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    Home » DIY » outdoor living » Reclaimed Picket Fence Garden Shelf

    Reclaimed Picket Fence Garden Shelf

    Published by Gail | Published May 6, 2014 | Updated June 28, 2021
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Free wood on the burn pile? Perfect for making a picket fence garden shelf!

    reclaimed-picket-fenceDo you remember this fence I saved from the burn pile?

    reclaimed-picket-fenceI started by dismantling 2 sections of the picket fence.

    How to Make a Picket Fence Garden Shelf

    reclaimed-fenceThen I proceeded putting it all back together with some of the weathered 2x4’s.

     

    reclaimed-picket-fence-shelfI kept the great patina side on the front, and the uglier weathered side on the back side.

     

    picket-fence-shelfHere’s a close-up of how it all came together.

     

    picket-fence-garden-shelfwell, this is the way it sat for a couple of weeks in storage. Can you see that it’s crooked? I do NOT like redoing things right after I do them. There’s something about waiting a couple of weeks, then I can pretend I’m fixing someone else’s goof. hehehe

    Crooked Shelf

    crooked-picket-fence-shelfIf you couldn’t see it up there, I’m sure you can see it here. I tried to convince myself that if it were in the yard, it wouldn’t be noticeable.

     

    picket-fence-shelf-gardenI straightened up the shelves, and I added an additional board across the front. Someone on my facebook page shared a picture of a  similar one and I really liked the look. I really like that it covers up the newly cut ends of the 2x4’s.

    I really should start looking at my pictures as I build. As I look at this picture I’m second guessing my shelf placement. I think the top shelf should be a little higher. I see things totally different in pics than I do in real life. Am I alone? Does that happen to you too?

     

    rustic-garden-picket-fence-shelf

    I like the rustic-weathered color with the backdrop of the green grass. Too bad I didn’t have any flowers to show off on this rustic garden shelf.

     

    small-bench-garden-reclaimed-fenceI’m now out of this fence after doing this project and the rustic garden bench.

     

    palletsIf you follow me on Facebook, you may have seen these pallets—I have the opportunity to take any and all that I want. I do NOT want to be a hoarder, and only want to take what I think I can use up over the next 2 months. Some are heat treated, some are not marked. So far, I haven’t picked up any. I think I will take 2. I think it’s sort of an unending supply of pallets. Seriously, i prefer weathered fencing.

    What about you? do you take pallets apart? Or do you take the easy way out like I do with fencing?

    gail

    related content

    Stockade Fence into Plant Shelf 

    Reclaimed Wood Potting Bench

    sharing at

    Becky's $100 linky party

    Elizabeth & Co. Be Inpsired

     

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    1. Kelley

      May 12, 2014 at 11:51 am

      Nice. I love the upcycling of the old fence. Great use, and it looks great too. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    2. Christine

      May 09, 2014 at 9:19 pm

      Oh, hyell yes, I take pallets apart! Just picked up a bunch of brand new, sweet, wood-smelling oak pallets from a medical equipment importer. I'm weathering them a bit out in the front yard to become my kitchen floor. LOVE them. Who needs a barn for wood?!

      Reply
    3. Pat

      May 08, 2014 at 4:18 pm

      Bwahahahaha!
      Gail-- you make me laugh, not at you but with you of course. I take the same approach when it comes to fixing 'goofs'!
      I like this little picket shelf. Would look great on my covered porch...covered in little green plants!
      Great score on the fence too, by the way.
      Patricia

      Reply
    4. Lisa

      May 08, 2014 at 8:55 am

      Thank you for sharing love this idea !!!

      Reply
    5. Laurel@chippingwithcharm

      May 08, 2014 at 8:13 am

      Fun shelf...perfectly rustic 🙂

      Reply
    6. Terri

      May 07, 2014 at 8:20 am

      Such a cute shelf...leave it to you! You rocked it, as always! Drooling over all those pallets...lucky you!

      Reply
    7. Julie @ follow your heart woodworking

      May 06, 2014 at 7:00 pm

      Your garden shelf is lovely! I find pallets are really difficult to disassemble and often end up splitting. BUT, if you can use shorter pieces, say for signs, then the best thing is to just cut with a jigsaw or whatever, between the cross pieces. Then there are no nails or screws to remove.

      Reply
    8. Diane

      May 06, 2014 at 3:58 pm

      This is so cute!!! I have pickets laying around and plan on making this as well for the garden!! Thanks for all the great ideas!!!

      Reply
    9. Candace

      May 06, 2014 at 1:25 pm

      Love the shelf! I think for a shelf the top shelf is at a perfect height because if you add pots with plants and flowers, the tops would cover up the cool fencing designs. If it were a table, the top shelve would be good higher so you don't have to bend over when working, but for a shelf, it's good to be low. Love it.

      Reply
    10. Mindi

      May 06, 2014 at 11:14 am

      This is really cute! I love the finished look with the boards on the front. I agree fence wood is much easier to use than pallets. You should take a couple at least, even if you just cut around the nails the boards can be good for small projects!

      Reply
    11. Di B

      May 06, 2014 at 10:53 am

      Most pallets i have come in contact with are impossible to take apart. I have been eyeing on at a job site but don't know for sure if I will be able to dismantle it. How can you tell?

      Reply
    12. Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co.

      May 06, 2014 at 8:39 am

      What a cute shelf Gail! The additional boards on the front give it a nice finished look. And no, I have never taken a pallet apart, but I love seeing pallet projects!

      Reply
    13. Holly

      May 06, 2014 at 6:32 am

      Great garden shelf! I don't use either fencing or pallet wood and I have about 25 or 30 pallets in the barn that seed arrived on. But I do use barn wood. I guess it just depends on what you have access to.

      Reply
    14. cassie

      May 06, 2014 at 6:17 am

      super cute! it would look great on a porch with plants on it!

      Reply
    15. kirby carespodi

      May 06, 2014 at 5:49 am

      I have about three dozen old pickets hanging around...I love this idea! And as for pallets, we occasionally grab one out of the dumpster at DLs work and use them for potting benches, unless they're oak. (Occasionally, they're oak.)

      Reply

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    Hi, there! I’m Gail Wilson, the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. I’m obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believe that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again—myself included! I hope you’ll enjoy the journey and pick up a few tools along the way… literally!

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