Hey guys! Back again with yet another free pallet wood project. This time we built a set of shelves that are actually more like storage bins. I based the project off of Cassity’s rustic wall storage bins over at Remodelaholic. Since I was using free pallet wood rather than pine boards from the hardware store I did modify her build plans just a bit.
I didn’t take a photo of all the boards before I started cutting, but the sides and the fronts are both made from 1x10s. The shelf is going to live in our office so I wanted to be sure it could hold books, shoes, dog toys, and anything else that might wander in there. The 1×10 boards are perfect for holding big schoolbooks.
Since my boards are wider, I also needed to cut my sides a little bit deeper, and give them more space in between than Cassity’s sides. I did a good bit of my own math as well as some frustrated/lazy guesswork. I cut my zig zag sides out with my jig saw and by the skin of my teeth they matched up!
I had already cut my 2x4s down to size to serve as the base of my shelves/bins. Before I placed them, I made sure to sand down the sides and corners of my side pieces. Since everything is pallet wood it is all very splintery, so there is a whole lot of sanding that is happening here. I used liquid nails and a 16 gauge finish nailer like these here to secure my shelf bases, rather than a hammer..
Since this shelf unit is going to be crazy heavy and probably not so crazy sturdy, I used two of my 1×10 pieces as an extra back support on the top and bottom shelves. I would have lined the whole back, but that would have made it even heavier.
After the piece was securely together, I started nailing on my front pieces that turn my shelves into bins. Again, I used liquid nails and a nail gun to secure them all.
Before I went any further I had to check to make sure everything was level. The last thing I wanted on my wall was a crooked shelf!
After a good sanding, the shelf was ready for staining. I used a combination of a dark grey and a dark brown stain to give it a weathered barn wood look. The pallet wood really comes to life with a coat of stain- you start to see all the beautiful weathering and the different shades in the grain of the wood.
Hung this baby on a stud in the office and it complements my hand-built desk perfectly. The DIY post for that desk will be coming shortly!
Suzanne says
THIS IS GREAT!! I was looking for something to hang on the wall of the nursery to for storage. I’m going with a beachy decor but I’m thinking whitewash…