Mrs. Fix-It

A few years ago I came across several pallets that were up for grabs and I immediately I thought, “What can I use those for?” They were in good shape and seemed like a waste to just toss them out. So after taking them home, my wheels started turning.

There are so many Pinterest ideas out there that involve shipping pallets. I seriously couldn’t believe some of the craftsmanship that went into these things. I saw patio furniture, chairs, sofas, tables, wall hangings, succulent wall planters and even a tee pee. My carpentry skills are probably somewhere right around beginner so taking that into consideration, my aspirations for my newly acquired pallets were very basic.

After tinkering with a few ideas in my head, I decided to build a small sand box for my then 2-year-old. It seemed like we were always outside when the weather was nice. My boy spends a lot of time outside and he loves exploring and using his imagination. A sandbox would be a perfect addition to our small backyard.

The tools I needed, I already had on hand, a drill, saw, some screws, plastic sheeting (or weed block would work) a hammer and nails, play sand, and of course, pallets.

I started by cutting the pallets. I wanted the height to be about two slats high so that is exactly where I made my cuts. I didn’t use a tape measure to measure out the height since it was going to be pretty uniform all around.

I cut the four sides of the sandbox and then used my drill to put screws in them and hold it all together. Because pallets have gaps in between the boards and I didn’t want sand spilling out, I took boards off a pallet that I was not using and used these boards to fill in the gaps. Once I had the shape I was looking for, I was ready to fill it with sand!

We had some plastic sheeting lying around from when we replaced our hardwood floors so I used this to lay down inside my frame.

I used a hammer to nail down parts of the plastic sheeting, just so it wouldn’t shift a whole lot when my son played in it.

Once I had my plastic sheeting set in place I was finished and my sandbox was ready for sand.

I also tidied up the outside of my frame by laying some brick edging around the outside of the sandbox.

Overall, this project cost me less than $20. I only had to purchase the play sand and stone edging, everything else I already had on hand.

I also used some colorful buckets to add some character to our little homemade sandbox and that was it. My son enjoyed playing in this homemade sandbox and I was honestly a little sad to leave it behind when we moved two years ago.

To those a little more skilled than I am in carpentry, I’m sure you could really do some amazing things with a few pallets, I’ve seen pictures where someone added a bench to their sandbox and that’s an awesome idea.

But this is also a project which is totally attainable for beginners like me. Don’t be afraid to try something new or unknown. You cannot mess it up, this is your project and you can figure it out as you go. Some of my most prized possessions in my home are those that I put my own blood sweat and tears (yes, there were some tears) into.

When I look at these pieces or projects, I’m reminded of the time I spent working on them and to me that adds more value.

So get outside, get creative and create something that’s one of a kind.

You might surprise yourself at what you’re capable of and you’ll have a piece that you are sure to be proud of for years to come.

Sara Thomas is Mrs. Fix-it.

She is originally from Louisiana and is a mother of two, Ryker and Reese. Her husband, Jason, was born and raised in Texas and very proud of that. Email Sara at [email protected].