Who could have predicted the wild success of pallets in the household décor field? These humble wooden shipping leftovers are being used for all kinds of DIY projects inside the home, on the porch and in the yard. Here are 12 inspired examples from Hometalk’s incredibly creative contributors, grouped according to theme.

DECORATE

1. Cut-out Art – Sand & Sisal crafted her striking piece of pallet wood art with a unique technique. Using pallet boards disassembled and glued together, she traced and cut out a design in the shape of a shark silhouette. Very cool and beachy!

2. Bookcase Backing – Over the Big Moon used pallet boards for a dual purpose. They stabilized a formerly unsteady bookcase, while at the same time rescuing it from blah-dom with a gorgeous rustic look.

3. Photo Backdrop – A talented do-it-yourselfer who blogs about DIY, crafts and food, The Things We’ll Make put together a handsome pallet backdrop to enhance photos of her gourmet creations.

CELEBRATE

4. Flag – While her son was deployed to Afghanistan, Teressa Moyer painted a bright and bold American flag on a single pallet, ideal for commemorating Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. The flag is embellished with lyrics from the national anthem.

5. Pumpkins – Here’s a joint project … S. Ulmen F added paint and trim to pumpkin shapes after her husband cut them out of pallet wood. These are perfect front door ornaments for Halloween and all autumn long.

6. Tree – Fort Ledbetter’s trees are a bit time-consuming, requiring pallet boards to be cut to size, painted and screwed to their “trunks.” However, the cute results are well worth it, and she can use these green-friendly Christmas decorations for years to come.

HOME SWEET HOME

7. Playhouse – Practips upgraded a falling-apart treehouse with pallet wood to make a sturdy, good-looking (and free!) playhouse for the kids. It’s such a success that her mother-in-law has asked to stay there when she comes to visit.

8. Birdhouse – Forestine M has built a whole pallet wood subdivision. She chooses only the cleanest pallets for her birdhouses and researches their technical specs with the National Wildlife Federation. A North Carolina hobbyist, Forestine has skills worthy of a professional Charlotte carpenter.

9. Horse Barn – Lonnie Cooke thinks big when working with pallet wood ... so big that he was able to construct a handsome two-horse barn from extra-large industrial pallets.

FOR THE KID IN ALL OF US

10. Puppet Theater – Let’s hope Mom4real’s kids appreciate the expertise and love she put into making this pallet puppet theater. Notice the awesome attention to detail, such as the chalkboard-painted “Showtime” sign.

11. Child Stand – Although Camelot Art Creations originally intended this stand as a photo prop, her pallet structure has lots of play potential. It could become a kissing booth, lemonade stand or whatever a child’s imagination might dream up.

12. Popcorn Cart – Here’s a pallet creation, from LizMarieBlog, that says “fun,” “party” and “summertime.” Custom made for a family graduation party, this popcorn cart could be repurposed to suit all kinds of special occasions.

Laura Firszt writes for networx.com