Building a DIY pallet sofa: Spruce up your garden

Tips and planning: Building a DIY pallet sofa

A cosy corner sofa is a real must-have for your garden or balcony, but trendy garden furniture like this can be expensive from a shop. High-quality sets can cost upwards of £1,500, which is why it’s far more economical to build your own DIY lounge sofa from pallets. You’ll save money and you can customise it to your own size requirements and personal taste. Plus, there’s no better feeling than to say to your guests, “I built this”.

Choosing the material for your pallet lounge

Naturally, we recommend using wooden pallets for this design – but which ones? Used pallets are trendy and eco-friendly, but new pallets are more robust and moisture-free. For stability and appearance, therefore, you may be better off using new pallets. You could also use leftover materials from another pallet project, such as this DIY privacy screen or this DIY outdoor garden bar.

We also have a number of great upcycling ideas for DIYers. You can make a sturdy pouffe from an old tyre, build your own shelving unit from an old frame and panel door, or transform an old chest of drawers – and these are just some of the many ingenious upcycling projects we can help you build!

Finding the right dimensions for your DIY pallet lounge

First, consider how big you want your sofa to be and how tall you want the seats. Because this type of bench is made from pallets, you only need to keep stacking pallets to increase the height of your DIY lounge. You could place a third pallet on top of the first two or even attach castors to the sofa underneath. When adding the backrest, you can either screw it onto the module from behind or simply place it on top of the seat.

The shape of your new pallet lounge furniture will depend on the available space and your personal preferences. A DIY pallet sofa for small outdoor spaces can be a simple two or three-seater made from just three pallets, for example. If you have a larger outdoor area to use, you could join several modules together to form an L- or U-shaped sofa.

Which screws are suitable for pallet furniture?

Wood and universal screws with countersunk heads are best suited for pallet furniture. Choose a size of around 5mm x 70mm to ensure they can easily secure the blocks and boards together. Remember to only use rustproof materials outdoors.

How can you move your pallet sofa?

One pallet typically weighs between 20-25kg, depending on how much moisture it has absorbed. Even a small three-seater can weigh around 100kg, which is why it makes sense to connect each module flexibly rather than screwing them together. Box connectors and metal joints, which consist of two parts that can be easily tightened and loosened, are very practical for this.

Which is better: paint, glaze, or flame treatment?

To help your new DIY pallet outdoor lounge furniture last as long as possible, you must protect it from the weather. It’s entirely up to you whether you use wood stain or varnish. With a varnish, however, the wood grain becomes invisible, whereas wood stain keeps a natural look.

You can also achieve a beautiful shabby-chic effect by lightly singeing the pallets with a Bunsen burner or lighter. This gives the wood an antique look and makes it tougher and more resistant. To do this, pass the flame slowly and evenly over the wood in the direction of the grain. Don’t stay in one spot too long, though, or you’ll create unsightly black spots on the wood. Afterwards, apply a wax or wood oil to add extra protection.

Whichever option you choose, never keep your pallet furniture permanently exposed to the weather. Cover your construction with a tarpaulin on rainy days and during the winter months. If the colour starts to chip off, sand the pallets again and repaint or apply fresh glaze. Check out our sanding and oiling garden furniture guide and our article on wood care maintenance in spring for more information.

Extra features for your DIY pallet sofa

• Sloped backrest: You can create a sloped backrest for your pallet sofa by cutting a pallet with a jigsaw at around the 50cm mark. The cross boards at the top should now protrude a few centimetres – insert these into the first gap in the seating module. Thanks to the wooden blocks in the pallet, the backrest will stay upright at a slight angle. Then, fix the backrest to the seats with screws at the front and back. Alternatively, you can make angled cuts in several wooden posts, before attaching a board to them and fixing it to the back of the sofa.
• Armrests: Using half-pallets, you can make armrests by attaching them to the outside of the sofa. The gaps in between the pallets are perfect for holding drinks. Colourful flower box planters also make great armrests.
• Castors: Add castors to give your DIY pallet sofa more mobility. To do this, you need four castors per module, two of which should have a locking brake. This prevents your furniture moving by itself.
• Corner shelf: To create a practical corner shelf, stack three half-pallets on top of each other and screw them together.
• Sun protection: You can even give your DIY pallet lounge chair a roof using wooden beams and a fabric sheet. Attach four long beams to the corners of the modules and connect them with cross beams at the top. Then, lay a fabric covering over the wooden frame and voila!
• Lighting: Adhesive LED strips or fairy lights threaded through the pallets add an impressive elegance to your DIY pallet sofa. Find more outdoor lighting ideas in our guide.

Choosing the right cushions for your outdoor pallet sofa

Special cushions are available that match the dimensions of pallets perfectly, but you’ll need smaller ones if the backrest stands on the seat. Your upholstery shouldn’t be too thin: we recommend a thickness of 10-15cm. Ensure your cover is removable and machine washable, while the outer fabric should be robust and UV-resistant to prevent its colours from fading.

Costs: Building a pallet sofa

The cost of building a DIY pallet sofa depends on its size and any extras you want to include. Here’s a breakdown of what approximate costs you can expect:

You can also buy ready-made pallet sofas. An L-shaped version including a table and cushions, for example, will cost you around £300.