What can you create with pallets this autumn?

If you fancy yourself as a bit of a DIY expert, then finding new ways to challenge yourself around the house is a great hobby. This autumn, when the weather has cooled down and you can spend more time outside, finding creative and cost-effective projects to try your hand at is a fun way to spend spare time.

Keeping the cost-effectiveness of these projects in mind (because that is one of the main reasons why people choose to 'do-it-themselves'), using pallets to create new pieces of furniture around your property is an obvious choice.

Below are some of the best ideas we could find, so pull on your safety gloves and keep an open mind for some inspiration:

1) A pallet coffee table

IBISWorld reports that the furniture retailing sector in Australia generates $8 billion in revenue annually. That's a serious spend, and while furniture is incredibly important to the feel of a home, and how comfortable you are in it, there are more cost-effective ways that we can create attractive pieces.

Pallet furniture created by professional designers can cost upwards of $900, but why pay that much when you can just make exactly what you want yourself? That way, your exact specifications can also be measured out, so your very own pallet furniture will fit right in.

Where do you go when you want to put your feet up and watch some television, or read the paper in peace? The living room. No matter what couch setup you have in the room, many people opt for a coffee table in the centre of all of the seating. Why? Because it's practical. You can even use it as a platform for decoration - flowers and books are great options.

By using your DIY prowess and making a coffee table, you can choose how big or small it ends up being. Cutting down your pallet can be made even easier by using a 225-millimetre circular saw from Kennards Hire. Once you have cut the pallets to size, join them together using a cordless finishing nail gun, which removes the need to hammer anything in place and creates a very strong join.

If you want to add a different aesthetic to your project, use a piece of cut glass on the top. Clear glass is recommended so that people can admire your handiwork! You can even add rolling castors to the bottom of your creation so that it can be moved around easily.

2) Outdoor seating

According to the Arc Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation (CCI), Australians spent more than $17 billion on entertainment in 2009 alone. That's a staggering amount, and in the fantastic Australian climate, it's no surprise that outdoor entertaining is so popular.

"The sector underpins cultural and social innovation, improves the quality of community life, is essential to maintaining our cities as world-class attractors of talent and investment and helps create 'Brand Australia' in the global marketplace of ideas," said CCI member, Doctor Sandra Haukka. The industry is clearly an important part of the country.

Inviting people over for a barbeque any time soon? Make sure they have somewhere comfortable to sit by building your own outdoor pallet furniture. It won't take long either, as all you really need to do is use a rotax sander to remove any rough edges from the wood itself and then join it together - simple.

While you're cooking up the fish, your guests can be relaxing on your DIY pallet seating.

Once you've created the foundation for your seating, choose a place for it to go and add some outdoor cushions to make it comfortable and soft to sit on. Not only will pallet seating look great, it will be much cheaper than buying new from a store.

3) Wine storage

Easily the simplest (and maybe most important) project on this list is creating wine racks for your cellar. You might not even have a cellar just yet, but if you've ever wanted one, then this is a great place to start!

The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that in 2012-13, Australians spent more than $2 billion on wine, and there were 1,748,363 tonnes of grapes crushed. As a country, we love our vino.

All you need to do for this DIY project is find some whole pallets and secure them together in blocks. Once you have done that, position them securely against a wall or wherever you plan on leaving your wine, preferably in a controlled environment, and raise the front of the 'rack' by around two centimetres to prevent any bottles from falling out. To do this, just slide a few small pieces of wood under the front of the pallets, making sure to space them closely and evenly to distribute the weight correctly.

A handy addition to this extremely useful creation is to apply some blackboard paint onto the tops of the pallets so you can write where each wine is stored. Whether you prefer a rich, deep Bordeaux or a fruity chardonnay, you'll know exactly where you keep your favourites.

Found some inspiration here? Get in touch with Kennards Hire and see what equipment they can help you with.