Pallet Gone Artsy

I have been fascinated by projects I've seen using the ordinary pallet reclaimed as 

something beautiful and was on the search for some pallets so I could start creating.

In my spare time when my husband is off work, we sometimes

find cool junk out on the streets. This was my lucky day. These

pallets were laying outside abandoned in our downtown. 

Yes, that is in fact 3 pallets

rigged to the top of our little hatchback. 

Side note: People sometime ask us how we have 2

kids without a van and I tell them we survive just fine-and sometimes

can even fit furniture inside/on top of it. (You should have seen our car

when we left IKEA! When there's a will there's a way...ha ha...)

Ok, back to the story: So, we found these pallets and since we always drive around
prepared with bungee cords and rope, we tied them up and they got home just fine.
The first project I got to make with them was a gift request for "local art".

Here's what I used to make this project:

• one pallet plank
• wire
• 4x6 photos of zoomed in letters (one letter on each photo)
• staple gun
• sander and sandpaper
• wire cutters or Dremel with cutting attachment
• foam board
• exacto knife
• matte Mod Podge
• small craft paint  brush

To start the project, we took zoomed in and took photos of lettering around our city

on local businesses. We used it as a fun walking scavenger hunt for with the boys. 

(see, this is how you fit in projects with kids and teach them their A,B,C's...)

After getting the photos printed, (we used 4x6's) and gently prying off the pallet plank 

with the back of a hammer,  we were ready to get started:

First, I lightly sanded my pallet plank to soften and lighten up the appearance.

Then, I traced each photo onto foam board.

I cut the foam board rectangle with an exacto knife. This would be the backing

for the photos. (Make sure you protect the surface underneath by cutting on a mat or cardboard.

 I just used a cutting board because that's what I had laying around.)

I evenly spaced out each piece of foam board onto the pallet,

 then used a staple gun to secure them into place.

After the foam board pieces were secure, I brushed a light, even layer of

matte Mod Podge onto the foam board. 

I then placed the photos onto the foam board, careful not to get

any Mod Podge onto the photo, lining them up evenly with the foam board

 and smoothing with a tissue.

For the next step, we needed two people. We wrapped wire

tightly around the pallet in an x shape in the front. I held it in place while

Jeff used the staple gun to secure it in place. 

When it came time to cut the wire, our wire cutter wasn't doing the trick, 

so I pulled out my new Dremel with the cutting attachment. 

It worked really fast, but be prepared for sparks if you try this. 

And wear safety goggles! Yikes!

Here's the finished sign showing off some hometown love! We were so happy with the mix of rustic, industrial, and modern styles. Perfect for the loft apartment where it's going.  I want to try this idea for my own house with other words spelled out, maybe hanging vertically with family photos?

So many possibilities when you take the humble pallet and turn it into art. I can't wait to do a headboard with the rest of them, and whatever else I come up with. Well, what do you think? Are you in love with pallets too? And have you ever made anything from them?

Thanks for visiting ReMadeSimple!  Looking forward to showing off some more of my repurposing and thrifty decorating projects in the near future. I hope you come back to visit and if you love what you see here, please consider staying connected via Google friend connect, Facebook or Twitter on my sidebar to the right!

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