A Pallet Is A Pallet - Right?

The meaning of pallet 

pal·let

noun \ˈpa-lət\

Definition of PALLET

1:  a straw-filled tick or mattress

2:  a small, hard, or temporary bed

Origin of PALLET

Middle English paillet, from Anglo-French paillete bundle of straw, from paille straw, from Latin palea chaff, straw; akin to Sanskrit palāva chaff

First Known Use: 14th century

²pallet

noun

Definition of PALLET

1:  a wooden flat-bladed instrument

2:  a lever or surface in a timepiece that receives an impulse from the escapement wheel and imparts motion to a balance or pendulum

3:  a portable platform for handling, storing, or moving materials and packages (as in warehouses, factories, or vehicles)

Origin of PALLET

Middle French palette, literally, small shovel — more at palette

First Known Use: 1558

I have known what a pallet is since my childhood.  My children the same.  And some of my grandchildren know that a pallet is that wood thing that shipments come in on and are carried around by the fork lift.  Right?  

But - now what am I to tell these young and impressionable children?  That a pallet really isn't what they believe they are.  That they have been led astray? 

Since when did a pallet become a dog bed?  And with wheels on the bottom!  Does the dog need the wheels to roll around the kitchen?  Or so he can take his bed with him when he goes to visit the neighbor? 

Want to build a nice little romantic gazebo?  (not) Why go through all the effort of gathering up the wood from Home Depot?  So much easier to have someone drop off a bunch of those splintery pallets so you can have a DIY gazebo project. After all, that is what pallets are for, right?  (I don't think so) Well, I guess I do believe in recycling, so maybe this I would agree with, to a certain extent.

Oh hell, forget the little gazebo project - let's build a whole big building!   I bet you don't even need a permit.  After all, where do you go to get a 'pallet permit'?  What a great chicken house this might make.

 

Now, since you are on a roll, let's just really screw up the poor kids minds and make the matching furniture.  Why go to Furniture Mart when you can just nail a bunch of pallets together.  Right?  Do you understand now, how badly I feel that I was not totally honest with the kids.  But you can't blame me.  I was only passing on what I had been raised to believe. 

Remember the part about the definition where the pallet is a portable wooden platform made for transporting items.  Any of these pictures resemble that? 

 

 Sofa or futon on your list of furniture needs?  All you need is a couple pallets, a few pipes, and a twin mattress and you have your furniture desires fulfilled.  

 

Rustic shelf fit into your decor?  This looks like work to make but - if it trips your trigger, go for it.  Cut that pallet to pieces.  

When I first saw this photo I didn't notice the jar lights hanging on the underneath.  Don't know how I missed those.  They are the neatest part of the photo.  My thought was - "What are they trying to do?  

Rise above dangers on the ground?".  Well, after blinking twice and seeing the jars, I got a bit excited and fell in love with the basic idea of the random jar light for outdoor lighting.

Bed on a budget?  This is a great way to go.  Can you imagine living in an apartment complex, in a big city, where you have those narrow hall ways to carry your furniture up?  Pallets may be the answer.  Not too bad when you look at the completed project. 

Whether you are looking to make a desk, kitchen table, bed, office accessory, fashion show runway, or just a flower bed, think about recycling old pallets from a local factory or warehouse.  And always she your project.  There are so many people out there that just need a little nudge and seeing an other person's project results may be all it takes.