Easy Pallet Art

There is a lot of beautiful pallet decor out to be found, especially on Pinterest. After spending way too much time stalking my favorite boards, I decided I wanted to add a beachy distressed piece to the wall in my living room.

If you have access to reclaimed wood pallets, you can skip some of the supplies listed and jump right into the priming and painting step of the tutorial.

Our home has many shades of blue that gravitate toward navy, turquoise, and aqua.

Supplies for diy pallet art:

Two 1″x4″x10′
1.25″ screws
Clamp
Drill and bit set.
Metal objects to distress the wood. (hammer, chain, etc)
Craft paint in your favorite color for stenciling
Stencil or I cut out letters that I printed
Spray Paint- combination paint and primer is useful in this case, I used heirloom white
Furniture wax

Here are the step-by-step details to make your own!

1. Cut 6 front boards 30 inches in length. I cut 2 boards for the back in 20 inches. Below is an example layout, generally pallets have spaces between the boards, in my case, I wanted less of a gap, due to the planned stenciling; this is a personal preference.

2. Clamped the front boards in the center so they stay put and use screws to attach the supporting boards. Counter sink the screws to prevent damage to sheet rock or paint.

3. Once the pallet is assembled turn it over and distress the wood. This can be a great way to vent frustration and expend some energy. After distressing, use sandpaper to smooth any splinters, you won’t lose the look. Carefully wipe down your pallet down to remove dirt and sawdust which could interfere with paint adhesion.

Now it’s time for painting your pallet art board.

1. I prefer to use Rustoleum 2 n 1 Paint and Primer Spray in Heirloom White. Apply one coat, wait a few moments and apply the second coat. Allow the painted pallet to dry for several hours before adding any additional art or stenciling.

2. To create my pallet, I printed out the word ‘love’ in my favorite size and font. I cut out my stencil and traced around the letters onto the pallet. You may choose to hand paint or stencil on your pallet art.

3. Use a mouse sander or sand paper to distress the paint. You may find it wise to do this activity outdoors. If you are unsure of the amount of distressing you would like for the finished piece, a fine grained sandpaper. After all, it’s easy to remove more, but hard to replace.

Congratulations, you’re almost done! The last step is to use Minwax Furniture wax to seal and protect the piece.

Apply the furniture wax and buff to a slight shine. This hardens to a finish. Furniture wax is so easy and fast that I use it for all pieces that do not receive heavy use. In those cases a polyurethane finish is a better choice.