Samantha Hartman - Wood Pallet Wonders: 20 Stunning DIY Storage & Decor Designs Made from Reclaimed Pallets

Copyright 2018 by Hollan Publishing, Inc.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Photography by Samantha Hartman

Cover design by Jane Sheppard

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-5107-2782-3

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-2785-4

Printed in China

CONTENTS

Introduction

As a high school senior, my career aptitude test recommended I go to college for roller coaster design. The results for my friends showed them as teachers, lawyers, or doctors, and mine left me back at square one with something as realistic as hitting the lottery. What did I like to do? I liked to create. Such a gratifying feeling comes along with creating something with your own two hands, a feeling of self-accomplishment and pride. I had always been the crafty kid in class; the one people went to for help with projects and ideas. Reminiscing back to my younger years, I cherish those memoriesdestined from the beginning to do what I love.

Coming from a creative family played a huge role in my childhood. I can remember making paper chains the length of the house, twisting them around the beams in our living room and using every last scrap of paper and tape. One of the handiest people I know, my dad can build, fix, or find a solution for almost anything. My sister and I wanted a small house for our McDonalds Beanie Babies to play in; he built it. It was not just any house, though. It was wooden with carpeted floors, including beds for Leo the Lion and Doby the Doberman to sleep in, and little doors for them to go through. We played with that house for hours and decorated it as if it were our own.

My love of participating in craft shows and pretty much everything crafty comes from my mom. I remember the huge workspace she had in the basement when I was young, stocked full of paint and supplies, odds and ends, and ideas. She would fill our Christmas stockings with craft kits, take us to classes, and always encourage our creativity, which led me to winning a bicycle in a coloring contest as a child.

A few years ago I started a small business called Infinite Abyss. Etsy was just taking off back then and I wanted so badly to sell my items on there. Bouncing around from jewelry to purses to whatever I could think of, I had to get my line more organized and settle on one medium. I took stained glass and ceramics classes at community college and although I really enjoyed them, I did not see that as something I could realistically do on my own at that point in time. Digging through my moms old stash of fabric, I discovered tons of unique patterns and colors and decided to focus my line on sewing. For years I created pieces including purses and totes and really got my foot in the door with the Etsy circuit. Getting accepted into my first juried craft show opened up a whole new set of doors. I found a sense of community and loved meeting other makers, especially in new areas outside my hometown of Pittsburgh. Before long, I spent my weekends traveling to cities such as Baltimore, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Cleveland to participate in shows, selling my wares and forming lifelong connections with other crafty individuals.

Searching for a change of scenery, I moved clear across the country from Pennsylvania to Wyoming. After settling in, I realized I needed a break from sewing. While I still enjoyed doing it, I just did not find it as satisfying as I did in the past. I gained access to an amazing woodshop space and spent several weeks tinkering around with some new ideas.

Taking after my dad, woodworking remained something I always enjoyed, but lacked the space, previously living in the city. Now in a much rural area and surrounded by tons of reclaimed wood, I put my new materials to good use. A few months later, I had a line of rustic-inspired home decor, including serving trays and barnwood shelves, that took off and brought my online shop more traffic than ever. I had finally found my niche.

When the opportunity for this book arose, I simply could not pass it by. As an avid reader of craft books myself, I always reference them when I want to build a new project, come up with an idea, or just gain some visual inspiration, and I am excited to contribute my own ideas to help someone do just that.

One of my greatest inspirations includes working with those reclaimed materials found where I live. They possess such an interesting history and unique characteristics that are used to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces. By looking at some of the finished products, one would never guess they are made from materials that would have otherwise been discarded, but that is the beauty of it. I wanted to carry that feeling over into this book, by showing that wood pallet projects do not necessarily have to look like they came from wood pallets. Those old, weathered boards can be transformed into beautiful, chic pieces with a few hours and a little elbow grease.

Whether you are a first-time crafter or an experienced woodworker, this book contains a project for you. Meant as a guide, the designs on the following pages will get you started, but I encourage you to finish the pieces in unique ways. The photographs will provide some ideas on how to style the pieces, but every home is different. Each piece can be painted, stained, finished, wallpapered, or simply left natural to match its surroundings.

As you read through, you will notice the versatility of the projects and discover several uses for each. When writing this book, I wanted to create pieces that could be built more than once and for different purposes. For example, one might use the Farmhouse Spice Rack to hold spices, as the title suggests, or to display jars of buttons, a small collection of clocks, or a colorful array of paints and brushes. Use your imagination to come up with creative solutions for your home and, most importantly, have fun doing it!

CHAPTER ONE

GETTING STARTED WITH WOOD PALLETS

Where to Find Them

Wood pallets are easily accessible items that can be found almost anywhere. Businesses such as grocery stores, hardware stores, and lumber-yards often have them lying around and are happy to give them away for free. Ive also found them through construction companies and businesses that have items shipped in crates. Make sure you ask first just to be sure; sometimes pallets are sent back to the companies they came from.