Choose one of our favorite pallet garden wall ideas to add personality to your garden and create something unique that no one else has. Whether it's adding a vertical hanging planter to a wall, constructing a bug hotel, knocking up a herb garden or enhancing boundaries with pretty detailing, simple pallets offer so much potential for enhancing your space on a budget.
Wooden pallets are the upcycler's best friend. There's just so much you can do with them, either using them as they come or after deconstructing them and using the wood. They are one of the best materials for upcycling projects in your backyard to enhance and improve your outdoor space.
They're widely available and a great way of recycling the wood that has been used to transport goods rather than it going into landfill. Although they won't typically have the necessary structural strength you'll require if you're looking for retaining wall ideas, they are perfect for plenty of other wall solutions in your plot and are a great way to tick the eco box by reusing everyday materials in your DIY projects.
15 pallet garden wall ideas to create a unique boundary
If you like the thought of some easy garden projects to add a decorative focal point, you'll love our selection of pallet garden wall ideas that will bring your backyard boundaries up to date.
1. Make a wall-hung herb garden
One of the best garden wall ideas for an old pallet is to transform it into a DIY herb garden. Find a pallet that is in good condition and hasn't been painted or treated in any way. You can add a couple of coats of non-toxic paint or timber stain to enhance the look of it.
The best method for creating a herb garden in a pallet is to create three planting 'troughs' or 'pockets' from the sections of wood that form the base. To do this you will need three extra pieces of pallet wood nailed on to create the boxed in trough areas you are going to plant.
You then need to line each trough with thick black plastic. Old compost bags are ideal for this. Make sure you include drainage holes, then fill with good quality compost and your choice of herb plants.
If you're feeling crafty, try customizing your planter by using chalkboard paint then writing labels with chalk to identify your herbs.
2. Knock up a bug hotel
Learn how to make a bug hotel and you'll have a great option for putting old pallets to good use. Simply secure the pallet to your wall or fence to make the bug hotel a permanent feature in your garden. Either paint it or leave the wood looking natural, whichever you prefer.
Layer it up with natural materials like logs and pine cones so it looks attractive too. Drill some holes in the wood to encourage foraging insects.
Once done, cover the front with chicken wire to keep the various layers of materials contained. Use small staples to make sure everything is secure. Then simply wait for the bugs to set up home in their new hotel.
3. Add a planted wall to a patio
If you have a patio wall that's a little underwhelming now's your chance to transform it with a budget facelift that looks fabulous and also creates extra room for growing plants if your space is cramped.
Learning how to build a garden wall can be beyond many people's DIY skill level, but this simple solution is easy for anyone to achieve. Several wooden pallets can simply be stapled together to create a sturdy structure that will transform a boring wall into an on-trend vertical planting area that includes troughs for greening up the wall.
Make sure everything is secured to the wall and be sure to line the troughs with black plastic and include drainage holes, and you're away. As pallet garden wall ideas go it's simple yet so effective.
When choosing the best plants for garden walls, you could opt for a theme like on-trend succulents and ferns, or mix things up with a range of different options.
4. Build a potting corner
Every gardener needs a dedicated area for potting. By using pallets to make your own DIY potting table, handy wall shelves and wall-mounted gardening tool storage racks, you can keep all your gardening bits and pieces together in one place so you'll never be searching for that missing trowel again.
It's easy to do. You will need three or four pallets for a pallet wall idea like this. First take apart the pallets in order to get the best looking boards to make sure the finish is as good as can be.
You will need to prep the wood by making sure you remove any nails or screws when you deconstruct the pallets, and give it a light sand if you're going to be painting or staining it. It's generally a good idea to do this as it means your project will last longer.
5. Make a window box
Here's something a little different for your front garden wall ideas. Why have just one window box when you can create a tiered wall planter to show off different layers of planting? A pallet is ideal to make a feature to fill the whole space under a front window with plants, not just the windowsill.
A good DIY project for beginners, window box ideas made from pallets are easy and require only the most basic tools to construct.
If you want a rustic looking window box pallet wood is ideal as it generally comes pre-aged. Alternatively paint it in colors that complement the exterior woodwork of your house. Gray always looks smart.
Just remember to make your planting troughs deep enough to take larger plants and of course don't forget to line them with black plastic and include drainage holes as your plants won't enjoy being waterlogged. Find out what the best plants for window boxes are to make sure you get the best results.
6. Enhance your pond with pallets
Pallet garden wall ideas can be an effective way to build a wide range of features in your garden, such as a simple garden pond.
This budget pond idea is easy to achieve using a simple container such as an old water tank or sink, which is then clad with strips of wood from a deconstructed pallet to create a pretty pond surround.
After you've taken the pallet apart, removed any nails, made your boards a uniform width by sawing and sanding them if you want a smooth look, you're good to go with the next step of assembling your pond cladding.
Then comes the best part – choosing the best exterior wood paint in your favorite color for the perfect finishing touch.
7. Makeover your compost area
Since we're talking about garden structures that can be give a facelift with some clever pallet garden wall ideas, here's another innovative option to add to the list.
Compost bins aren't the most attractive garden accessory around, but you can use pallets to transform the wall of your composting area so it doubles up as an attractive planted feature.
As well as being ideal material for making the compost bin itself, pallets offer lots of opportunities for extra planting. Assuming your composting space is situated near a veg growing area you can make troughs to plant up with trailing tomato and strawberry plants, chillies or a herb garden to max up your crops.
Alternatively plant them up with pretty flowers to attract pollinating insects to give your veg plot a helping hand.
8. Transform a balcony with a pallet storage wall
If you're a keen balcony gardener you are probably well aware that space is tight and you need to utilize every inch. So why not add a vertical garden to green up a wall. If you like the sound of this idea then pallet wood is going to be your new best friend.
Even if you have next to no outdoor space you can use what you have to transform it into a productive planting area for flowers and growing your own fruit and vegetables. Use pallets to build a frame for hanging plants and you will be amazed by how many more blooms you can cram in.
There's plenty more inspiration for maximizing your outdoor space in our balcony garden ideas too.
9. Make some useful garden shelves
Pallets are ideal for making everything from shelving to log store ideas. A pallet wood log store is easy to do, an attractive way to show off your logs and can pretty much be designed to fit any space. You can go high or stay low depending on what works best - it's up to you. It's also a budget option as well as being sustainable.
In summer when your log pile has run down you can utilise the shelves to turn them into a space for your houseplants if you want to put them out in the garden for some fresh air, tidying up and other TLC.
10. Zone your outdoor space
There are so many pallet furniture ideas you can include in your plot. As well as using pallets for making benches, sofas, tables and other garden furniture, you can repurpose them as boundaries to create zones for different purposes such as defining a seating area or a space for eating.
They can be transformed into a real design feature too. Try adding a color pop by painting them in a bold shade and planting them up with some eye catching blooms to make even more of an impact.
The joy of these pallet garden wall ideas is that you can move them around to suit your mood or the occasion, and change the color and planting for an instant garden makeover.
11. Use a fast fix
If hammering and sawing isn't really your thing opt for the easy way. Pick up a pallet from a builder's skip and simply prop it up against an existing wall or garden fence. Then hang a selection of flowerpots from the slats to create a real focal point.
To get away with this look it's best if the pallet is in good condition as you're not going to be doing anything to enhance its looks.
12. Style up a gin bar
Not only can you use pallets as an inexpensive wall cladding solution, you can also adapt them to create a garden bar in no time with zero hassle and expense. All you need to do is stack up a set of pallets of the same size and preferably wood tone so the layers match to create an outdoor bar.
If you can't find matching pallets you can always stain or paint those you can find to create a more uniform look.
Make sure the bar top is sturdy enough to take the weight of all the bottles, glasses and ice buckets, perhaps adding a flat piece of hardboard to create a practical deck. Use the spaces naturally created by the pallets to create a wall of fresh herbs so your garnishes are on hand to add to the cocktails. What could be easier?
13. Make a garden boundary
Once pallet wood is painted you would be hard pushed to tell it apart from normal fencing. If you can gather together enough pallets you can use the material to make a sturdy fence that will last for years.
Building a pallet fence is fast and cost-effective. With a few additional materials, you could turn a pile of pallets that would otherwise be bound for landfill into attractive, functional fencing. It's one of the fence types that is top of our 'easy to do' list.
Wood pallets are built to withstand very heavy loads and weathering, so they are a natural choice for fencing. Since they always come in square or rectangular shapes, they need little additional prep to be used as fence panels. Plus of course you can easily plant them up too!
14. Create an eye-catching vertical planter
Vertical garden ideas are a great solution if you want to grow flowers and vegetables but are short on space to grow them. By planting upwards you can cram in lots of lovely blooms and crops.
You can make a living wall with pallets filled with soil and plants, or the pallet may serve as a base on which you attach pots and troughs. If you're opting for attaching planters to a pallet remember they will be heavy once filled with soil and plants so they will need to be clipped into place securely.
One of the most popular garden trends in outdoor decor is wall-mounted pallet planters to create hanging gardens and green up your space. They're super low maintenance too.
15. Add pretty planting as a finishing touch
Pallets painted in soft, muted shades look so pretty with a tumble of flowers and foliage trailing from the planting pockets.
Whatever your garden style there's space in your life for pallet garden wall ideas like these!
How do I make a pallet garden wall?
It depends on how perfect you want your pallet garden wall ideas to be. If you want something polished looking you will need to sand the boards once you've disassembled the pallet and removed any nails with a claw hammer. If you are okay with something a little bit more distressed looking then you can cut out the sanding option.
Then you need to create a framework for your pallet wood installation to hang from. Drill holes and secure each slat of pallet wood to this structure. If you want planting pockets you need to line them with black plastic and add drainage holes too.
If you are going to stain or paint your pallet garden wall it's easiest doing this in situ once you've built it.
How do you make a green wall out of pallets?
On-trend green walls are a great idea if you want to grow flowers and vegetables but are short on space as they let you max up your growing potential. Using pallet garden wall ideas is a cost-effective option to get the living wall look you want.
You can make a green wall with pallets filled with planting pockets. You will need to secure the pallets to a framework or structure to make sure that it is stable.
You will need to line each pocket with thick black plastic such as old compost bags. Make sure you include drainage holes, then fill with good quality compost and your choice of plants.
