The Handy Way To Use Wood Pallets To Increase Your Closet Storage Space

A smartly outfitted closet space is a must to keep things easily accessible and well-organized. All too often, however, closet organization systems, including shelves, drawers, and other kinds of racks, can be expensive when purchased from retailers, particularly if you need something customized to fit in a limited-size or irregular space. If you lack sufficient closet space in your home, other means of free-standing or wall-mounted storage can be equally cost-prohibitive. One readily available source of wood, however, can save you hundreds of dollars and hours of angst. Wooden shipping pallets can be used to help organize an existing closet or create additional storage, ranging from a simple shoe rack to glorious custom closets that meet every need. 

Wood pallets, which can be used everywhere from your garden to decorating your home, are usually made of sturdy, durable, and treated wood, often meant to shoulder considerable weight loads. They can typically be found in industrial warehouses, behind stores in the dumpster, and occasionally for sale or free on places like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. By using them whole, partial, or stripped down to the wood slats they are composed of, you can make your dream closet or wardrobe a reality. You can also build out ample closet storage in other parts of the room. Re-using them is also a great eco-friendly practice that helps conserve wood and keep it out of landfills.

One of the best ways to get more closet and clothing storage space from wood pallets is to use them to create storage for items like shoes, which slip rather neatly in the interior space of palettes. Remove the second layer of the pallet and lean the front against a wall for an easy and rustic-style shoe rack, slipping the shoes in the spaces between the planks. For under-bed shoe storage, use several pallets as a platform bed and store shoes underneath along the perimeter. Or use the pocket created by a partially deconstructed pallet attached to a wall to place shoes upright.For a great piece of custom upcycled furniture, build a set of shallow shelves from salvaged pallet wood for your closet, mudroom, or entryway. 

You can also hang a partial pallet on the wall with added screw-in hooks to create a rack for accessories like hats and purses. Or create a simple casing with disassembled pallet wood to create a jewelry box that's freestanding or hangs on the wall. With pallet wood and golf tees, you can make a large peg rack perfect for storing necklaces or scarves. 

With a little more construction know-how, you can use salvaged wood from pallets to create closet organization systems that are totally customized to your home. Increase your storage space by building an exterior wardrobe for storing clothes. Begin by deconstructing the pallet and cutting the wood down to your desired size before sanding and finishing with stain or paint. Create the perfect mix of large and small shelves and racks for your wardrobe by framing it out first, then adding smaller lengths of wood for the shelves and exterior casing. Finish it off with pipes or wood dowels for hanging items attached to the wood. 

Make it a stationary closet attached to the wall studs or add casters to the bottom to create a mobile wardrobe that you can move around your home as needed. You can even add doors to your DIY pallet wardrobe using hinges and panels made out of salvaged wood that make it look like a high-end custom wardrobe with a rustic vibe.