Long Pallet Shelf

A while ago, I shared some pallet shelves we made for the boys' room. I hung them in a little nook to hold some of their books. Since then, they received bunk beds as a gift, and Jackson needed a way to store his things on the top bunk. I saw the perfect inspiration in a Pottery Barn catalog and knew just what to do to create a similar look.

Using the same weathered-looking pallets, Ryan and I created a long shelf that would extend over most of his bed. We made it in the same way as the first, so visit that post for the details. This shelf was easier to make, because we didn't cut them down to smaller sizes. 

The only tricky part was installing the shelf. I was naive and thought I could get up on the bunk and balance it while trying to level and drill at the same time. My dreams of a quick install sadly came to an end. We had to pull the bunk out and, with two step ladders and two people, held it up and got it screwed into place. Because it is up over Jackson's bed, we were sure to get the screws into studs.

Jackson loves it, because he's able to tuck his books and magazines in it. You can also see that he uses it to hold other special things, like his Star Wars flashlights and a present from his school Senior Buddy.

You may have also noticed the baseball lamp in the corner (from a thrift store). I also wanted to make sure that wasn't going anywhere, so I added command strips to the bottom to secure it to his bed. The cord is hooked behind the post of the bed with little command hooks so Brady can't get to it.

It is amazing to me all of the different things we've been able to create from free pallet wood. I love it, too, because the weathered look gives any project so much more character!