DIY Pallet Wall: 25 Best Accent Wood Wall Tutorials

25 best DIY pallet wall tutorials & designer tips on how to create beautiful accent wood wall paneling easily, plus alternative ideas such as peel and stick boards & wallpaper to get the look with less work!

A pallet wall or shiplap wall can instantly transform a room. We will look at more shiplap walls in another article. This one is all about pallet and natural wood wall ideas, DIY tutorials and best tips!

Best DIY pallet wall tutorials & designer tips on how to create beautiful accent wood wall paneling easily, plus peel and stick planks & wallpaper ideas!

A plank wood wall is very easy and low cost to DIY. Pallet wood is a great free material for these projects. However, there are some important basics which will make your DIY process easier and create better results.

How to choose pallets for DIY pallet wall.

The most important thing is to find HT stamped pallets, which are heat treated vs chemical treated. If you are wondering “where can I get pallets for free?” or “how to I dismantle pallets?” here’s a detailed guide all about finding and working with pallets-

*Some resources in article are affiliate links. Full disclosure here.

 where can I get pallets for free?  how to I dismantle pallets?
All about finding and working with pallets: a detailed guide.

How to clean and prepare pallet wood for DIY projects.

Pallet wood should be sanded to prevent splinters, cleaned thoroughly. You can use a pressure washer, or a good brush with some soapy water. After cleaning and rinsing the pallet wood, let them dry before use.

taking apart pallets with a deck wrecker or pallet buster
Where to find quality wood pallets and how to take them apart

Basic tools you will need to create pallet or wood walls

1. How to install a pallet wall

How to install a pallet wall on studs
1001 Pallets

A popular way to install a pallet wall is to first screw 1×4 wood onto wall studs. The advantage is that you can use brad nails and a nail gun to attach pallet wood to the 1x4s instead of screwing lots of pallet boards to the wall studs.

2. Wood accent wall with staggered joints

Wood accent wall with pallet
Just a Girl Blog

This gorgeous bedroom accent wall looks really natural because of the staggering pallet wood joints.

3. How to create natural wood color variations

If you want to have a variety of different color wood planks, there are a few different ways to do it. The easiest way is to stain some of the wood. You can buy wood stains, or make your own wood stains easily for 1/10 the cost, tutorial here!

Comparisons of different home made DIY wood stains and how to achieve these different colors.
Make your own wood stains easily for 1/10 the cost, tutorial here!

You can also leave some wood in the sun, they will age to a darker color in just a few days.

wood wall in living room
Cape27 Blog (Site unavailable as of 1/2020)

Use vertical boards to create a clean edge at the end of the horizontal wall paneling.

4. How to build a wood accent TV wall

How to build a wood accent TV wall

This tutorial offers great tips on how to hide wall mount TV wires when you build a pallet or shiplap wall.

5. DIY pallet kitchen wall.

DIY pallet kitchen wall

This pallet wood wall is a great example of beautiful styling and decorating!

6. Installing a pallet wall on plywood

Installing a pallet wall on plywood

Katie and Jeremy decided to build their pallet accent wall on plywood screwed to studs. They shared lots of tips here such as sorting pallet wood by width and condition, and how to work around window, outlets, etc.

7 . Whitewashed pallet wall.

Whitewashed pallet wall

Whitewashing pallet wood creates a soft and natural weathered wood look, which is perfect for this modern farmhouse style room by Owen’s Olivia!

Related article: 3 easy techniques on how to whitewash wood and create weathered wood look on all types of wood.

Ultimate guide + video tutorials on how to whitewash wood & create beautiful whitewashed floors, walls and furniture using pine, pallet or reclaimed wood. | apieceofrainbow.com
3 easy techniques on how to whitewash wood.

8. Multi-color pallet wood wall

Multi-color stained pallet wood accent wall

Monica has great tips in her tutorial: place each board on the wall temporarily with one nail to see the layout first. Then label the boards and take them to the garage to stain or whitewash.

9. How to add colors to a plank wood wall.

add colors to a plank wood wall

This DIY plank wood wall combines the clean look of shiplap with the rustic charm of pallet wall, plus a touch of weathered grey and coastal blue. How creative!

10 – 11. Herringbone pattern wood wall

Herringbone pattern wood wall
DIY Network

In addition to the popular horizontal paneling, a wood wall can have interesting patterns such as diagonal and herringbone.

Herringbone diagonal pattern accent wall
Mamas Dance

12 – 16. Peel and stick wood planks.

Made of 100% reclaimed weathered wood or barn wood with back adhesive strips, these DIY peel and stick planks are almost as easy to install as wallpaper, and you will get a real wood wall!

reclaimed wood wall in bathroom

You can find this set here,

peel and stick wood wall DIY
Source

Peel and stick paneling also comes in different colors. These whitewashed weathered wood planks are gorgeous!

whitewashed wood plank wall, rustic farmhouse style

Below is a video tutorial by Lia on how to install these planks.

You may also love: How to create distressed paint and weathered wood finishes – 7 easy techniques!

Ultimate guide on how to distress wood and furniture. Video tutorials of 7 easy painting techniques that give great results of aged look using simple tools.

This mixed color peel and stick wood wall is gorgeous too!

mixed color peel and stick wood wall
Skinny Meg

17 – 20. Pallet wall in the kitchen and living room.

Pallet wall in the kitchen and living room.

A pallet wall can be used as a great accent wall. The natural wood wall adds warmth to a traditional or modern white kitchen (Source: 17 | 18 )

Pallet wood wall in colorful kitchen and living room.

A wood plank wall also look great in colorful and boho style rooms! ( Source: 19 | 20 )

21 – 24. Pallet wall and shiplap wall in the farmhouse kitchen.

shiplap wall in the farmhouse kitchen, fixer upper style
farmhouse kitchen with  shiplap wall

These beautiful farmhouse kitchens are some of my favorite on instagram! Check them out here and here. To see more beautiful homes and gardens, visit us on instagram here at apieceofrainbow.

25. Plank wood wallpaper.

Plank wood wallpaper

No painting, cutting, sanding, or nailing. Shiplap peel and stick wall paper makes it so easy to have a wood wall! You can find them on Amazon.

Love Pallet Projects?

How to create a beautiful outdoor room with pallets!

Build a stunning tropical outdoor room with pallets- A Renters Remodel! | A Piece Of Rainbow

How to create a beautiful outdoor room with pallets!

Happy building! See you next week!

40 Comments

  1. Wow what an amazing idea! I’ve been searching for a project to use up some extra pallets and never even thought of an accent wall, it’s so unique! Love seeing the kitchen/dining ones, I’m only just getting into DIY so the Herringbone wall is out of the question even though it looks great.

    Lots of new ideas to think about… thanks for such a great list!

  2. Hi Ananda,
    My name is Dan. I own and run a business in Salt Lake City, UT called SLC Pallet Walls. Your website is awesome and you rank so well on Google. When I google “Pallet Walls” you are literally on the second page. It looks like I just missed getting on your blog post in January about “DIY Pallet Wall: 25 Best Accent Wood Wall Tutorials”. It is getting some serious traction. Is there any way you can do a blog on your site for my product? I know it’s a long shot, but I’m a small business with very little money to hire an SEO expert…so I thought I’d reach out to you and see if there was any interest on your side. I don’t know if you do this sort of thing or what kinds of deals you’ve previously worked out with other people. But I’d love the opportunity to work with you. Thanks for your time.

    Dan

    • hi dan! thanks for asking! we don’t do paid links on our site, and all sponsored or affiliate links are no-follow which means it would not add much to SEO. i would build up content on instagram and other social platforms, which are great for local businesses. 🙂

  3. I am interested in the peel and stick paper. I made a cardboard fireplace and wrapped it in whitish/ gray bricks. My son said how much did the bricks cost mom? Contact paper has grown up. Thank goodness. My new kitchen will be adding some wood to the walls.

  4. I like the peel and stick wood planks and would like to frame around the bathtub with them. will the moisture that the planks are exposed to affect them or the adhesive? thanks for any help.

    • hi margaret, great question! i would definitely call the supplier of the product brand you want to use and ask them, because there are lots of variables from adhesive to sustrate, etc!

    • hi debbie, i believe yes. i would call and ask about the adhesive qualities of the specific product, and if they recommend a stroner adhesive for your situation 🙂

  5. These are beautiful. We have a wood tile wall in our guest bathroom and I love it. It really adds a pop to the space.

  6. I absolutely adore the idea of having shiplap on every single one of my walls, but sadly, I rent and can’t do it. I have heard that places like Walmart have removable wallpaper with a shiplap print on it for a really decent price, but some people said that it shines in the sun and looks like crap. 🙁 Oh well.
    Thanks for the list! They’re all beautiful!

  7. LOVE these walls! Every one of them! I clicked over to your tutorial for white washing…loved that too! I’ve white washed quite a few ways, but have never used a scraper on reclaimed wood. I can’t wait to try that!

  8. We recently visited a family friend who bought a new home, gutted it and totally redecorated the entire place. She lives on a lake so it is all themed mermaids and lake house. She did shiplap under her kitchen bar area. She loved the look so much, she bought clear acrylic bar stools so that the shiplap would be the focus. I love the wood pallet wall in your post.

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