How to make a sofa from pallets? Selection of pallets and manufacturing instructions

There is an opinion that only people who do not have enough money to buy new items in the store resort to making furniture from scrap materials.

However, through their efforts, interior designers have ensured that furniture made from the most common materials and construction waste is now at the peak of popularity.

Original sofas and armchairs, which can become the main decoration of the interior, are often made from wooden platforms - pallets. How can you make a sofa from pallets with your own hands?

These wooden platforms, called pallets or pallets, can be found at any hardware store.

They are cheap, which is why they are so often used to make furniture for the home and garden. No special skills are required to work with pallets.

The main thing is to figure out what kind of structure to build from them. Let's figure out how to create sofas from pallets with your own hands step by step.

Preparing pallets for work

First of all, you need to find the right pallets for the job. They are available in construction stores and at enterprises involved in the transportation of building materials.

If the pallets were not purchased in a store, then it is necessary to check whether the integrity of the structure is compromised, whether rusty nails are sticking out, and whether there are cracks on the boards.

If the pallets have already been used somewhere, they must be thoroughly cleaned. It is better to carry out this procedure outside.

You can first brush off dirt and dust with a broom or brush, and then you can wash the trays. If you have a hose for watering your garden, you can easily do this with it.

After this, the pallets must be sanded so that there are no snags or rough spots left on the boards.

To do this, you can use sandpaper, a special grinding machine or a brush attachment for a drill.

Selection and preparation of pallets

Two types of pallets circulate in domestic logistics chains:

1. Russian production . They have a size of 120x100x12 cm;
2. European production. Products with dimensions of 120x80x14.5 cm, except for Finnish ones - those 120x100x14.5 cm. Compliance with the European standard is confirmed by a mark: the letters “EUR” in an oval. Number of boards: top - 5 pcs., bottom - 3 pcs. So far this is the more preferable option, attracting with its high quality of assembly (fully automated lines are used) and good wood.

From an economic point of view, it is more rational to purchase used pallets. Many warehouses, shopping centers and other enterprises give them away for a nominal price. In this case, the products are carefully inspected and the least damaged ones are selected.

It makes sense to purchase new products only for pieces of furniture made from solid pallets. Then the cost of purchasing containers will be recouped by saving time on assembly. This group includes sofas, armchairs, and beds.

There are three types of used pallets:

1. highest _ The product has been used no more than 3 times, that is, it is practically new;
2. first . The product has gone through several cycles of use, but has no cracks or other damage and has not been repaired;
3. second . Repaired pallet, possibly with minor damage. The wood has already darkened slightly.

Pallets are prepared as follows:

• remove or cut off protruding nails and other interfering elements. Such defects are especially often found on domestic products;
• If the pallets have been used, they are cleaned. Minor contamination is removed with a grinder. If necessary, wash the pallet - nothing bad will happen to it. After washing, the product is dried in the sun.

When cleaning dry, the respiratory tract is protected with a respirator or at least a mask, and the eyes with goggles. Work is carried out outdoors or in a ventilated area. If the product is stained with paint, it is removed using a hair dryer: heated until it begins to bubble, then cleaned off with a spatula.

The pallet is sanded in one of the following ways:

1. manually : using a special grater on which sandpaper is fixed with screw clamps;
2. mechanized tool : a grinder or drill equipped with a special attachment.

If you receive a pallet with poorly processed boards, then before sanding they are planed with a manual or electric planer. The wood is treated with drying oil or another antiseptic.

The final stage is primer coating and painting.

The type of primer depends on the operating conditions:

1. the furniture is located outside (a garden sofa in the country or, for example, a shelving unit on an unglazed balcony): an acrylic primer is used, which has high moisture resistance;
2. indoors : oil primer.

The paint is selected accordingly: in the first case - facade, in the second - for interior work.

In terms of wood strength, domestic pallets are not inferior to imported analogues - they are also designed for a load of 1 ton. It’s just that European boards are better planed, so you have to tinker less with processing.

Required materials and tools

To quickly make a sofa from pallets with your own hands, you need to prepare all the necessary materials and tools in advance. In addition to square or rectangular pallets, you will need a saw or hacksaw.

To fasten wooden platforms, you can use angles, screws and nails; you also need a screwdriver, screwdriver and hammer.

Wooden boards will need to be coated with a primer and then varnish or wood paint. To do this, you will need to arm yourself with brushes and rollers.

In addition to all this, in order to make a sofa, you will need fittings, legs, furniture corners, a stapler, pillows and seats, or fabric with filling.

Making a simple sofa from pallets

1. In order to make a regular size sofa, you will need at least six pallets, but it is better to buy eight, in case some of them break during the process. One pallet should be disassembled into boards, which will help fasten the pallets together.
2. All pallets must be thoroughly cleaned and sanded.
3. You need to make a base out of four pallets. To do this, two wooden platforms must be laid face down on the floor and secured with corners and boards. In the same way, you need to connect two more pallets. The fifth pallet must be cut into two equal parts - it will serve as the back of the sofa.
4. Then you need to cover the pallets with a layer of primer and cover up cracks and irregularities.
5. After the primer has dried, you can coat the pallets with a layer of varnish or paint. After some time, you can apply another layer.
6. After the parts have dried, you can attach the legs to one of the pairs of pallets. If it is not possible to purchase them in a store, you can also make them yourself - from wooden blocks.
7. Then you can proceed to assembling the sofa. To do this, you first need to fasten two pairs of pallets together. It is very important to connect the parts well using self-tapping screws or special fasteners. You can also treat the joints with wood glue.
8. In order to make the back of a sofa from a sawn pallet, you need to use metal fasteners.
9. From the boards you can build armrests or shelves for storing various small items for the sofa.

The base for the sofa is ready, all that remains is to make the covering, or attach pillows, mattresses and seats purchased in advance at the store.

Where to get pallets and which ones to choose?

As you can see from the table, in addition to the quality of the material used, pallets differ only in length and weight, and even then to an insignificant extent. However, when creating furniture, experts still recommend using Euro samples, since they are easier and safer to work with.

To create furniture with your own hands, you need to take not entirely old structures and, of course, intact ones. First of all, you need to pay attention to the condition of the wood itself. So, it should have a pleasant wood color without blue. If the wood has a dark shade, then most likely the pallet was assembled from raw material and is of very low quality. Of course, it will not last long, and it is better to abandon it.

Buying pallets is not a problem

The service life of pallets for their intended purpose, that is, for transporting heavy cargo, is only 1 transportation cycle, but in general they can be used up to 3-5 times. Although, according to the rules, the pallet must be written off and disposed of after transportation. Simply put, they are thrown into a landfill. But in fact, such pallets can be bought at a very low price or even received for free and used to improve the interior.

On a note! Used pallets that have served their useful life can often be picked up, so to speak, “for pickup.” True, this “agreement” can only be achieved with small contractors - in large companies the write-off process is somewhat more complicated.

It is important to choose the right pallets

You can buy completely new pallets in stores, but sometimes this is pointless. And obviously no one wants to overpay extra money. So it’s easier to take already used, but intact and durable ones. They will be able to perform the functions of furniture elements for many, many years to come without losing their strength.

You can buy new pallets, but why pay more?

Also, to create furniture, it is better to take pallets of the same type. For example, the same euro. Diverse ones will differ not only in quality, but also in size. For one piece of furniture you need to use designs of the same type.

Corner sofa made of pallets

You can also make a corner sofa from six pallets. It is better to choose rectangular pallets measuring 120x80 centimeters.

They must be processed and cleaned according to all the rules, painted if desired, and then stacked three pallets on top of each other in one row in the corner of the room and secured. The backrest for such a corner sofa can be made from boards.

After this, you need to upholster the sofa, or attach thin mattresses and pillows purchased in the store to it.

Common mistakes

Frequent mistakes that arise when choosing a sofa design option or when making it yourself:

1. It is important to correctly construct the supporting structure from timber. There is no need to take too large bars. The approximate size is 7x21 cm. You can then use it to make stable legs for furniture.
2. Often the back walls are made of weak materials. This cannot be allowed. It is important to ensure its correct construction, as well as the frame base. The backrest must be fixed to the base with thick metal corners. They must be durable.
3. To make a corner sofa, it is not necessary to use complex joints, for example, tenon products, or expensive materials. It is generally not recommended to use nails to connect parts, as they quickly become loose.
4. You should not use decorative beads, stones, or buttons to decorate furniture if the sofa is in constant use. All these elements will quickly ruin its appearance.

Sofa made of pallets with drawers

The good thing about pallets is that there is space between the boards that can serve as storage for small items. But if you wish, you can make a complicated model of a sofa with drawers.

In order to make such a sofa from pallets with your own hands, you will also need six rectangular wooden structures. Three of them need to be disassembled into boards in advance. In addition you will need:

• plywood sheets
• drill
• Bulgarian
• jigsaw
• screws
• four wheels
• drawer handles
• primer
• wood paint or varnish
• brushes or roller
• sandpaper
• cushions and seats

1. First, all pallets must be prepared for work, cleaned and sanded.
2. The base of the sofa will consist of one pallet; wheels must be immediately attached to it. It is better to choose rollers in the store that have brakes.

3. The back will be made from the second pallet - for this, one side of the rectangle must be cut to 91 centimeters, and the other to 47.
4. The third pallet will be used to make armrests. It must be cut into two parts, the size of which should be 47X80 centimeters.

5. After this, it is necessary to fill the free space between the boards in the pallets to create continuous surfaces. To do this, you need to use boards from disassembled pallets. You can use glue to coat the joints.
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6. Then you need to attach the back to the base. To do this you need to use screws or self-tapping screws.

7. Now you can attach the remaining two parts of the pallet to the sides of the sofa.
8. If there are gaps left somewhere, they can also be filled with boards.
9. Then the product can be coated with primer, varnish or paint and left until completely dry.

While the sofa is drying, you need to make two identical drawers. You can use sheets of plywood for this. Storage boxes should have sides of 35 and 38 centimeters.

The height should not exceed 10 centimeters.

If desired, the drawers can be painted and handles attached to them. The sofa on wheels is ready.

Decoration options

A homemade sofa is decorated in the following ways:

1. install lighting . Extremely spectacular decor: creates the illusion of floating in the air. Separate lamps or LED strips are attached to the bottom along the perimeter of the sofa. Power is supplied to the light sources, the switch is placed near the sofa so that a seated person can use it;
2. arrange shelves for small items in the armrests . You can put a book or magazine, TV remote control, etc. there;
3. install drawers. The latter are made of plywood measuring 38x35 cm and 10 cm high. Two such boxes are inserted into each pallet from which the seat is made. A folding handle is screwed onto the front part (lowers under its own weight).

Also, for ease of use, the boxes are equipped with rollers. Instead of drawers, you can simply organize shelves by sewing up the gaps between the boards with plywood.

Sofa from one pallet

A small sofa for a hallway or balcony can be made from just one rectangular pallet. In addition, you will need tools, blocks for the legs and a board for the back.

1. First you need to cut the pallet lengthwise in the middle.
2. One part of the pallet must be set aside, the other must be turned over and four legs made of beams must be installed on the side where the bases are fixed. For this it is better to use special corners.
3. Now you need to take the remaining half of the pallet and install the back of the sofa.
4. After this, you can cover the sofa with primer, water-repellent and varnish or paint. Don’t forget that you also need to process the board that will become the cover for the backrest.
5. After this, you need to use hinges to secure the cover for the back from the board.
6. All that remains is to fix the sofa against the wall and find suitable pillows or a mattress for it.

Making sofas from pallets

Sofas made from pallets should not only be beautiful, but also comfortable, so you need to pick up soft pillows or mattresses in the store. In addition, it is worth making sure that the base is in harmony with the soft details in color and texture.

For example, if the frame of the sofa is painted only with varnish, it is better to use pillows made of fabric that imitates burlap, white seats or checkered ones in a country style.

Pillows of different colors or bright prints will go well with a plain white or black sofa base.

It is also worth considering the features of the room for which the sofa is made. For example, for a dacha and country house it is better to choose dark pillows. This way you can wash them less often.

Where can I put a sofa made from pallets?

A sofa made from pallets is a great option for those who have a country house or cottage. This piece of furniture can be installed not only indoors, but also on the veranda or terrace.

In an apartment, such a soft corner can be organized on the balcony or, for example, in a recreation area where residents like to drink tea.

Sofas made from pallets will also look good in the hallway or living room. With cushions and seats, a pallet sofa can be the highlight of any room.

Original sofas made from pallets

Creating sofas from pallets is a fascinating process that requires a person to use his imagination. Based on the characteristics of the room and the available materials, you can make unusual sofas that will surely cause a lot of admiration among your guests.

Step sofa

This piece of furniture can be built in a large room. The sofa can have the shape of a staircase consisting of several steps - the first sofa will consist of only one row of pallets, the second - of two, and the third - of three tiers. This sofa has enough space for all guests.

Sofa bed

Sometimes it happens that guests can stay all night. And in this case, a sofa bed will be very useful for them. The base of such an object must be large and wide so that a person can fit, but in this case the back can be made very low - about 15 centimeters.

Multifunctional sofa

Those who spend a lot of time on the sofa will probably like the idea of ​​making a multifunctional piece of furniture.

Such a sofa should have a wide back, on which you can place books or a table lamp. In addition, the armrests should be wide.

You can attach a small tray to one of them to make it convenient to drink coffee in the morning. You can increase the storage space by folding the pallets with their backs facing inward.

The advantage of sofas made from pallets

The good thing about sofas made from pallets is that you can easily change the upholstery on them. Also, pillows for them can be easily secured using ties that can be passed through the gaps between the boards.

By the way, the space between the pallets can be filled not only with things, but also, for example, with lighting, which will make the sofa even more beautiful.

In addition, the advantage of a sofa made from pallets is that it is not very heavy, so you can move it around the apartment and even lend it to friends for parties.

Furniture made from pallets is a salvation for those who cannot buy expensive items for themselves, as well as a great thing for creative people, which allows them to get creative, reveal their abilities even more and stand out from the crowd.

And contrary to the opinion of skeptics, it does not look cheap at all and looks very original. And if you suddenly get tired of the sofa, you can easily disassemble it and make something else.

Preparation of drawing/project

You need to make several sketches , which will display furniture options with different sizes, shapes and designs. Having settled on the optimal solution, you should implement it in diagrams and instructions .
You can draw up a project on paper or using the drawing function on your computer. The following details are included in the drawing:

• base for sitting and lying;
• rear backrest - stationary or reclining;
• armrests;
• legs - bars or rollers;
• folding mechanism;
• type of shelves and slides;
• soft part;
• decorative elements;
• list and quantity of required materials.

In conclusion, it is necessary to think through the assembly sequence and draw up a detailed plan for its implementation.