She Upcycled an Old Wood Pallet Into a Wall Shelf and Dyed the Wood Instead of Painting It
Discarded pallet wood can provide the boards for a shelf, but its rough surface also gives you another option when it comes to the finish. Instead of covering this pallet with paint, Debbiedoo’s used Scarlet Rit dye to turn the pale unfinished wood red while keeping its grain, knots, and dark marks visible.
The pallet also gained two display ledges and a layered backing made from chicken wire and burlap. What began as shipping material ended up on the wall holding pitchers, ceramics, bottles, and other small pieces.
Rough Pallet Boards Became the Shelf Frame
The pallet was cleaned outside with bleach and a hose before work began. Its boards still show saw marks, knots, splits, and changes in tone, including dark streaks that run through several of the narrow center slats.
Rather than sanding the lumber into uniform boards, the shelf uses those differences as part of the finish. Two horizontal pallet boards cross the narrower vertical slats and become ledges, while wider boards run along both outer edges.
Scarlet Rit Dye Replaced a Coat of Paint
Scarlet Rit dye provided the red finish. Debbiedoo’s mixed 1/2 cup of dye with 2 cups of hot water and applied the mixture to the untreated wood. Unlike an opaque coat of paint, the dye changes the wood tone without hiding the darker grain and marks beneath it.
The same stage added texture behind the pallet. Chicken wire was stapled across the back, then pieces of burlap were cut to fit behind the openings. Leftover burlap from another project kept that part of the build from requiring new fabric.
Chicken Wire and Burlap Filled the Open Gaps
The finished red wood frames narrow sections of chicken wire between the vertical boards. Printed burlap sits farther back, so its black lettering and teal markings show through the hexagonal wire rather than covering the pallet openings with a solid panel.
That backing also gives small objects a more defined backdrop. A white pitcher and clear bottle stand against the rough burlap, while the red boards create horizontal edges above and below the display.
Wood Grain Still Shows Through the Red Finish
A close view of the pitcher shows the difference between dye and opaque paint. The center pallet board has a red cast, but its grain, darker streaks, and changes in tone remain easy to see.
The materials behind it stay exposed too. Chicken wire crosses the burlap rather than disappearing beneath another finish, leaving three distinct surfaces in the same narrow section: dyed wood, metal mesh, and woven fabric.
Pallet Boards Created Two Shallow Display Ledges
From the side, the project reads as a shelf rather than a pallet hung flat against a wall. Two horizontal boards project far enough to hold small ceramics and bottles, with tall outer boards forming the sides.
The narrow depth suits objects that do not need a standard bookcase shelf. A lidded jar and rooster figurine sit on the upper ledge, while the lower level holds another figurine, pitcher, and bottle without extending far into the room.
Red Dye, Wire, and Burlap Changed the Original Pallet
The full view keeps much of the pallet construction recognizable. Uneven board edges remain exposed, the vertical slats have different widths, and darker marks show beneath the Scarlet dye.
Chicken wire and burlap fill the empty sections without closing them off, while the two cross boards provide space for small displays. The same approach could work with another dye color if you want to change unfinished pallet wood without covering its grain with paint.