Hail To The Mighty Pallet

Have you noticed that pallets have suddenly become a hot commodity? Folks are looking for them, picking them up on the side of the road and posting endless projects on Pinterest that were build from this humble material. I must admit, I am one of the crazies that is whipping U-turns in the middle of the street, cruising back lots and filling truck beds.
For those of us that love the way re-cycled, up-cycled, one-of-a kind rustic decor, the pallet presents endless possibilities. And they are also.........drum roll please..........completely free!
My husband is currently building a wall of 7 feet tall bookshelves out of pallets for our den. They are constructed of individual boxes that are then screwed together. Each box is unique, some with horizontal back slats, some with vertical back slats and some with no back slates at all. Make sure you vary the spacing between back slats to add to the whimsy and charm. I chose a dark stain to unify all of the boxes and left all the dings, marks, burns and stamps on the wood to add to the character.
Gears, pulleys and wooden dice act as bookends in this example, but anything with some heft will do. So the next time you see a pile of pallets looking for a new home, consider taking them home!