Jan
29

DIY Paint Stick Mini Pallets

Two DIYs in one week? I know!! This project is actually one that I created for The Proper Pinwheel awhile ago. I thought I’d share it with you guys as well--plus show you how I’m using these mini pallets in my house. I originally thought they’d be cute as a table runner, placemats, or a cake stand…then I ended up mounting them on my wall and sticking my new airplants in them. I like this look even better! We also considered turning one into a mail organizer and adding hooks at the bottom for keys and stuff. The possibilities are…well, not endless, but there are a lot!

DIY paint stick mini pallets // At Home in Love

What sparked this idea was all the different shipping pallet DIYs that I’ve seen over the last couple years. Seriously, pallet projects have been all over Pinterest and the blogosphere--don’t tell me you haven’t noticed. I really like the way they look, but Ben is firmly against bringing a pallet into our house. And after hearing about all the chemicals and grossness that are on shipping pallets, it’s probably for the best (although I have to say…the pallet bed I posted awhile ago is super cute). So when I thought of this idea, it seemed like the perfect way to get my pallet fix in a clean, cute, and Ben-approved way. Plus, anything miniature is always a win in my book.

DIY miniature pallet made out of paint stir sticks

You will need:
16 paint stir sticks per pallet. You can buy them in bulk online, or pick them up for free at your local hardware store
Natural/light colored wood stain (optional)
Hot glue & hot glue gun

DIY paint stick pallet // At Home in Love

Directions:
Stain the paint sticks for a more realistic color. You can skip this step and leave your wood untreated if you’d like. If your stir sticks have writing on one side, glue together three sets of two, writing side in. Lay down three stir sticks (writing side down), at the length of one stick. Glue crosswise the three sets of sticks that you already glued together–one on each end and one in the middle. I didnt measure where to put the middle set, and mine turned out just a little bit off. Its probably a good idea to measure where the middle is and mark it first, so you know where to place the glue. Dont be impatient like me! The last step is to glue the last seven sticks on top, laying them flat with the writing side down.

Mini shipping pallets--made out of paint stir sticks!

And that’s it! Super easy, miniature pallets.

Airplants in DIY mini pallets

And here they are in my house! Aren’t my new airplants cute? I just love them. Fingers crossed that I won’t kill them!

My living room

What do you guys think of this project? See how I originally envisioned them (as a table runner) on The Proper Pinwheel.

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  1. Posted by Tara on Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

    So adorable and easy.
    • Posted by Aileen on Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

      Thanks Tara!!
  2. Posted by Debbie on Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

    I love them! They are DIY yet don't at all look "cheap". A great idea and a great presentation! I also love your adorable curtain rods. Perfect! AND, You can't beat that adorable pom pom trim as the frosting on the cake. :) Lovely
    • Posted by Aileen on Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

      Thank you Debbie! The curtain rods were a DIY too, in fact. Wooden dowels from the hardware store with finials from Urban Outfitters screwed on the ends. And I added that pom pom trim too! The drapes are actually the $9.99 ones from Ikea :)
  3. Posted by Rachel | 52 Weeks Project on Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

    Aileen, these are adorable! What a great way to display air plants too. I'm already thinking of places in my apartment to hang these once I make them :)
    • Posted by Aileen on Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

      Aww, thanks!! So glad you like them.
  4. Posted by Michelle @ A Healthy Mrs on Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

    How cute! I never would have thought of this. And I love them on the wall with your plants -- great idea!
    • Posted by Aileen on Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

      Thank you Michelle!! Glad you like :)
  5. Posted by Kevin | Thou Swell on Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

    Looks awesome! I've been wondering about getting air plants so I can't wait to hear more about them!
    • Posted by Aileen on Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

      Thanks Kevin!! So far, so good. My friend Renae just wrote a post about taking care of them today, if you want to know more: http://leonalane.typepad.com/my-blog/2014/01/five-tips-tricks-for-caring-for-air-plants.html
  6. Posted by steph on Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

    This is adorable! What a great idea!
  7. Posted by Chelsea Foy on Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

    These are rad! Pinning immediately. :)
  8. Posted by chandra | ohlovelyday on Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

    these are really cute. dumb question though - how do you water the air plants? do you need to? oh wait, just saw the link to your friend's post. also, love the pom pom curtains!
    xx
  9. Posted by Vidya @ Whats Ur Home Story on Sunday, February 2nd, 2014

    Love this. I have a pallet sitting in my garage. Got to work on it. Pinning.
  10. Posted by Thaís Victorino on Wednesday, February 5th, 2014

    Hi!
    Is that a antler? I'm crazy about deer.
    I can't find this in my country, but it's really awesome
    xx from Brazil


    P.S. Lovely mini pallets
  11. Posted by Thaís Victorino on Thursday, February 6th, 2014

    Hi!
    Is that a antler? I'm crazy about deer.
    I can't find this in my country :/
    XX from Brazil

    P.S. Lovely mini pallets
    • Posted by Aileen on Thursday, February 6th, 2014

      Hi Thaís! It is an antler--one of Ben’s friends gave us a pair of them. If you like this look, you should check out my post on decorating with antlers. SO many ideas: http://www.athomeinlove.com/oh-my-deer-decorating-with-antlers/

      I’m glad you like my mini pallets too!
  12. Posted by Joyce Starling on Monday, September 22nd, 2014

    I love yuor mini pallets! I have multiple cats (I rescue) and have been searching for a way to display (use my jrwelry) its all currently hidden in my dresser drawer-I never remember to wear it!) I think. THIS IS IT! I can make 3 ot 4 pallets and use mimi doorknobs, drawer pulls and hooks to display neclaces, bracelets and earrings in a totally unique wall display. I have a blank wall wilh no furnitue closeby so the cats will be unabl to reach this display ( unless they learn to fly!)
    • Posted by Aileen on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014

      Yes! This would be perfect for your jewelry!
  13. Posted by Yvonne on Monday, September 22nd, 2014

    Looks great, but I don't understand the plant part. How is it attached, watered, or is it just stuck in between the slats?
    I missed something. Next project right after that was "air plants", what the heck are 'air plants' and where do you get them? They look great but...?
    • Posted by Aileen on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014

      Haha, yes air plants don’t need to be sitting in water or dirt! Try googling air plants, you’ll see :) I also did a post about them here: http://www.athomeinlove.com/more-air-plants-a-giveaway/
  14. Posted by Pam on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2015

    how did you attach the airplane plants to the mini pallet?? Are they in dirt/water?????
  15. Posted by Pam on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2015

    Oh wait!!! I mis-read!!!! My bad! AIR plants!! Not airplane plants!! Sorry!!! :-/
    • Posted by Aileen on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2015

      Haha, no worries! Yeah, they don’t need water or dirt--just give them a bath once a week for about a half hour :)
  16. Posted by joyce on Wednesday, July 1st, 2015

    I love this idea!
  17. Posted by Elizabeth on Tuesday, January 19th, 2016

    I loved your mini pallets. I just bought some air plants so now I have to make some Thank you
    • Posted by Aileen on Thursday, January 21st, 2016

      Thank you, Elizabeth! They're really easy to make...have fun, and enjoy your new air plants too!
  18. Posted by linda gleason on Thursday, April 21st, 2016

    I love all your DIY projects, keep them coming.
    • Posted by Aileen on Thursday, April 21st, 2016

      Aww, thank you Linda!
  19. Posted by Brenda on Wednesday, July 3rd, 2019

    I love it, I am new to air plants. How did you attach them to these mini pallets?
  20. Posted by Brenda on Saturday, July 6th, 2019

    Won’t the chemicals in the stain hurt the plant
    • Posted by Aileen on Sunday, July 7th, 2019

      Hi Brenda! I didn't attach the air plants, I just tucked them into the spaces between the boards. I had them there for at least a year and they seemed healthy and happy!
  21. Posted by Leslie on Saturday, July 24th, 2021

    Love the easy directions. This is my kind of crafts! Thanks for the excellent teaching
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