Top tips for upcycling wooden pallets

‘Upcycling’ is all about breathing new life into old items and experimenting with about how items could be refreshed and re-used. Here are some ideas for turning wooden pallets into garden features that have a unique, quirky edge.When using old pallets make sure they are dry and have a HT or ETA stamp, this means they are safe to use.

Top tip: Use varnish or outdoor paints to paint any furniture going outdoors. Always lightly sand down wood furniture before painting – it’s easy to do and will make a huge difference to the finish.

Pallet into planter

Large leaning planters

1. Sand down thoroughly and remove or hammer down any nails and screws.

2. Varnish or paint with outdoor paint.

3. Cut and staple a piece of landscape fabric (Mypex or ground cover) around the back and sides of the pallet.

4. Fill with compost, pressing firmly down as you go, and plant up between the slats.

5. Leave flat for a couple of weeks to enable the plants to take root, before propping up against a wall.

Small wall planters

You can also make small wall planters using the end of a pallet, where the front planks are joined to the back with thick wooden blocks.

1. Saw off the ends from your pallet, sand the surfaces and remove any nails or staples.

2. Using a plank from the same pallet, cut to fit the bottom of your planter and nail it in place.

3. Paint with outdoor wood stain.

4. Line the inner with Mypex or hanging basket liner. Fill with compost and plant into it.

Pallet into picture frames

1. Break pallet into component parts using the back of a hammer.

2. Sand down thoroughly and remove or hammer down any nails and screws.

3. Paint or stain the wood frame and decorate if desired.

4. Lay out frame face down on a flat surface, put the picture on top and screw together using battens in the corners.

5. Fix to wall using drill, screws and washers.