Local readers share their pallet projects

Okay, I have got some of the most creative readers on Earth. You guys rock. Simple as that. In my last column, I mentioned my outdoor patio Project (aka Comedy) and the various materials I was testing to get the best look. I mentioned a local reader who had fashioned a gorgeous 16’ x16’ wooden patio from pallets that he got for free from his local warehouse club, screwed together, applied a generous coat of stain, et voila! A lovely, inexpensive, easy back patio for next to nothing!

After the column came out, I received dozens of emails from creative readers and their various “Pallet Projects” — I am beyond impressed. I wish I could list them all here, but here’s a few that really grabbed my eye. May they inspire you to create something frugally & functionally divine as well.

Sarah K. from West Chester did something with pallets that’s pure genius — she knocked out the center slats, laid them down in her garden side by side, filled them with new dirt, and had gorgeous raised beds for a fraction of the backbreaking time and labor we endured in our house when my husband was working on his garden. Bravo, Sarah!

Chuck Z. from Media has a nearby vacation cabin that he’s trying to furnish without breaking the bank. He took a few dozen pallets that he got for free at his local building supply store, stacked a few together on top of each other, secured them with nails, then put on some dark forest green paint on it for a lovely side table. It looked so good he made another one for the other side of the couch, then doubled the design for a beautiful matching coffee table. Way to go.

Nick T. from Exton gets a serious gold star for this one – he loves his newerconstruction home, but he’s always wanted a wine cellar. The cost of having one installed was prohibitive, so he got creative instead, using dozens of pallets, and fashioning them together into a breathtaking wine cellar in a corner of his basement. It was his pet project over the past year, and after a couple of coats of gorgeous dark-wood stain, it looks far better than he’d ever imagined.

Emma and Steven B. from Frazier get another big-time gold star for their amazing project – after receiving budget-busting quotes of $2,000 or more to create a playhouse/fort for their kids, Emma and Steven took it upon themselves to construct something fabulous within their budget – pallets to the rescue! A couple of nail guns, some weatherproof paint and a few decent-weather weekends later, their kids have an amazing fort beyond their wildest dreams, for about $45.

These are just a few of the amazing emails I’ve received from readers – if you’ve got any kind of a wooden construction project waiting on a back burner due to lack of funds or time, give some thought to seeing if pallets can help make it happen more easily. Thanks for the amazingly creative ideas everybody – keep up the great work, and Frugal On!