DiY Pallet Garden Fence and 100 Year Old Windows

by Todd Walker

This is a short post as we get back in the swing of things after a little summer break.

The internet is fully stocked with creative ways to use free pallet wood. Thought I’d throw ours in the mix.

Up-cycled pallets, windows, and doors.

My daddy replaced the windows at his house in town. These windows are one hundred years old. We wanted to preserve the memories and create a little yard art for our garden. The doors at the gate came from a local Habitat For Humanity store.

For the garden fence, pallets need to be disassembled. When building bird houses, I just cut the pallets up with my circular saw. That gives me ample lengths. For our garden fence, we needed full length boards.

The best way to break down pallets is with a reciprocating saw. It’s the best way, but still not easy. Use a metal/wood demolition blade in your saw. Don’t buy cheap. Cheap will dull easily and create more work for you. Get the best quality blades you can find. You won’t be sorry.

“Free” pallets cost time.

I spent about an hour disassembling six pallets one afternoon. I used the thickest pieces as posts for the garden fence. Yes, they will eventually decay in the ground. But I didn’t want to buy pressure treated lumber for posts. I ended up buying two 10 foot 2×4’s that I ripped and used for the railings.

Finding Free Pallets

I get free pallets from my school. Many large business have pallets around back. DO NOT go help yourself! Ask first. Get ready to hear “no.” A lot of these companies get a return deposit on pallets. They won’t like you taking their pallets without permission.

Check with smaller mom and pop shops. They are more likely to give you pallets. If you’re using pallets for lots of projects, approach the owners of shops and build a relationship. Offer to build them a bird house with the wood, then send them pictures of your build. They’ll be more likely to call or email if you keep them in the loop of your DIY projects.

Final Touches

A couple of window boxes made from pallet wood scraps, a hollowed out stump filled with soil and flowers, and river rocks are the final accessories.

DRG is pleased with the finished product. That’s all that matters, right?   

Keep doing the stuff,

Todd

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