Building a Pallet Puzzle Table

Eric Greaves
by Eric Greaves
5 Materials
4 Hours
Easy
I took some pallets and a piece of plywood and created a "Pallet Puzzle Table" for a spare bedroom in our home. It is a super easy project that anyone can make with the help of a few tools. You can see the entire build video on my Youtube channel.
Check out the full build!
I first cut a piece of 3/4 inch plywood to the correct size. This measurement was based of the space in my home that the table needed to reside in. TIP: This entire project can be cut with a jig saw!
Using my table saw and cross cut sled I cut up several pallet boards to random sizes for the top. I even used the bandsaw "behind me in this shot" to cut some pieces into triangles. Again this entire thing can be cut with a jigsaw.
Brought all the pieces into the house and my wife and I spent some time trying to put the puzzle together. We aren't concerned with a "tight fit", but rather a random and interesting pattern.
This is the result. I used regular wood glue to attach the pieces to the plywood. Put some weights on it and let it dry over night.
While the top was drying i measured and cut the other pallet pieces to length for the legs. I used a jointer to get things nice and straight, but again it's not necessary.
I used my table saw to cut out the "notches" in the pallet runners where the fork lift would pick up the pallets when they are full. Again can be done with a jig saw or not at all if that is the look you are going for.
After cutting and sanding i used my Kreg Jig to drill the holes needed for the legs to be mounted to the top. In this picture you can also see the counter top after it's been sanded smooth and the edges straightened out. Came out great!
Kreg Jig makes easy work for mounting the legs to the top.
To cover up the edges of the top and to add a bit of strength I cut up some pallets to use as a border and edge. I used my nail gun and worked my way around the table giving it a finished look. TIP: A simple nail and hammer can be used instead of a nail gun.
I also measured up a few inches and put another "border" around the table leg to keep things nice and straight and for the possibility of another shelf to be added later if needed. Pallets can be great to work with, but they can also be a pain to try and keep straight. Lastly i went over everything with my random orbit sander to clean up all the edges.
Here is the final product! I love the way this turned out and it was super easy to build. It works really well in the space and we couldn't be happier. I did not finish this table, but a couple coats of polyurethane wouldn't hurt.
Closer shot of the table top! Thanks for checking out my project!
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Frequently asked questions
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  1 question
  • 17335038 17335038 on Apr 18, 2020

    How level is the top of the table?

    Have you tried putting items such as hot mugs of coffee on it to see how readily they may tip over?

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4 of 7 comments
  • Itsmemic Itsmemic on Feb 20, 2020

    I love this very creative good job !!

  • Candy Spears Candy Spears on Feb 21, 2020

    My husband and I just built a pallet accent wall for our tv room and I needed something to bring together the couch and coffee table, this is the perfect idea, I'll send pictures when table is done, thank you for the inspiration...!!

    • Eric Greaves Eric Greaves on Apr 20, 2020

      Great idea and great way to hide wires! The chains for the shelves were a great touch.

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