Use Old Wood Pallets To Create Beautiful Painted Wall Art On A Budget

There's just something about getting creative with the raw materials to make a canvas that is as creative as the painting itself. It takes the art project to a whole new level. And that's what we're doing with this creative DIY to upcycle wood pallets into a canvas you can hang on your wall. We're breaking down a pallet and reconstructing it into something you can paint images or your favorite phrases on. The rustic wood finish makes it an unusual piece of wall art that will add a unique touch to your home.

If you don't already have a wood pallet laying around, you can source them for free at many places, making this a very budget-friendly DIY. You can search "free wood pallets" on Facebook Marketplace or stop by a local appliance or home improvement store. Most of them will gladly let you take the pallets off their hands for free. When selecting a wood pallet, check its IPPC stamp, which will note the treatment codes. Pallets with heat treated (HT) and kiln-dried (KD) codes are safe to reuse. However, avoid any pallets stamped with the methyl bromide (MB) code because they've been treated with a toxic pesticide.

You'll also need a saw and hammer to deconstruct the pallet, along with a nail or screw gun to reconstruct the wood canvas. To prep it, you'll need sandpaper, primer, and paint brushes. Select any paint and various sized brushes to create your artwork. Finally, grab a couple D-rings and picture wire, along with screws or nails to hang the finished piece.

If you're ready to reuse wood pallets for this creative DIY wall decor, then let's get started. To break down the pallet, we're going to use a circular saw to cut each end of the horizontal wood slats off of the vertical base. Then use the back of a hammer or a crow bar to detach the center portion of the slats that are nailed into another vertical base piece. Remove any nails that might still be in the wood slats. You can leave each wood piece as it is, or line them up and saw the ends off to make them all even.

Set aside two pallet pieces and line up as many of the other boards as you want to use. Place them close together horizontally, so they're touching, to create your canvas. Take the two boards you set aside and lay each of them vertically across your lined up pallet pieces, one on each side. To hold everything together, nail the cross pieces to each horizontal plank. This is now the back of your wood pallet canvas. Now turn the whole thing over and sand it down to create a smooth finish.

Add a layer of primer to prep the wood for painting. Once that's dry, you can get to work creating your masterpiece. To hang your wall art, attach a D-ring to either side on the back of the pallet. You can use nails in the wall to hang the D-ring from. Alternatively, you can string picture wire between the two rings and one nail in the wall to hang your rustic artwork.