Pallets DIY

Can we take a moment to contemplate the majesty that is Pinterest? Now, true, it inspires as may failed tries as it does pretty and creative things but fortunately my story is one of happiness and not shame... this time.

When I moved into my studio apartment I had a few issues to solve. One of the biggest issues that I saw when I looked at the place was that the front door opens into one rectangular room and there was one closet. Now I don't know if anyone else has as much of a love affair with outerwear as I do, but as I live in WNY I feel no shame. I realized that I might have a problem fitting all my clothes and crap I don't want people to see into this closet along with coats, hats, scarves, umbrellas etc. etc. etc. so I turned to Pinterest.

After some searching I found a couple images that intrigued me; a pallet wall, pallet divider, this mud room, and this shoe mat. And with the help of some friends donating pallets and a little time, here you have the results.

The pallets in the kitchen and the structure... We used 2 pallets (which are really heavy, ladies) and cut a bit off of one so that it would fit in my apartment standing on top of the other. It's about three feet wide and eight and a half feet tall. Definitely glad I had some power tool users around for this project.  Just a note; Don't drag pallets off the side of the road, they usually aren't the same size and... termites... eww.

Here it is filled with stuff from each side. (Sorry for the yellow-y pics, I took them at night and had to deal with bad, artificial lighting.) I got hooks from Home Depot & Walmart (for variety) to hang coats, umbrellas -- and keys!-- on the front. On the back I used twine and a couple screws to hang up some pictures and the milk crate that I keep all my belts and scarves in. The pallets are a bonus in this area because they give me a lot of privacy from the entrance area and it separates things nicely.

Because the whole floor was carpeted, somewhere to put wet shoes especially in winter, was necessary. I thought this idea was cool because you can just throw the rocks in the tub and rinse them if things get too messy. The texture also compliments the rough wood. This one was easy, but those garden rocks are HEAVY and kind of expensive. Worth it though.