Use These Wooden Pallet DIY Ideas To Upgrade Your Backyard On A Budget

A beautiful and well-appointed backyard can increase the overall outdoor living space and result in more time spent outside enjoying warmer weather. Finding budget-friendly furniture and storage solutions, however, can be a mixed bag, with retailer options often costing a pretty penny to outfit your outdoor space the way you really want to. Repurposing materials can solve this problem immensely, often creating great DIY solutions for outdoor furniture, fencing, and storage. Simple wood pallets, which are often sturdy and made of good quality treated wood, can be a particularly great element to upcycle into outdoor living essentials with a few modifications.

Wood shipping pallets can often be obtained with a little sleuthing and ingenuity, with many retailers giving away or selling them for super cheap after they've done their job of delivering the goods. Driving around alleyways and parking lots may also prove a fertile hunting ground. You can also find them in places like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist for little to no expense.

Because of their durability and size, wood pallets are a great adaptable backyard storage solution. Hang one along an exterior wall or fence as a rack for hanging backyard landscaping tools and supplies up and off the ground. Just add some large and sturdy S-hooks or wooden pegs to hold shovels, hoses, and other gardening equipment. Or hang wire hanging baskets from the pallet's rungs for holding seedlings or plants to keep them up and away from rabbits and other nibblers.

Place a pallet against a wall in or near your shed or garage as an easy way to stash larger yard tools or sports equipment, or suspend a pallet from a lofted ceiling in your shed to hold things up and out of the way. You can also use pallets as the base of your firewood storage, which will keep the wood up off the ground and away from moisture.

Because they often use very durable and treated wood that resists moisture, wood pallets make great DIY fencing. Create an easy-to-construct compost bin enclosure by affixing four of them together in a square with large wood screws. The pallets keep the compost contained while still allowing airflow in the enclosure. To make wooden pallets into a great fence perfect for climbing vines and plants in your garden, just add them to some wooden fence posts anchored in the ground. Or place them sideways along the perimeter of a patio to provide privacy that is just the right height to block seated sightlines but maintain standing ones. 

You can also cut them down to make a lower fence to help keep rabbits and other wildlife out of your flowerbeds. If the look of full pallets feels too rustic for your yard, you can also break the pallets apart and use the salvaged wood to create a fence design that fits your aesthetic perfectly.

Pallets can also be used to create inexpensive decking. Such decking isn't only durable but also moveable, making it great for renters who would like to build a patio in their backyard that they can take with them when they go. Create a simple backyard deck by laying down some sand and leveling off the ground. Place the pallets along the ground on cinder blocks, using bolts or screws to fasten them together. Leave them as they are for a rustic look, or add additional wood planking over the base in a herringbone pattern for a polished look that rivals conventionally built decks. 

This decking works great for floating decks anywhere in your yard, allowing you to create small areas for seating and dining away from the house without having to install concrete anchors or permanent fixtures. Use it around an above-ground pool area or as a platform for a kiddie pool to help keep the water cleaner and the area mud-free.

Full or partial pallets are great for constructing stylish seating areas in your backyard without breaking the bank. Stack some pallets together for a great inexpensive coffee or side table. Make a luxuriously comfy day bed outside with just a couple of pallets attached together and a mattress. Create an L-shaped sofa configuration out of pallets and waterproof cushions. Even better, the pieces are modular, which means they can be moved indoors during the colder months.

When broken apart, the salvaged wood from shipping pallets makes a great free or budget-friendly supply for other DIY seating projects, including benches, chairs, and accent tables. You can even create an ingenious hanging swing for your porch or yard using a single wood pallet. Make a cute hexagonal tree bench for your backyard from wood pallets or an adorable outdoor reading nook using several pallets to build a covered structure. 

Wood pallets are also great for creating outdoor entertaining spaces like stunning outdoor kitchen set-ups. Stack several pallets to create shelving and storage backed by vertical pallets that can hold hooks for utensils and other cooking supplies. Or build a bar from wood pallets that uses them as a base topped with a sheet of plywood as the bar surface. Use wooden sawhorses or simple wooden legs under a pallet to create a perfect picnic table of any size, including long tables perfect for al fresco dining. Or place pallets along the ground surrounded by cushions for backyard picnics. 

Use shipping pallets for an outdoor dance floor for special occasions like backyard weddings by adding some sheets of thick plywood over the base created by the pallets. Wood pallets are also a great way to elevate sleeping bags or tents off the ground during summertime backyard camping adventures or outdoor movie nights that can be stored away when not in use.