For my passion project I figured that I would do some projects that reflected who I was. This project shows that I value my faith. In order to spend as little money as possible, I'm using recycled materials and tools I already have.

TOTAL COST: $7.70 (propane and a wire brush)

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Supplies

For this insta' I used about 1 and a quarter of the pallet slats, and some of the supports.

Materials

pallets
nails
stain/torch

Tools

Miter saw (box saw will do fine)
Sawzall (with a metal blade)
Hammer/ nail
Wire brush/ sandpaper

Skills

Pallet demolition
Sanding things
basic carpentry
creativity
Burning things
nailing things...

Step 1: Safety First!

When working with pallets, chances are the wood is splintered in places and the nails are rusty. it is very important to wear proper safety gear in order to protect your self. I wore some good gloves and a pair of steel toed boots. I wore jeans and a sweatshirt to protect exposed skin. As for eye protection, I wear prescription glasses, and that's good enough for me. (my mom was a little concerned, especially when I puled out the sawzall)

Step 2: Break Stuff

The first step in the process of using this wood for anything is to take apart the pallet. I found an easy way to do this is to take a sawzall with a metal blade and slice down the slats, and then beat of the blocks with a hammer. you could just as well use a hacksaw, but due to the time I had I took the fast lane. Then just separate the good, salvageable wood from the trash, and get started!

Step 3: Get Inspired!

Thank The Lord For Pintrest! Using ideas from the community of makers there and of course here on instructables, I came up with this project that I can put my own kind of spin on. I'm going to be using some pallet wood cut at different lengths to form a cross in the empty space. If you can find a way to individualize your own project please do! then post it in the 'I made it' section down below!

Step 4: Chop to Size!

I just did a rough layout with my scrap boards, and then cut them down to form the cross in the blank space with my Miter saw. You could just as easy use a box saw, or even a table saw with a cross cut sled.

Step 5: Dry Fit

Just kind of throw the boards together in a pattern you like I am using some of the supports as braces for all of the boards.

Step 6: Nail Together

I just used a bunch of small nails that went through the front of the wood and into the supports. I wish I could have used my nail gun to save some time, but as of right now, its busted.

Step 7: A Light Sand

Simply Take a random orbit sander or even a palm sander, just to get some of the muck of.

Step 8: First and Second Char

Take just a simple propane torch commonly used for plumbing and whatnot and go over the whole thing evenly. Once it looks like the pictures above, give it a very light sand. After that, I took the torch again and gave it a char all the way until it was almost alligator skin level char. Then take a wire brush and scrub off all of the ash that is loose. this will give it a nice rustic look that is way cooler than even a wood stain.

Step 9: A Light Coat of Poly

I then put on a light coat of poly-acrylic to try to seal and protect the wood. Looking back I wish I had left the wood bare, as the poly darkened the wood and took away from the look.

Step 10: Fin.

All done. I spent a total of $7.70. Looking back, I wish I had come into this project with a better plan in mind. I kind of made up most of it up as I went and did a lot of things kind of on a whim. This being my first instructable, I apologize, I did not take nearly enough pictures. So, yeah. that's it.