologies that this DIY is not a very clear step-by-step. Please read through the comments to make sure your question is not answered there. If you still have a very specific question, I will try to answer via email. With so many repeat questions, emails are often buried in my inbox so I want to apologize ahead for tardy responses. Your understanding is greatly appreciated!
Reader Comments (60)
Attaching the legs to the pallet:
I used the L-brackets shown in the third image to attach the legs to the pallet. With plenty of brackets, we reinforced the legs by using 2 brackets on the top and 2 on the bottom of each leg. A screwdriver is the only tool you need for this.
Hopefully this helps! - Amanda Joy
How do you think this would hold up to the Arizona heat?
I love your table!!! I bought an expensive glass table for my patio and it broke after a couple weeks! I've been looking for something more f durable and cost efficient and I have been dreaming about this table ever since I saw it a couple weeks ago. I found some free pallets and I can't wait to get started! I'm going to use spray paint and go for a vintage looking white paint job (:
I know this post has been up for a while...but I've been inspired for a while! I have the pallets and wonder with the cheapness of pallet wood, should I pre-drill holes for the L-brackets (and the caster wheels)? Did your wood split at all when drill those in? Thanks for your answer.
I will be making this table in the next few days. :) So excited thanks for your wonderful idea.
Keep an eye out for free pallets when they are offered on Craig's list.
How many L brackets did you use on each leg!?
I have all the parts except for the wood legs. I see you used a 4 x 4 and cut it into sections. What are the dimensions of the four wood legs?? I wonder if I can buy them pre-cut??
Thanks!
Like it! I like it a lot. You know exactly what you're talking about, exactly where other people are coming from on this issue. I'm glad that I had the fortune to stumble across
I love it. Getting hubby to pick up some pallets at work so we can make one.
Thanks for sharing.
I was thinking about doing some college/NFL/Baseball themed ones for family for christmas. I love this idea and have been truly inspired. Thanks so much for sharing.
Do you know the stain you used and where you found it? I can't ind a nice gray stain anywhere
@Anthony I got the stain I used from Home Depot. The wood was so porous that it doesn't really look gray, and is so dark it's nearly black. Good luck!
I have my pallets, hardware and stain and I am ready to conquer this project that I love! My question is did you sand the wood to prevent getting splinters? Also did you only use the "L" brackets to connect the pallets together?
Love your table!
Pallet lawn chairs: https://www.google.com/search?q=lawn+chair+pallets&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=986&bih=530&sei=fHGQUK35A4m9yAG8jIHoAQ
This is such a creative idea. I see pallets while walking in the streets of NYC all the time but thought it was nothing more than junk. Thanks for sharing! I'm sharing it with all the @do-it-yourselfers on Reachably.
Absolutely loved this idea....we decided to take it in door using the same concept by adding a glass top!
I would love some more detailed instructions. How did you attach the 4x4's to the pallets (upper and lower)?
Can you provide a rough cost breakdown?
Thank you so much!
Wonderful idea, gonna give it a try!
I just finished building one of these. The sanding took less than an hour. I do have a power sander and I was more thorough with the pallet I used for the top. The bottom pallet was just sanded around the edges. The staining took me about 3 hours. I used an ebony satin because I wanted it to be dark. It actually looks a lot like the one posted by Amanda Joy. The pallets were free from my husband's work. The casters were 20 bucks. I spent about 7 bucks on stain and my husband had the L brackets and screws and bolts in the garage. Attaching the wheels and legs took my hubby about 2 hours (he's a perfectionist) So about 6 hours of labor and 27 bucks later I have a cool patio table. I love it and will probably have requests to make more for friends!