A simple wooden pallet. Not a likely candidate as creative element in your home decor, but this collection of images showcases how old pallets can be recycled into furniture and other practical and decorative pieces.

When sourcing your pallet, choose one that doesn’t have a lot of nails sticking out and make sure it still has most of its structure as you’ll need that support to hold everything in. The cleaner the better.

Set aside plenty of time to give the pallet a good sanding – start with 60-grit and move up to finish off with 22-grit sandpaper – finishing off with some wood stain, and varnish to bring the same rustic charm to your home.

Sanded and properly treated with varnish, recycled pallets can even become a focal part in a room. There is a natural gap in their design, that can be perfectly utilised as a magazine shelf.

But that’s not all you can do. Why not bring it to your kitchen, as a decorative plate stand.

Or indeed as a table! With the proper care and attention, you can come up with a creative dining experience.

A partial slice of a pallet can also form the basis of a side shelf.

OR with some soft furnishings, you can go one step further and turn it into a seating area, or form part of bohemian lounge.