Cascade Blue Chalk-painted Pallet Bistro Set

What can you do with leftover pieces or mismatched remnants? Make yourself a Chalk-Painted Pallet Bistro Set like the one shown here! This gorgeous little set would compliment anything from a balcony to a lovely garden patio. The chalk paint is lightly distressed, and the top is stained a rich Kona color.

My Chalk-Painted Pallet Bistro Set:

This project was something that I put together with whatever remnant pallet wood pieces I could find. Here’s a bit of information about them:

Chalk-Painted Pallet Bistro Set – the table:

First, I assembled a framed out my table and framed it out to cover the rough edges. I miter-cut the frame boards around the table edge for a cleaner appearance. Everything was sanded down fairly smooth, but I left some of the natural ripples and divots remain. I cleaned the surfaces to remove sanding dust and applied a stain in a rich Kona coffee color. Next, I cut the four legs to length, cut the angles I wanted and half-lapped the legs. I secured the joint points with glue and screws into the horizontal crosspiece that provides extra stability.

Chalk-Painted Pallet Bistro Set – the chairs:

I cut two sets of front legs and two sets of cross pieces. Next, I cut the back legs to length, marked the seat height, and tapered the 1×4″ boards to approx. 1″ at the top. I framed out the seats and sanded everything. Then I cut all the seat boards and backrest boards but had to notch the last two in between the back legs to fit. Afterward, I stained them the same way as the table top after dry-fitting them. For something different, I used a Cascade Blue chalk paint on the legs and frames. I sanded everything gently with a fine-grit paper to modestly distress the paint.

Chalk-Painted Pallet Bistro Set – finishing the project and final notes:

I’ve never tried chalk paint, so I thought I give ago. I think it came out pretty good used Kona stain on tops then cascade color chalk paint. The set was sealed with a semi-gloss polyacrylic.

Side note: I take the time to sand pieces relatively smooth, but I don’t always eliminate all the ripples and character. I like to create pallet furniture that draws your eye and makes you want to feel along the surfaces.