Wood is the traditional fifth wedding anniversary gift for couples. Wood symbolizes the strength of the couple’s bond, indicating a durable and long-lasting relationship with a strong foundation. Whilst there are many gifts that you can purchase that acknowledge the symbolism of this anniversary, you can make it extra special with a gift that you have made with your own hands. Here are three DIY anniversary gift ideas in pallet wood to try.

Coffee table

Image the surprise when you gift your spouse a coffee table that you have made yourself. Not only will they admire your carpentry skills, but also your creativity, time and effort, ensuring this is one of the best gifts for a wedding anniversary that will ever have received. There are plenty of excellent tutorials online to help you create your own piece of furniture using the reclaimed wood from a pallet.

You will also need plywood to the size you want the tabletop to be and some posts for the legs. Lightly sand the boards taken from the pallet for a rustic look, staining some for color contrast. Place the boards on the plywood in the pattern that you want and nail them in place. Then, make a frame for the table edge, add the legs and sand any rough areas. To withstand use, it is a good idea to cover the table with polyurethane.

Photographic display

Create a unique picture frame decorated with a vintage map of a place that is special to you. The frame is simply the top two boards off a pallet sawn-off in one piece, covered with the pattern of the vintage map with bulldog clips secured into the wood by strong pins.  The photos, in a retro style, are held by the bulldog clips.

Sand the wood until it is smooth. Then cut the vintage map to fit the frame. Take a photocopy of the vintage map, so you have a mirror image. Stick the printed maps face down onto the pallet wood using an all-in-one glue, sealer and finish until it is completely covered and leave to dry overnight. The next day, using a sponge, wet the back of the map paper thoroughly and rub away the paper. Once the paper is removed, you will see that the ink from the map has permanently printed on the pallet wood.

Porch swing

If you have space for a porch swing at home on which you can sit together as you catch up at the end of the day. A porch swing needs the slats off three pallets as well as some 2 x 4 wood for the frame.

To keep corners square, use a carpenter’s square. Another tip is to clamp the frame when drilling and driving in screws. When the construction is complete, cover the drilled areas with wood putty and once dry, sand until smooth and then remove all sawdust with a damp cloth.

To keep the slats equidistance from each other, create a spacer of another half an inch. If the slat does not sit flat, which makes gluing difficult, use a small nail to secure it.

It is important to remember that if you are gluing the pallet slats to the mainframe, the glue will only work on raw wood, so leave the application of primer and paint until after the swing is completed.  If you are using screws to join the wood, it is easier to prime and paints the swing before adding the slats. For added weather protection, seal the wood with varnish.