# Pallets make great structures



## JeT (Jul 21, 2011)

For those of you who are financially challenged like me you might like this or have already heard about it.
For cheap or free structure material you can use wood pallets sometimes businesses give these away. You can attach more than one together and get some good sized walls out of them. Also they make really cool looking distressed walls for your haunts. They can be used to make a maze for your haunts as well as other things not to mention that they can be re-used for next year and configured in many ways. I'm all about doing things the cheap or free way.
Stay tuned for more of my cheap tutorials.


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## psyko99 (Jan 24, 2008)

I've used pallets to make mazes for the past few years. They are great. you can just screw them together with deck screws. If you design it right the structure can be self supporting.

Last year I borrowed pallets from a friend who owns a shipping company. He dropped them off for me and when I was done, they were picked up.


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

Looking forward to the tutorials!

Most of us here know all too well the beauty of pallets for about a billion uses, Halloween & otherwise, but it's always good to have the pics & directions for old or new uses.


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## JeT (Jul 21, 2011)

It's nice to know I'm not the only cheap one here


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## LSpears (Jul 8, 2011)

I have already started collecting them for this year. I have never used them before but think that it is a great idea!


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

JeT said:


> It's nice to know I'm not the only cheap one here


Not by a long shot! In fact I think it's one of the top 10 reasons people join, to find cheaper, easier, more attractive & creative ways to make things.


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## Raven's Hollow Cemetery (Jul 3, 2011)

RCIAG said:


> Not by a long shot! In fact I think it's one of the top 10 reasons people join, to find cheaper, easier, more attractive & creative ways to make things.


No doubt about that, not everyone in to home/yard haunting is a millionare. That is for sure. Always looking for new ideas, tips, and suggestions for an inexpensive solution to a problem (or want).


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## deoblo (Apr 9, 2010)

yeah my whole maze is pallets and i keep them up all year in the woods and they are still holding up great pallets is the way to go if u cant afford plywood and ect.


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## bc211287 (Oct 15, 2010)

My plan is to fence our entire front yard with a pallet fence. Pull off 3 boards on bottom, saw off top support, then just saw to a point on the tops, with no need to be exact. Drill a hole down through the 2 remaining middle supports and insert short pieces of rebar pounded into ground to hold them up. The more aged they are the better!!


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## bl00d (Aug 26, 2010)

Just picked up a truck load of pallets and crates, oh the fun I shall have lol.


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## deoblo (Apr 9, 2010)

bl00d said:


> Just picked up a truck load of pallets and crates, oh the fun I shall have lol.


louds like fun to me ....... there'e another tread on pallet building in the forum here somewhere i'll take a look


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## deoblo (Apr 9, 2010)

here's some pics


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## Si-cotik (Aug 12, 2009)

wow! looking great!!!!!


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## deoblo (Apr 9, 2010)

thanks pallets really add to a scare and they get really spider webs fast


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## rebelxwing (Oct 7, 2008)

Pallets are a haunter's best friend! I use old, cracked ones that no one wants anyway and let them age in the sun so they get grey and distressed. I use then use them for my pirate ship haunt! This year I'm thinking of getting more and making a 'wooden walkway' with them that creaks and groans as people walk across it.


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## Boomalator (May 23, 2010)

We use a lot of pallets (just got a couple of hundred donated)... but a few words of caution: 

1. beware of loose boards, rough edges, and nails or screws sticking out where TOTs/Patrons might contact them, especially in the dark.

2. If building any height, make sure they are stable and supported. One falling onto a TOT would be a Very Bad Thing (tm). They are heavy enough that falling is not trivial.

3. If you are indoors and/or subject to a Fire Marshal inspection, you may need to apply fire retardant. 

But, they are VERY handy. We plan to make a large portion of the haunt floor elevated this year and these are our instant sub-flooring.

bph


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## deoblo (Apr 9, 2010)

Iv'e had my pallets up a couple years in the weather and its suprising that there still firm ...most pallets have oak supports in them which holds up to weather great ....of coarse i still check every year to make sure it sturdy...and before i decorate we do a walk though and check for nails and anything that could hurt someone right down to stumps in the ground .... on my third year without injury yea!!!! shoot!!! i probly just jinks myself!!!!!!


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## Deathbat (Aug 29, 2010)

*WOW! So the entire structure in the pics is made of pallet wood? That is awesome! I 'claimed' about 4 or 5 pallets last Halloween. My intention was to use them for a toepincher but I finally resorted to fence pickets as it was too difficult to take the pallets apart.*


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## deoblo (Apr 9, 2010)

yeah !!!!! pallets are awsome and cheap every time i need pallets its never hard to get tons of them...........


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## atreau2k (Oct 6, 2009)

*I used pallets for my 1st pro haunt last year.. awesome!*

Finished Product:









its super easy to do.. just stack 2 and put a small 10 inch piece of 2x4 on each end(inside the pallets) for stability. 4 pallets make a 90 degree corner.

Run all your wires inbetween the wood then cover with visqueen (black plastic sheeting).

I pushed thru about 15k scared guests thru my maze in just under 3 weekends.. never once had an issue!


Cut your wood.. not your fingers:









2 pieces for each wall:









Call your friends:









Order Pizza:









Use a clamp to hold for nail gun-ing:









Slide your pieces together (before):









Slide your pieces together (after):









WOW...









Use every happy haunters favorite tool.. a nailgun!









Put 2 together and walla... a pretty solid corner...
wrap with visqueen and your done!

Now you can boast to your friends that you have the best and cheapest 8 ft tall maze of all time!


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## Zombiegirl1 (Oct 22, 2007)

I needed to get rid of 2 pallets. Put them out w/free sign. Nothing. So put them on Craigslist. Nothing. Then I said they would be great 4 crafts, naming all sorts of Halloween/other craft projs they could be used for. The pallets didnt even last 24hrs after that. lol. GONE. Yeah hate putting them in trash. 
U should check out craigslist. In my area a guy has about 300 of them for free. Perhaps someone has some in ur area.


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## imindless (Sep 16, 2010)

I volunteered for a Habitat for Humanity resale shop, basically a home improvement store that was for the public. They had TONS of pallets they threw out. Well, a guy actually came by and picked them all up for his own use, but anyone can take them if they want. You should definitely check if you have places like that around you for some pallets. Either ask, or drive around back to the dock area and they usually have them laying out to be picked up.


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## deoblo (Apr 9, 2010)

what is the Habitat for Humanity resale shop i've heard people talking about it but what is it really???????


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## Raven's Hollow Cemetery (Jul 3, 2011)

imindless said:


> I volunteered for a Habitat for Humanity resale shop, basically a home improvement store that was for the public. They had TONS of pallets they threw out. Well, a guy actually came by and picked them all up for his own use, but anyone can take them if they want. You should definitely check if you have places like that around you for some pallets. Either ask, or drive around back to the dock area and they usually have them laying out to be picked up.



Interesting, I'll have to check them out. Thanks for the tip! 




deoblo said:


> what is the Habitat for Humanity resale shop i've heard people talking about it but what is it really???????



It's a fund raiser store for them to assist with defraying the costs of helping those that are homeless. Kind of like Goodwill, but a true non-profit organization where Goodwill isn't. Not to mention, that Habitat doesn't take advantage of their employees...especially the disabled ones.

http://www.habitat.org/


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## deoblo (Apr 9, 2010)

Raven's Hollow Cemetary said:


> Interesting, I'll have to check them out. Thanks for the tip!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


well that's great i'll have to see if there's one near me...


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## utusemi (Sep 18, 2004)

Great ideas, although I'd warn...be sure businesses are actually giving away the pallets. Just cause they are outside behind a building doesn't mean they are free or garbage. We have alot of pallets stolen from our business to be used as free wood. We pay for any that aren't returned to our shipping company.


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## Crunch (Oct 23, 2008)

I used pallets/pallet wood to construct my monster-in-a-box last year and a small coffin groundbreaker. This year, a treasure chest for a friend of mine. It's a pile of work to the get boards off the 2x4 supports and lots of times they break down the grain of the wood. The nails are tougher than... nails (?) and are that twisty/spiral design so they don't pull out to easily. Combine that with rust, deterioration, and HARD wood, it takes some time. However, if you follow through with it all, you can't beat the price and the pallets are almost always weathered and old looking already.


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## deoblo (Apr 9, 2010)

bl00d said:


> Just picked up a truck load of pallets and crates, oh the fun I shall have lol.


yeah they are fun to work with i got ahold of some 6' paLLETS ....... man the walls go up fast and easy to connect i almost have my haunt done i'll post a couple pallet sCenes after this weekend so people can see the posibilities......


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## Zombiegirl1 (Oct 22, 2007)

Thats unfortunate that people would steal pallets. I would put up signs/have cameras to catch anyone stealing them if they are not for the public.
We have a guy in our area that has a massive amount of pallets he is giving away for free. I would def stick to the 'free' pallets & not steal someone's property. Check ur area on Craig's list for them. Or better yet, ask b4 you just help urself. Pretty low to steal in my opinion.


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## t-town scarecrow (Mar 25, 2010)

I will be having a pallet maze in the front of the house leading into the garage part of my haunt. I'm aiming for the pallet part to look like an abandoned mine. The pallets are all 40'' x 48'' and I am stacking them length up. So, I'll end up with 96" walls plus pallets on top. That will give plenty of room for lighting and other stuff. I estimate about 60 pallets, so far I have 30.


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## yardhauntjunkie (Feb 26, 2009)

Pallets are AWESOME. I am so cheap I took them apart and even reused the nails!!  


I used them for my shack facade and I am pretty sure that the town welcome sign was pallet wood as well.









I also built my monster in a box and crates out of pallets.


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## deoblo (Apr 9, 2010)

yardhauntjunkie said:


> Pallets are AWESOME. I am so cheap I took them apart and even reused the nails!!
> 
> 
> I used them for my shack facade and I am pretty sure that the town welcome sign was pallet wood as well.
> ...


thats awsome !!!! what u can do with pallets


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## Pumpkin Eater (Sep 23, 2011)

Thanks for the tip about Craigslist. I just did a search and there are so many people in my area giving away free pallets. I think I will have to pick up a couple and try to do something creative this weekend.


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## rockonup (Sep 23, 2011)

Im building a haunted town for a party.


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## deoblo (Apr 9, 2010)

man thats going to be cool as hell cant wait to see the finished project


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## rockonup (Sep 23, 2011)




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## deoblo (Apr 9, 2010)

looking awsome keep the pics coming


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## Bryan316 (Oct 18, 2009)

Awwww... I want a monster in a box.....


*scours for pallets*


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## rockonup (Sep 23, 2011)

t-town scarecrow said:


> I will be having a pallet maze in the front of the house leading into the garage part of my haunt. I'm aiming for the pallet part to look like an abandoned mine. The pallets are all 40'' x 48'' and I am stacking them length up. So, I'll end up with 96" walls plus pallets on top. That will give plenty of room for lighting and other stuff. I estimate about 60 pallets, so far I have 30.


Make sure you do put extra support and make as many turns as possible to strengthen the structure up drive stakes and supports in your ground when you can you def. dont want anyone getting hurt make sure all nails that are sticking out are gone. I recommend using tar paper from home depot 550 Sqaure feet for $20 a roll its fast easy and keeps it dark, or the plastic. So far i will prob have 100 pallets + and 30 sheets of osb and 60 2x4's. Connect the pallets inside using a 12 inch peice of 2x4 and if you have a nail gun that will be your best friend.


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## Gryphon (Sep 28, 2011)

I used old pallets for my toe pincher. the best way i found to separate them is with a sawzall and long medium tooth metal blade


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## Samhain1031 (Oct 16, 2011)

What a great idea! My dad always has an abundance of pallets...guess he'll have to start sharing. lol.


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