How to Make a Pallet Shelf {diy shelf}

I am a sucker for pallet projects and love easy diy shelves. Today Jenna from SAS Interiors is going to show us how to make a pallet shelf in just a few short steps!

……………………………………………………

Thanks so much Beth for having me guest blog today at Home Stories A to Z! I have been in the midst of making some design updates to my son’s room and many have been do-it-yourself projects. One in particular, was creating something to hold his forever growing collection of books. With the hot trend right now of using pallets, I thought a pallet book holder would be fun, functional, and an unexpected solution.

After snagging a few pallets from my local hardware store, I was ready to make the pallet book holder. Depending on the pallet you find / pick up, you can get two bookshelves from one pallet – each end of the pallet is one book holder.

Check out the step-by-step:

1. Remove / pry off the center wood strip(s) from the pallet (as shown in the above image), using the back of a hammer or crowbar. These wood strip(s) will be reused for the bottom of the bookshelf. Pallets come in a few difference sizes, so others may have 1 or multiple center wood strips. My pallet only had one, so I had to use a wood strip from another pallet to create the bottom for my second bookshelf.

2. Reuse the center wood strip and attach it to the side of the pallet, which will soon be the bottom of the bookshelf. I reused the nails that were already in the wood strip, but you may need / want to use new nails (depending on their condition).

It’s time to cut the wood to create the bookshelves!

3. Measure about 1-2″ above the higher wood strip and make a mark for your cuts.

4. Using a jigsaw, make your cuts.

5. Once the cuts are done, your bookshelf is essentially complete.

6. Sand down all the sharp edges using a hand sander or power sander.

7. Stain. I used Minwax Jacobean stain for a dark look. The wood was quite porous, so it soaked it right up!

8. Once completely dry (it took mine a few days to completely dry and not smell anymore), they were ready to hang. To hang the pallet bookshelves, I used Self-Drilling Drywall Anchors which are great to use when you can’t find a stud (never my strong suit).

And they’re ready to fill with your child’s favorites books.

I will admit that this style book holder doesn’t hold as much as a typical bookshelf, but I love how the kids can see (and choose) the books straight on. Plus seeing the book fronts is a great way to add a splash of color into the room!

These pallet shelves are also great for tight spaces since they’re only about 4″ deep. Imagine a whole wall of them?!

DIY creations using pallets are so popular right now and if you search around you can find plenty more projects to fill your to-do list! I hope you enjoyed reading about how I created my pallet bookshelves. If you want to see more DIY projects or decorating ideas & tips, visit me at SAS Interiors. Thanks again Beth for having me here today – it was so enjoyable to share this project with your readers!

Want my decorating tips weekly? Sign up for my newsletter.

Your information will never be shared or sold to a 3rd party.