Wood Pallet Bench
I was renovating this condo with a lot of DIY projects and trying to work on a budget. So, when I came across this cluster of free pallets, I knew that I needed to think about DIY pallet furniture ideas.
I grabbed two wooden pallets and set about making a tufted channel wood pallet bench.
The dining area in this condo was really just one big open space that combined with the living room and also with the kitchen. If I could create a built in wooden pallet bench that could go against the wall, this would be the perfect addition to the dining room. This way, I could move the dining area closer to the wall, rather than the center of the space as it had been previously. This would be an easy way to open up the space and leave the middle section of the condo a little more open.
So, here’s what I did…
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Supplies for my Wood Pallet Bench:
- Old pallets
- ?Minimal tools, but you will need some basics such as a staple gun, tape measure, and scissors
- Mattress foam
- Batting
- Fabric of choice
- Tack strip (this stuff is amazing for a great finish)
Here’s the pallet and the mattress topper that I used to give it some cushioning.
I spread the mattress topper over top and cut it in strips, a bit wider than the pallet pieces. Don’t attach these pieces all the way to the bottom– (you’ll need space to add the bench later)
After this, I also cut my fabric. Again, wider than the pallet planks.
Creating Tufted Channels
The next step was to tuck in the pieces individually. I placed the mattress topper, and then I added a piece of batting to cushion it a bit further, and then the fabric. I pushed it through, creating individual channels.
Next, I secured everything to the back of the pallet using a staple gun.
I also wrapped the top over and secured this. I created some folds for some visual interest and so that it would look uniform.
The channels started to take shape.
Next, I created a bench seat from the second pallet, and covered this with the mattress topper, batting, and fabric as well. Note that if you don’t have enough pallet wood naturally in this area, just add some additional support planks.
Creating the Bench Seat
I cut and added legs to the bench, customized to the height I wanted. That’s another great thing about the DIY pallet couch. You can customize the height of the legs to the right size for your own space.
Putting together the Wood Pallet Bench
The next step was to attach the bottom pallet (the bench) to the backrest. This is why it was important to leave some space when creating the channels, because the bench attaches snugly here. For me, this was actually the hardest part. Long screws come in helpful here, so that you can go through the pallet boards and make everything nice and secure.
To finish off the bench, I added more of the mattress topper and fabric along the front and sides, using the nail gun.
To finish off the top, I took another piece of fabric, and laid it over the top. Then I attached a tack strip with the staple gun.
Look at what a nice edge this creates when the fabric is flipped back over the tack strip.
I simply secured this at the back.
Now I was able to shift my dining area closer to the wall in this small condo, allowing for more space between the dining and kitchen areas; and making the whole space look more spacious. Since I had the back of the couch right up against the wall, the finish on it didn’t have to be perfect.
How my Wood Pallet Bench turned out
Here’s a final view. I think next time I would pull things a little tighter, but the project is a cool one, I love the tufted channels, and the way this bench can be customized.
A firmer fabric would have helped me make things tighter and better looking, so keep that in mind when choosing your fabric.
Free plans
For me, this was a great way to create my own furniture and, as you know, I love to create home projects, so creative ideas like this really are fun for me. I’m sure there are lots of different ways to create wood pallet benches; but I did love the ability to use the structure of the pallet itself to create tufted channels. The best part was that if was an affordable way to make this living space better.
I hope you’re able to customize these ideas for your own needs. If you do create a pallet project of your own, please send a photo, I’d love to include it here!
Future Wood Pallet projects:
?Right now I’m working on a waterfront condo renovation and I have some free wood pallets there too.
?The condo has a back patio overlooking the water, and I’ve renovated the whole place using only DIY projects you can find here.
My next project there will be to create an outdoor pallet couch. It’ll be basically an L-shaped outdoor pallet sofa with cushions made from outdoor fabric so that it’ll withstand the elements out there since it’ll be an outdoor project.
?So, if you’re interested in outdoor pallet furniture as well, please sign up for my newsletter and follow along with my blog so that you can see that project too.