Thursday, March 31, 2016

Where can I find Pallets?

Okay - you want to enter PalletPalooza™.... you see the pallet ideas on Pinterest and Google images - you have some thoughts of what you want to create - but where can you find pallets?


Here are a few suggestions:

PalletPalooza Pallet Providers
Scroll down on the Enter Tab of the PalletSWMI.com website and you will see a list of our sponsoring pallet providers. They often have have pallets available at their locations on a first come first serve basis. Just click on their link to see their location, hours, and check on availability.

Local Businesses
As you a driving through your town, you will be surprised how many pallets you see at your local grocery and hardware stores, landscape businesses, construction companies, and feed stores. Ask them if their pallets are available to take.

Craigslist.com
Sometimes free pallets are listed on Craigslist. Go to the Free section in the "For Sale" category.

Recycling Centers and Township Dump Days  Pallets are large items and they might be just dumped. You may be able to rescue a couple of these and recycle them into an amazing project.

Ask Friends and Family (and Frenemies too!)
Ask them on Facebook, give them a call, let them know what you are up to and you might be surprise how often you hear "Oh yeah, I've got a couple of pallets laying around."
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Finding pallets reminds me of when you name your new baby, and suddenly you hear that name all of the time! Now that you are looking for pallets, you will start to spot them all of the time too. Good Luck with your pallet hunt!

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Kicking off PalletPalooza

It has been a year in the making! About a year ago PalletPalooza™ started as an idea and yesterday we celebrated the launch of the PalletPalooza™ website PalletSWMI.com and registration was opened.

We wanted to thank our team members and our sponsors for all the commitment and effort in putting together PalletPalooza™ and what better way then with cake!


We took some pictures and gave tours of the Goodwill campus and shared our mission - to provide employment, education, training, and support services to individuals and families so they can achieve self-sufficiency.
Partnering with WKFR.com
Welcome WWMT
Hello from our sponsor AVB
Goodwill Marketing Team!

So let the palooza begin-  we are ready for non-stop fun! 

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to the PalletPalooza™ blog! My name is Susan Rall and I am the Marketing Assistant at Goodwill Industries of Southwestern Michigan. I am going to be sharing cool projects, resources and updated information about PalletPalooza™ on this blog. We also have some great guest bloggers lined up who will be giving us tips and tricks they have learned while making their pallet projects.

Recycled pallet projects are hot hot hot right now. And for good reason! Pallets can be used to make just about anything. They can be found for free and you do not need fancy tools to create something. They are practical for making functional items, but can also be beautiful because each pallet has it's own character.

Everyone is invited to be part of PalletPalooza™. Whether you are a serious artist or weekend crafter - I encourage you to give a pallet project a try. This yellow flower planter was my first pallet project using a free pallet, a jigsaw, hammer, nails, and sandpaper. My daughter and I made it in an afternoon.

It was a little "rough" but when filled with flowers it added a bright spot on my back patio. And honestly, I really enjoyed this piece all last summer, not just because it was cute, but also because it was a handmade and homemade project.

We found this idea on Pinterest. And oh boy - is Pinterest overflowing with ideas for pallet projects! You can follow our PalletPalooza Pinterest page HERE where we are pinning some of the best ideas out there.

We know there are some amazing recycled pallet creations being made right here in Southwestern Michigan. We are so excited to see what people are making! Registration for the competition begins March 28th through June 30th.

So stay in touch with us - and let's have fun!