DIY Plywood Pallet Board Lighted Closet

For this project I used some pallet boards 2x4's and some plywood to create a closet that I desperately needed. I live in a small space so the extra storage comes in handy. I created a small shelf area with storage for shoes underneath. I did it on the cheap as well all the materials used were repurposed and were things I just had lying around. I bought some 2.5 inch wood screws for the project which was the most expensive coming in around 4.98. I make it a mission to reuse everything somehow and instructables gave me a way to keep on creating. I had made this pallet work bench as an earlier project but for the last couple of years it has been doing nothing but gathering dust. Once the project was finished I didn't have a use for it. What I did need was some much needed closet space to store my wardrobe and shoes. The closet only takes up about 50" of space in my small studio apartment. Everything was repurposed for this project as well as some things that were given to me.

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER TO WIN A COOL PRIZE FROM AMAZON

3- 2x4" pine boards

2- old pallets with the slats removed on each side ( if you are going to just use the pallet as a wall you don't have to worry to much about this part.

20-30- 2" wood screws

1- light fixture I used one that already had a plug on it so I didn't have to worry about running the electrical.

2- spring load curtain rods

1 4x4 sheet of plywood for shelving

16 penny nails

finishing nails

1" wood screws

any other items you think may have a role in the construction of your closet, like trim, wood paneling etc. whatever you have on hand go ahead and use the more creative you can be with it the better

Circular saw

Jig Saw

Drill Bit 1/4

Drill

Screwdriver

Brad Nailer for trim install

wood glue

I used my already built Pallet work bench for one wall of my closet. The pallet counter top is also made from repurposed materials. I used an old counter top and nailed the pieces of the pallet to it Then it was just simply a matter of building the base from some 2X4" pine board. My Pallet work bench was 18" wide X 74" long When it was finished it stood right around 40" high. I won't go into much detail here about how I made it but you can find some complete steps to the build on my website

1. Take the counter top and lay it face down on a level surface. Take 2-2x4" pine board and cut with a circular saw the same length as the counter top 74" long
2. Cut two 2x4" pine boards 15" long
3. Place the two 2x4" 74 " boards on a level surface parallel to each other 18" apart.
4. Place the two 15" between them on each end you may add wood glue to the meeting surface on both ends
5. Nail the 74" board into the 15" board using 16 penny nails. Do each side
6. Flip the assembly around and repeat step 5
7. Take your 2x4 frame and on the wall where you are going to place your closet nail it to the wall using wood screws or 16 penny nails spaced evenly apart every ten inches.
8. Once your 2x4" frame is secured to the wall take the extra step and nail it to the floor for support
9. Secure the pallet counter to the frame using 2" wood screws top bottom and both sides spaced evenly apart

I wanted my shelf to be 23 1/2" from the floor and it supported with a 2x4" board frame. since clothes can be quite heavy I wanted something that would support the weight. I also used some old lumber that had been lying around the shelf dimensions are 14 1/2" wide X 48" long

1. cut 2- 2x4" board 35 1/2 inches long
2. cut 2-2x4" boards 11" long
3. place the longest board 35 1/2" long on a level surface parallel to each other
4. place the two shorter ones on each end of the longer board and put wood glue on the meeting surfaces
5. nail the longest board to the shorter one on each edge using 16 penny nails nailing through the longest board to the shorter one.
6. Turn the assembly around and repeat step 5
7. This will be our shelf base.
8. Cut another 2x4" board 15" long this will be what the base will fit on the pallet wall
9. Place the 15" 2x4" board on the inside of the pallet wall 20 1/4 " from the floor
10. Using a level make sure it is level front to back
11. using a drill and wood screws screw the 15" board to the pallet wall
12. For the other side of the shelf base I used some old lumber that was lying around and cut it 26 7/8" and screwed it to the side of the shelf base using wood screws
13. I then secured the shelf base to the pallet wall from the outside using wood screws into the 15" board I had cut earlier
14. I then took some plywood 1/2" and cut it 15 1/2" wide X 48" long and secured it to the base of the shelf using 1" wood screws spaced evenly every 6" apart

I have two spring loaded rods that I will use one in which I want clothes to hang from the other in which I want to kind of hide the contents of the closet and give it a more finished look. I will hang a couple of curtains from the second one.

1. The spring loaded curtain rods were easy to install you just unscrew them to the right length and then using pressure put them in place.
2. For added stability so the clothes would not slip from the wall I placed a small piece of extra 1/2" trim on each end of the clothing rod. Since clothing can get quite heavy it need to support a lot of weight. This will help ease the weight off the rods onto the board instead.
3. The I hung the curtains

1. The lights are just a plug and play type of light that you can just plug into any electrical outlet. I wanted a way to see if I needed to so using a couple screws I just installed the light on the back wall of the closet. A couple of screws and an electrical outlet was all that was needed.

It is pretty basic, not to showy. It will do it's purpose which is the main reason I did this project. I'd like to hear from you below in the comments section what should I do to make it better? What did you like etc. I will be adding trim pieces to this later down the road. I also may add a door with some plywood to complete the look. If you need any suggestions or have any comments about any of my projects I would love to hear your feedback.