Upcycled Pallet Coffee Table

Tim Shaw
by Tim Shaw
4 Materials
$5
2 Hours
Easy
This spring I decided it was time to upgrade my patio living area, but I found out fast that decent quality furniture is pretty pricey! So instead of buying, I decided to DIY a new patio set. Today, I'm going to show you how I turned a single shipping pallet into a cool and one of a kind coffee table.
I recommend you check out this video I made about the project before you start. I did my best to show each step in as much detail as possible, as some of the steps are hard to describe.
Gather together your tools and materials
The essential tools you need for this project are:
  • Hand saw
  • Metal brush
  • Hammer
  • Tapemeasure & marker
  • 80 grit sandpaper
  • 2 inch construction screws
  • Nails
  • Safety gear (glasses, gloves, hearing protection, dust mask)


Some power tools I had on hand that saved time, but aren't essential, are:
  • a drill (could use a screwdriver instead)
  • a palm sander
  • a reciprocating saw


Additionally, if you want to colour the table you'll need some exterior finish, available in numerous colour options from any home improvement store.
Find your pallet!
It's usually a bit of an adventure to find a suitable pallet and it'll likely take you to parts of your city or town that you wouldn't go to otherwise. So in my opinion this is one of the funnest parts of working with pallets!


Check out online classifieds to see if there are any businesses near you that have pallets to give away. You could also just go and ask stores if they have any pallets to get rid of.


Some things to look for in the pallet are that it is heat treated (indicated by a HT stamp on the wood, refer to the video for visuals), isn't painted, and is in good condition with no chemical spills or broken wood. Also, for best results choose a pallet with forklift arm cutouts in the supporting beams of the pallet.
Disassemble the pallet
Once you have a pallet, you'll need to take it apart to savage the wood for this project. I found the easiest way to do this was to cut the nails on the sides with the reciprocating saw, then use the hammer to break the rest of it apart, while taking care to not wreck the wood too much. If you don't have a reciprocating saw, just do the best you can with a hammer. It's likely there will be more damage to the wood, so you may need a second pallet to get enough quality wood for this project.
Clean and sand the salvaged wood
Sand down the best pieces of wood. You'll need several boards for the top of the table, 2 supporting beams for the legs and frame, and 2 more boards for the bottom frame/shelve. Each pallet will wield a different amount of wood, so choose the best pieces for the top of the table.


I recommend using a metal brush on the wood before you start sanding it down. You can spend as much or as little time on this step as you like, but the more you sand it the better the end result will be. You could optionally use a finer grit sandpaper after a first pass with the 80.
Cut the frame and legs
The supporting beams you savaged from the pallet are going to be turned into the frame for the tabletop and the legs of the table. First measure the width of your tabletop (which will depend on the amount of salvaged wood you ended up with) and then subtract that measurement from the total length of the supporting beam. Divide that number by two, and the result is the length you need to cut off each end of the supporting beam for the table legs. For me, this number ended up being 15 inches. So you'll make 4 cuts total, 2 on each supporting beam. The cut off pieces will become the legs, and the middle pieces will become the frame for the tabletop. (Refer to the video if these instructions are unclear.)
Nail the tabletop to the frame
Now you're going to nail the tabletop to the frame. I left a couple inches overhang off the ends of the table so I wasn't nailing in the same places that the pallet was originally nailed together. You can leave as much (or little) overhang as you like, just ensure the ends are square and even.
Attach the legs
You can have the legs facing in or out, depending on the aesthetics of your salvaged wood. Shoot a few screws in each leg at an angle so they screw down a ways into the frame, without coming out the other side.
Nail the bottom supporting planks
Attach 2 more planks to the bottom of the frame as shown. These will provide additional support for the table and also function as a shelve.
A nice finish will improve the overall appearance of the table, if you are using it outside make sure you choose an exterior finish. Thanks for checking out this project and have a look at my other projects for more pallet projects, like the patio seat pictured here with the table.
Suggested materials:
  • Shipping Pallet   (Found on Craigslist (free))
  • 2 Inch Construction Screws   (Home Depot)
  • Nails   (Home Depot)
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Frequently asked questions
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2 of 25 comments
  • Carmen Taal Carmen Taal on Jul 28, 2017

    Hi Tim, I am interested to know how you made the sofa

    I love the coffee table

  • Cre28405736 Cre28405736 on Aug 07, 2017

    An HT pallet only means the pallet was originally heat treated at the time it was made so it could be used to ship something internationally.

    The hest treating is done to kill off any insects or larvae so an invasive species doesn't catch a free ride like the Emerald Ash Borer or Asian Longhorned Beatle.

    Once a pallet is stored somewhere the bugs can move in.


    Anyone using pallets should be very weary of the pallets past. What you can't see could make you or someone you love very sick.

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