Rustic Wood Pallet Bar
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Wedding & Special Occasions - Save Money With DIY
My wedding was a beautiful, dream-come-true, very special occasion. It was everything I wanted, because it was a custom DIY - thanks to the help of lots of friends and family members.
I will be creating a post focused on my entire DIY wedding process, including photos and project info.
Choice Of Bar Style
The wedding venue did not come with a bar. I knew I wanted the inside space, under the tent canopy, to be available for dinner, entertainment, and dancing. I preferred the bar to be outside, along with bar tables. This created a separate gathering place, away from the music. I looked at many types of bars and decided on a wood pallet bar style. That would tie in perfectly with the style of my wedding. The wedding ceremony was in a forested area, and the reception was under a tent canopy in a lush, picturesque field.
My father and I came up with a perfect plan. Create a wood pallet bar out of already existing wood pallets.
We could not find “perfect pallets” but that was fine. We were able to obtain a few from friends (large nearby stores did not have any available for use). My dad repaired them where necessary, applied a wood stain for a cohesive look to the unit, and added shelves. I loved it!
The best part? VERY affordable! The pallets were donated, and my father used stain that was left over from other projects.
SUPPLIES
four pallets * (or the number you need)
screws - for assembling the bar
two or more boards 2” x 6” boards - we used two for the bar top, and two for the inside shelf
Cut the boards to the length you need, we left about a 3”-4” overhang on each end of our bar. Read our “test run” section before cutting the shelf and top bar boards.
stain, brushes, sandpaper
* The number of pallets you use will depend on your desired size. Mine was two pallets across the front, and one pallet on each side. the pallets need to be the same size. Typical loading pallets are usually one size.
DIRECTIONS
1. Clean & Inspect Pallets
As you can see from the photo, our pallets needed a bit of “help.” There were broken areas, and missing boards. They were also quite dirty.
We pressure washed the pallets, sanded down rough areas, and made a note of necessary repairs.
2. Repair Pallets
Replace broken boards and attach new boards as needed. NOTE: a few missing boards is okay. It is rustic, remember. However, if boards are missing on both sides of a pallet, you could end up with large gaps on the sides of your bar - not a very nice look.
The following image shows a new board installed. It doesn’t match, but that will be taken care of when the entire unit is stained.
3. Test Run
Once the pallets were cleaned, sanded, and repaired, they were set up. Nothing was attached at this point - we just wanted to see how things looked.
Our first set-up placed the front pallets with the best sides out, and the side pallets on each end. NOT a good look, because that meant that the raw edges of the sides showed from the front. Plus, the entire bar was too large (adding the side pieces on the ends lengthened the bar).
The top bar pieces had already been cut for this length, so they were re-cut to a shorter length once the entire unit was set up properly.
This is why you need a “test run” with nothing actually attached. The sides were moved; they were placed BEHIND the front pallet ends.
My dad rearranged the pallets. Perfect! I am happy!
3. Stain & Assemble
I recommend staining before assembly. It’s much easier to get to all pieces. Let the stain dry completely before assembling the unit.
Decide which side of each pallet will be toward the inside and which is toward the outside. If a couple of pallets are better than the others, you may wish to use them for the front. Mark the pallets in an inconspicuous place so that future assembly will be easy.
Attach two front pieces together with screws. Then attach each side piece to the front piece (on the backside of each end of the front piece).
Lay the bar top boards across the top and attach them with screws. If adding an inside shelf, attach that with screws as well.
We used approximately 4 screws for each attachment.
Finished Bar
The following photo shows the bar set up at the venue. The height was perfect, the top bar shelf held the tip jar and drinks, and the inside shelf created a storage place for the bartender’s use.
The canopy created a cool temperature for the bartender to work in, and a comfortable area for guests to gather.
Storage
After the wedding, the screws were removed. Easy disassembly for storage!
Wedding & Special Occasion Projects
Rustic wood bar made from wood pallets. Quick and easy.