Top 5 Useful Things You Can Make With Recycled Pallets

Beginning our promotion on recycling pallets we have picked some great projects for you to make, if your up to it! The event runs throughout July 2014 at our shop in Torquay Devon UK TQ26EL, and will feature all of these items and more, for you to buy.

1. Large Single Shelf Unit

This is a really simple idea and quite easy to do, but will take a lot of effort with sanding down the wood. You will need a long light weight pallet strengthened across its width by 4×2 timber instead of the usual blocks.

Cutting this timber about 17cm from both ends will give you the shelf frame which will need to be filled out with scrap pieces of board.
Like to buy one? http://www.used2bee.com/Pallet_Wood_Shelf_p/sr100.htm

2. Open Storage Boxes

Superbly simple idea and easy to make, these really useful boxes are made up entirely with the wider 14cm planks stripped from common EU pallets.
Make up a box frame with these 14cm planks but you can use the narrower 7cm ones for the base underneath. To make life easy make sure your box width is divisible by 7cm.
Finish off the box by either cutting handles, or attaching odd things to each end, like horse shoes, as featured in the above picture.

3. Stunning Wall Light

How impressive is this? Customise it to your own decor and taste.
It is made by building a support box frame that fixes to the wall with vanity panels either side to hide the electrics. You can then arrange the differing planks to the front in any design you wish. This must be PAT tested for electrical safety before you install though.

4. Standard Braced Garden Gate

These can be expensive items when bought from any hardware store. This one pictured is a design sold at B&Q for £35 but they can certainly cost up to £150!
This is made using 6 or 7 of the narrower 7cm planks spaced for a standard width of 90cm. You will need extra pieces top and bottom, and another mitred for the bracing.

5. Nestbox: Small House for Small Birds

Great looking garden item for attracting Sparrows and Tits to nest in your garden. I think this is probably the most difficult out of the 5 to make as there are different shapes to cut to make it fit together.

The design is approved by RSPB and the plan can be downloaded from their website: http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/Nestbox%20pdf_tcm9-173857.pdf

If your not up to the DIY then buy one here: http://www.used2bee.com/Recycled_Wood_BirdBox_p/dg1-bb.htm

Please visit the website used2bee.com regularly to see new recycled products we add every day. You can also get great ideas for recycled arts and crafts on the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/used2bee