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Pallet Sofa with Tacoma Perry

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Build your own pallet sofa! Free step by step tutorial from Ana-White.com

Do you love Pinterest and pin tons of projects?

You are not alone.

I'm here in Atlanta, and Tacoma Perry, a reporter for Fox5, pinned this pallet sofa last July.

And she decided to take it on as a project!

But Tacoma loves to make each project her own, and decided stacking two pallets high and wood arms would work better for her space. So she decided to go rogue on her pin and change things up! But without a ton of experience with carpentry, her project came to a standstill after sanding and painting her pallets.

So she called me!

And we got started!

We decided to attach the two pallets with wood arms. The wood arms would not just keep the pillows on the pallets, but would also keep the pallets attached.

Because the pallets can be so not square, we used a square to mark the height the arms need to extend above the pallets.

And then clamps to hold everything in place while we attached with countersunk screws.

And we went from a pile of pallets to a sofa in an hour!

The arms really helped secure the pallets to each other and keep the pillows in place on the sides.

It's funny that when you build something with someone, you end up building a friendship too!

PS - It's super comfortable too!

I loved that Tacoma lives in a beautiful urban Atlanta apartment, and uses her balcony to build! Sure you can build in apartments. You may get a weird look or two hauling 2x4s up an elevator, but hey, you got stuff to build!

Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5

This morning I woke up and there we were on FOX5 Atlanta! I love it when Tacoma says, "she should NOT have given me this book!" hehe!!!

Later that day, Tacoma texted me this photo! She tackled two more pallet sofas after I left! Tacoma, thank you for having me! I loved helping on this project! You can read Tacoma's side over at FOX5 Atlanta - check it out!

I wanted to share these plans with you too, so that you can build your own pallet sofas as well! Just scroll for the plans.

Do you live in Atlanta? You can watch the segment live today as well on FOX5 at the noon and 5PM shows - say hi to me!

I'm in Atlanta to demo a project from my book at the Home Depot. Last night was my first signing, and I was so excited to have such an amazing turnout last night.

I built this giant frame, a plan from the book, and used some packing twine zigzagged across the back to turn it into an ever changing display board. I clipped photos from my family trip to Homer, Alaska in the frame.

If you live in Atlanta, I'm doing one more book signing here! It's again at the Home Depot at Research Center from 6:00-8:00 PM. There's lots of fun giveaways, I'll be doing a project demo, and YES, THE BOOK IS FREE!!!! With $20 purchase while supplies last.

Bring your Mom (thanks Kristy!), bring your friends, especially those that don't build! And we are going to get our build on!

See you there!

Preparation

Shopping List

2 Pallets - the long narrow pallets work best. Tacoma's pallets were 24" wide x 48" long
2 1/2" exterior self tapping trim screws
wood glue
caster wheels

Cut List

For Tacoma's pallet sofa, we cut 4 - 2x4 @ 20" long PER ARM. You can make your arms any height/width that works for you.

Tools
Tape Measure
Speed Square
Pencil
Safety Glasses
Hearing Protection
Drill
Circular Saw
Power Sander
Drill Bit Set
General Instructions

Please read through the entire plan and all comments before beginning this project. It is also advisable to review the Getting Started Section. Take all necessary precautions to build safely and smartly. Work on a clean level surface, free of imperfections or debris. Always use straight boards. Check for square after each step. Always predrill holes before attaching with screws. Use glue with finish nails for a stronger hold. Wipe excess glue off bare wood for stained projects, as dried glue will not take stain. Be safe, have fun, and ask for help if you need it. Good luck!

Instructions

Step 1

We started by stacking the two pallets together. The pallets we worked with stacked level, but you may need to shim the pallets to get them to sit square. Pallets by nature are imperfect, so do not expect your pallets to exactly line up.

Step 2

There's two ways you could do this - you could build the arms in place, or build the arms first, and then attach. Because we wanted to test the arm height, we decided to build the arms in place. 4 screws per pallet per arm really tightened things up and secured the two pallets. You can also glue the two pallets together, or screw to make sure they don't go anywhere.

Definitely make things easy on yourself and predrill holes and use a countersink bit.

Step 3

And then attach the top support board. You could use a 1x here as well, we used the 2x4s because Tacoma had some that her friend gave her from taking down a wall. You are the boss of your project. Do what you want!

Step 4

And then we added a nice armrest to finish things off!!! Done deal!

Step 5

Finishing Instructions
Preparation Instructions
Fill all holes with wood filler and let dry. Apply additional coats of wood filler as needed. When wood filler is completely dry, sand the project in the direction of the wood grain with 120 grit sandpaper. Vacuum sanded project to remove sanding residue. Remove all sanding residue on work surfaces as well. Wipe project clean with damp cloth.

It is always recommended to apply a test coat on a hidden area or scrap piece to ensure color evenness and adhesion. Use primer or wood conditioner as needed.
Project Type
Sofa
Room
Outdoor
Style
Green or Eco-Friendly Style Furniture

Comments

dmcarwin

Thu, 10/11/2012 - 10:57

This is great! I am wishing that you would be at my Home Depot in Colorado! Looks like fun!

terrillr (not verified)

Thu, 10/11/2012 - 12:37

to your schedule!

I got my book today, WOOT WOOT!! I can't wait to see what I need to build. :D

mandy seaman (not verified)

Thu, 10/11/2012 - 13:49

It was so great to meet you at the book signing yesterday! I look forward to building my next project from your book! :)

Thanks!!!

tracysmith

Thu, 10/11/2012 - 21:42

I was soooo happy today - I got some Kreg products and your book all in the same day! It was like Christmas!!! I really wish I could go to Seattle (my nearest location) to see you...without this sounding too creepy, it would literaly make a dream come true to meet Ms Ana White! Maybe some day. Congrats again on the book and the book tour! So very excited for you!

Shawn B! (not verified)

Fri, 10/12/2012 - 05:09

Jen sent me over from Tatertots & Jello - we've made 6 of your plans, and have been very pleased with all of them! Keep up the great work - can't wait to get my book!!!!

Toni (not verified)

Fri, 10/12/2012 - 06:29

My copy of your book arrived yesterday and made my trying day oh so much better. I LOVE it! I wish you were doing a signing in California.

Breanne (not verified)

Tue, 10/16/2012 - 08:37

Thank you so much for your site! I have followed since knock off wood started but have never left a comment :) I have had a love for building ever since I was able to get enough courage to build my first project. My husband and I have done a few small projects together and we love it for a date night. A month ago I lost my baby girl due to a birth defect and I built a few projects while I was pregnant with her. I will always have something fun that we built "together". Thanks for giving me that gift. Wish I could have been in SL last night!!! Hope you had a great turnout.