Simple DIY Pallet Corner Sofa Tutorial

In this post, I outline step-by-step instructions on how to create your own simple DIY pallet corner Sofa and coffee table using reclaimed pallets.

Simple DIY Pallet Corner Sofa Tutorial

After spending a fortune earlier this summer on our garden renovation, there wasn’t much leftover in the budget to cover garden furnishings.

I excitedly told my husband about the furniture I wanted to buy once the gardeners had completed their work. He was quick to burst my bubble. He wasn’t at all swayed by the many pictures of gorgeous rattan furniture I showed him on Pinterest. I searched high and low for affordable rattan garden furniture. The cheapest garden corner sofa set I came across was on Wowcher for £299, but it had terrible reviews and it was still too expensive for us.

I really wanted a garden corner sofa and had the perfect spot for it in our garden. I visualised my family and friends coming round for bbq’s and sitting on my new sofas. I couldn’t let it go as I really wanted the sofa’s so I persisted with trying to persuade him to let us get it. His final response was “find a way to make it happen”. There was something in his words that got me thinking… there must be a way to make these sofas for less.

I started searching on Google, Pinterest and Youtube for DIY garden sofa ideas and came across pictures of gorgeous pallet corner sofa’s. That’s it! I thought to myself. Once I discovered the DIY pallet corner sofa on Pinterest I immediately got to work researching how to make it.

Below you’ll find step-by-step instructions on how to create your own DIY pallet corner Sofa using reclaimed pallets.

Materials required for your Simple DIY Pallet Corner Sofa

1. Pallets

I used a total of 18 pallets:

• X3 pallets for the coffee table – Dimensions: 37.5 inches X 22.5 inches
• X3 pallets for the cuddler sofa – Dimensions: 40.5 inches X 28.5 inches
• X12 pallets for the corner sofa – Dimensions:  39 inches x47 inches

My husband is a tradesman and was able to collect all the pallets I needed from work for free. You can usually pick up pallets from local DIY stores or builders yards for free. There are also people on websites such as Gumtree and Freecycle giving away pallets. However, if you’re unable to source the pallets for free, you can always purchase them online as they are quite cheap.

2. Impact Driver

You could alternatively use a power drill.

3. Screws

You’ll need lots of screws in varying lengths.

4. Multitool

This is the machine we used to sand the pallets but you can use any appropriate sanding tool.

5. Work gloves

6. Dust mask

7. Hammer

8. Floor board lifter

9. Fence brush

10. Plastic bowl

11. Boiled linseed oil

12. Hard wax oil

13. Fence Paint 

Materials required for your Simple DIY Pallet Corner Sofa’s Seat Covers

1. MDF

I used 3mm thick MDF but I would recommend you use MDF that’s at least 6mm thick to avoid it bending at the sides once cushion has been assembled.

2. Staple Gun

3. Staples

4. Cushion filling

5. Wadding

6. Fabric

I had lots of African material at home so I decided to make use of what I had. Feel free to use whatever fabric you want though. If possible it would good to use water-resistant fabric that way you don’t need to stow the seat covers away when it rains.

7. Scissors

Step by step guide to creating your Simple DIY Pallet Corner Sofa

Step 1 – Prep your pallets

Before making your corner sofa you need to prep your pallets. Sand them all down to get rid of the rough bits and chippings. Use the paintbrush to cover the pallets in a heavy coat of linseed oil. Leave it for a few hours for the oil to sink into the pallets. After giving the oil time to soak in, wipe off any leftovers with a soft cloth. Finally, add a light coat of hard wax oil to the pallets. This will protect the pallets and make them more durable.

Step 2 – Assembly

Sofa

Once pallets are all prepped, position them in the garden. Use the impact driver or power drill and screws to attach the pallet pieces together for each sofa.

We made 4 separate seats for the corner sofa instead of making one whole chair. We did this to make it possible to move the sofa pieces. The pallets are quite heavy so if you attach all the pallets together you will not be able to move it from the spot in which it’s built.

Paint the pallet corner sofa in whatever colour you wish.

Table

The coffee table was made up of two pallets stacked on top of each other and screwed together. However, the pallet at the top of the table had a few gaps so we had to use the floorboard lifter to pull apart the 3rd pallet and use some planks to fill in the gaps on the table.

The additional planks were too long so my husband had to cut them down using the multitool.

Paint the pallet table in whatever colour you wish.

Step by step guide to creating your Simple DIY Pallet Corner Sofa’s Seat Covers

1. Cut MDF pieces down to the size of each pallet and backrest.
2. Place the MDF on the fabric and cut around it, leaving 2-3 inches of extra fabric around all 4 sides of the MDF.
   
3. Cut the Wadding pieces down to the same size as the fabric.
4. Lay the cut piece of fabric down on the floor or flat surface and lay the wadding on top.
5. Pour out cushions filling on top of the wadding and distribute it evenly across the surface area. I used 1kg of cushion filling for each pallet seat. However, I’d recommend using 1.5-2kg of cushion filling to make the seats more padded and comfortable. For the backrest, I used 0.75kg of cushion filling but I’d recommend you use 1-1.5kg of filling for the same reason I just mentioned.
   
6. Lay the MDF on top of the cushion filling and push it down.
   
7. Begin to fold the fabric and wadding over the MDF and staple along each side. Once you’ve stabled 3 sides, put your hands in the middle to spread the cushion filling evenly throughout the seat cover. Once its evened out staple along the final side.
   

   

   

   
   
8. Flip it over and admire your creation!
   
9. Complete the above steps until all seat covers are made!

I’m so pleased with how my DIY pallet corner sofa turned out and have received a lot of great feedback from family and friends. What do you think of my first attempt at creating a simple pallet corner sofa?

In this post, I outlined how to create your own outdoor corner bench unit. This innovative DIY outdoor sectional is budget-friendly and will look great in your garden or patio.

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