She Upcycles Old Wood Pallets Into A Space-Saving Outdoor Storage System
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Pallet wood is often free and comes with the satisfaction of possibly saving usable wood from going to the landfill. Once you've figured out where to find free pallets for DIYs, ensured they're safe to use, and carefully taken them apart, it's time to turn them into something new. One useful and quaint-looking project idea is to turn pallet wood into an outdoor storage cabinet, as shown by TikToker brook_cottage.
In the video, the self-described "upcycler" only shows the finished project, a tall, narrow open garden-tool cabinet. It has a workspace-level shelf set up to fit hand tools and other small items like shovels, trowels, and plant pots. The rustic wood structure has more charm than many store-bought vertical sheds, which are often made of resin. A wood shed has a more homey look and is very cheap to make if you source low-cost pallets and already have woodworking tools.
Notably, build instructions aren't included in the video, so it's more of a jumping-off point to inspire you to make your own pallet-wood garden cupboard. You can design your own with the help of our guide on how to build a storage shed. There are also plenty of free resources that you can adjust to meet your needs, like this pallet-shed build video from Fixter and the lean-to shed plans from My Outdoor Plans. You can also buy plans for a similar-looking outdoor cabinet, such as this tall sentry box by KDMGardenPlans.
Use old pallets to make an open cabinet for garden tools
If you make use of an existing plan, some adjustments may be required to accommodate pallet wood. Pallet planks aren't necessarily uniform since pallet sizes can differ greatly, unlike wood planks from the hardware store or lumberyard. Planks on commonly made pallets generally measure around 3.5-inches wide and ½-inch thick, so they tend to be thinner than the 2x4 planks often used in projects. It might require some measurement alterations, but with a bit of creativity, you can absolutely still make these plans work.
@brook_cottage 💚💛 garden tool storage unit made from pallet wood #repurpose #garden #palletproject #dachshund #rustic
Building this type of shed usually requires you to make a frame for the floor and three walls. For the floor, you may want to consider using pressure-treated lumber instead of pallet wood. Pressure-treated wood is treated to resist rotting, termites, and decay, which is important for the shed base. A circular saw, miter saw, and framing square are some tools you'll likely need (beyond the basic toolbox fare, like a drill, hammer, measuring tape, and such) to build this type of outdoor cabinet.
Once your frame is built, build plans may say to use siding or vertical planks for the cabinet sides. Pallet planks tend to be short, so it's best to place them horizontally, as they are in this video. A corrugated metal roof piece, like the Gibraltar Building Products Galvanized Steel Roof Panel, is inexpensive, offers a similar look to this mini shed, and provides extra protection for garden tools. Depending on what you want to store, you can create shelves for inside the cabinet or use hooks to hang hand tools. If you have any wood leftover, here are more wood pallet projects you can DIY at home.