Use Old Wood Pallets To Build A Garden Hose Hideaway With An Impressive DIY

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Sometimes the price of a beautiful yard is having to find convenient storage for the less-than-beautiful tools required to maintain it, like an unwieldy garden hose. Leaving a hose lying around the yard isn't just unsightly; it's a tripping hazard. It also puts additional wear and tear on the hose, meaning it may need to be replaced more often. A backyard garden shed is a good place for long-term storage, such as over the winter, but when you have yard work to do, you don't want to have to run back and forth to the shed.

Also less-than-beautiful, there are endless projects for old wood pallets that show you how to turn trash into something attractive and useful. In this DIY, you'll upcycle wood from old pallets to build a simple, hinged storage box with a planter box on top, making this garden hose storage DIY both beautiful and functional. Even more impressive are the many ways you can customize this project to fit your needs.

This DIY is suitable for beginners, even with some upgrades, but it does require some carpentry skills. The basic project requires two pallets, a miter saw, pocket hole jig, nail gun with ¾-inch nails, drill, staple gun, and scissors. The materials needed are two 8-foot two-by-twos, wood screws, wood glue, wood sealer or stain, hinges, door latch, L-brackets, right-angle brackets, hardware cloth, landscape fabric, heavy-duty foot pads, and a handle. Don't worry! It's easier than it sounds.

For the basic build, disassemble the pallets, making sure all old nails are carefully removed. Then plane the wood to a half-inch thickness and allow it to dry for a few weeks. This ensures that the wood doesn't shrink after you've built your storage box. Once the wood has dried thoroughly, it can be cut into 17 inch lengths with the miter saw and laid out into 4 17x20 inch panels. Cut remaining pallet wood into 8 top and bottom trim pieces for the panels.

Use wood glue to assemble the frames and cover them with the wooden slats. Assemble the inside frame, then attach the panels using hinges to attach the fourth panel. Put the handle on the fourth panel to create the door for your hose hideaway. Now build the planter box with remaining wood, brackets, hardware cloth, and landscape fabric as shown on DIY Candy where you will find full build instructions. Stain everything, assemble, and then stash your hose and plant some flowers on the top.

If you don't have access to pallets, you can use other scrap wood. In the video from Build & Fix with Mooney, you can see the same project using old fence boards. Feel free to adapt and use what you have.

Now that you've seen the basic build, consider some ideas to make your hose hideaway even more impressive. For example, you can add an easy DIY garden trellis backing by extending the back pallet pieces upward by 2 to 3 feet and attaching some chicken wire for climbing plants. Or, instead of the plastic foot pads, drill holes and add heavy-duty locking caster wheels to make a mobile storage box. You may also decide to leave the pallet wood more rustic-looking by using white chalk paint for a farmhouse aesthetic. You can also paint it to match your house or stencil on a whimsical design to make it your own.

If you don't want or need a planter, you can convert your hose hideaway into a cooler station by adding a drop-in ice bin to the upper box. Instead of hiding your hose, you can hide a trash bin in the lower storage space, or use it to store garden tools. Pair this with the casters, and you have mobile storage that allows you to put your garden tools right where you need them. Another option is to add some plumbing upgrades inside, like a hose reel and a through-wall water spigot extension, so your hose is hidden but still functional from inside the box. With so many possibilities, you might want to build several!