I have recently been working on my backyard and I began by building planter boxes and starting a garden, then added mulch to the rest of the space. I wanted to beautify my garden on a budget, so I had an idea to use wooden pallets to decorate the yard! There are so many different designs and items you can use: paint on a flag to be patriotic, stain the wood and add hangers for potted plants, grow a succulent garden and more! Endless possibilities!
What you’ll need:
- A pallet or two
- Paint or stain of your choice
- Paint sealer
- Sandpaper or electric sander (80-220 grit works best)
- Paint brushes – get different sizes just in case you’re writing something or need to get into the smaller areas
- Stencils for decorating (optional)
- Potted plants and hooks, succulents or string lights for decorating (Optional- depends on what kind of design you are going for. I did not use these.)
What you'll do:
I started off by sanding the pallet first since it was covered in splinters and had some broken pieces, it not only makes it easier to handle, but the paint also looks nicer and stays on better. Since I do not own a power sander, I had to sand it by hand. I bought a pack of sandpaper with different grit sizes and sanded everywhere that I would be painting (mainly just the front of the pallet and sides). I started with the largest grit and worked to the finer.
Once the wood was nice and smooth, I painted the entire thing white (this way the colors will look brighter and go on smoother). I ended up leaving the top row white, then I added red to the one below it, orange below that one and so on. Since I was working in 90-degree weather, my paint dried up quick! I added 2 layers of paint to some rows until I was happy with the results.
When I was done painting and it had dried completely, I used a spray-on wood sealer to make sure my paint won't get ruined by water and sun damage. Depending on which you get, it might make your wood brighter!
I hope this helped inspire you a little for some outdoor fun this summer!
