Elevate your balcony or deck by building this practical fence bar from old timber pallets. Creative and cost-effective, it’s designed to straddle the balustrade and sits flat, functioning as a handy table. It’s also particularly useful for narrower areas that don’t have enough room for outdoor furniture.
The Upcycler, aka Jacob Leaf (Ngāpuhi), used two pallets to build this fence bar and gave it a pop of colour using Resene Lustacryl in Resene Rapture – but you can paint yours in any colour that suits your home’s style or garden.
This fence bar offers an endless amount of uses – enjoying drinks and nibbles when hosting your next summer soirée, setting up your computer to work from home with a view or sitting with a morning cup of coffee and the paper.
A very important part of the process is to wash the timber thoroughly first with Resene Timber and Deck Wash, which will give the table a professional looking finish. Another key aspect is to check your measurements are correct and the lines and angles are straight – this will ensure you won’t end up with a beer or wine in your lap!
Upcycling old materials and reimagining them into brand-new, bespoke pieces is great for the environment, as well as an excellent way to hone your DIY skills. Luckily, free pallets are usually readily available – check with local bulk stores if they have any they can pass onto you. Or you could create this project with offcuts from another project. Set aside a weekend and follow these step-by-step instructions to create your very own DIY fence bar.
Top tip: If you prefer a wood stained finish, use Resene Waterborne Woodsman or Resene Woodsman Wood Oil Stain in place of Resene Quick Dry and Resene Lustacryl. If you’re choosing a dark colour, use the CoolColour version of the colour to help reflect more heat and keep your fence bar cooler.
