Project #7 DIY Pallet Shelf

Bad Breakfast Make-Up

My attempt at making my brother crock-pot French toast failed miserably.  No possible amount of syrup or butter could mask the taste of burnt bread, and no amount of air freshener could mask the smell of burnt food in our apartment.  I clearly owed him something for my disaster  

After looking through his room (I think that I found all the missing dress socks that magically appeared in his drawers), I noticed that he has about 5 Qualtrics hats and 10 BYU hats just laying on the top of his drawer.  I had made a make-shift holder to hold his hats, but I figured that since I wanted to do something with wood again, I would make him some pallet shelfs.  And, when I get married this December, they all might just end up magically in my home. 

Step #1 Break Down the Pallet

There have been tons of pins on Pinterest about how to easily and effectively take apart a Pallet.  The pins with the highest re-pin count all include using a sawzall and I would highly recommend making the investment and buying one.  I would show you a picture of mine, but seeing that all my money is being used for my marriage and taking my fiance on dates...I haven't bought one yet.  Just do as I say, not as I do! 

You can use any type of pallet that you want, but you also want to make sure that you have the same length of planks for your shelfs.  

Step #2 Measure the Space for Your Shelf

The first shelf that I attempted looked really good, but it wasn't functional because I didn't make the right measurements.  After making sure that I had the right length of planks, I used some smaller pieces of wood to hold them together.  I casually nailed them in the wood, not realizing that metal holders on the wall would be interfered by the pieces of wood under the planks.  Just make sure that you know where the shelfs will be and that they will work out.  The easiest way to do this is by measuring in from both ends the length that the 'locking ties' need to be.

Step #3 Cut Your Locking Ties

Your locking ties are the pieces of wood that are located underneath the long planks of wood.  These pieces are what keeps your other planks together.  The easiest way to do this is by designating one plank for cutting into smaller locking ties.  If you cut two pieces for each shelf you will have plenty of locking ties to hold the planks together.  When cutting the shelfs, to insure you have the right size, measure from the wall where your shelfs will be hanging how far they will be hanging from the wall.  This will keep you from hating your life, burning your shelf or doing something that could get you thrown in jail.  Just sayin

Step #4 Sand Planks for Shelfs

I knew that I was planning on having my brother put his hats on the shelfs, but there was no way in this happy valley that I was going to risk the chance of his football hands from getting a sliver.  Plank wood isn't the most forgiving wood in the world.  Although I didn't sand the wood down entirely so it felt like the cheeks on the face of my dearest love, they were sanded down enough so a hand could safely glide over the long plank of pallet goodness.  

Step #5 Nail Locking Ties into Planks

This step may sound remedial and I'm only adding it because I learned the hard way that there is a right way and a wrong way to nailing the locking ties into the main shelf.  First, you want to make sure that you have the right amount of wood for your shelfs,  I used three planks for one shelf and found out that one pallet can make about 4 shelfs.  I used two locking ties for each shelf and had ample wood from one shelf.  No the big part- the nails.  You will want to nail from the top to the bottom (top of the shelf towards the bottom) so that the extra nail which isn't covered by wood, comes out the bottom of the shelf and not out through the top.  If you have a dremmel or even some wire cutters so you can clip the excess nails. 

Step #6 Repeal Obama-Care

I highly doubt there are those who actually read my blog, but I like to invest my time in writing about what I love and what I feel passionate about.  Sooo basically, I hate the idea of giving our government control of something that makes up 1/6th of our GDP; healthcare.  The strongest supporters for this new bill are those who don't realize the impact that it will have on EVERY American.  Even though Obama claimed that 'if you like the plan you are on now, you will be able to keep that plan' his words were as vague as his current hair color.  All employs at REI will lose their health benefits. There are countless other companies who will suffer the same consequences.  Furthermore, to get coverage from the new plans offered by our President, we have to go through a website that functions about as good as Obama speaking with Vladimir Putin.  Doesn't work, won't work, get it out.

Step #7 Bequeath the Shelfs to Your Brother

After you have sanded your planks, nailed your locking ties into your shelfs and feel great about your self, it is time to present it to your brother.  Since he wasn't home, I put up his shelfs and hats.

What I would do different

If I was making these shelfs again, I would make sure that all the shelfs were the same length and could fit into a frame for a book case or some other type of closet.  I have thought about making a simple closet out of a few 2x4's where the shelfs can be taken out or added depending on what you need.  I'm sure that I'll make one of these one day (as soon as Obama Care is repealed) and make a great post about it!