WHO'S HOT? & WHO'S NOT! EARTH DAY IS EVERYDAY!

WHWNMAGAZINE.COM

MAY 2012 // ISSUE 6

Earth Day is Everyday!

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emember that NIKA is a social business. That means that the more successful we are, the more we can give back. It also means that for our cause to gain awareness, our supporters need to be social and speak up about it. Are you a supporter? Have you told your friends to check us out online and in stores?

A cause is only as strong as the carriers of its message.

A Thirst for Change, by Nika Water cofounders, Jeff and Linda Church, was just released in both hard cover and soft cover! This book chronicles the Nika story from idea to fast growing company. It also shows through “Do’s” and “Don’ts” how YOU can participate in the new wave of social entrepreneurialism. Nika wants to offer it as a special to you, just for the holidays. Find the soft cover at amazon.com and 20% off the hard cover at nikawater.org

“Linda and Jeff Church are compelling examples of how NIKA has certainly not ‘waited’ their turn to make a difference in the world. Through a combination of a passion for water sanitation worldwide and a gift for making change, Linda and Jeff’s book sparks each reader’s imagination for a better world. A Thirst For Change serves as the perfect addition to any leader’s toolkit for social entrepreneurship, as well as encouragement for making their dreams a reality. We are proud to stand beside NIKA as they tackle their creative solution for clean water for all.”

MARC and CRAIG KIELBURGER Founders, Free The Children

We believe that your journey into parenthood should be an enjoyable experience, not one of stress, worry, and anxiety. We are here to help you, whether you just need a little help to take the edge off, or if you are ready to throw in the towel, because even super parents need backup.

Welcome to Baby Bump & Beyond!

Baby Bump & Beyond, LLC. San Diego, California (760) 317-9819 info@babybumpbeyond.com

A Note from the Editor This magazine is published on 100% recyclable materials as it is not printed on paper at all and leaves no carbon footprint. We pride ourselves at expanding minds while not expanding waste on the planet. Yes, we get flack for not creating a printed magazine, but our motto is, “Let’s be around longer than we have space on the planet for trash. Now that’s Hot!” We hope you enjoyed reading and that your mind was filled with useful ways to keep our planet green. We only ask two things: that you share our site and publication with others and you ask yourself before throwing something away, “Can this be reused or recycled?” namaste, mia

Special Thanks to Our Supporters Byzantine Flower Latoya Simmons Broome Family Foundation (BFF) Baby, Bump & Beyond, LLC L7 Outstanding Jazz Newcomers (OJN) Rumpeez Nika Water American Awards Poises & Ponies ARapperNamedBilal

WHO’S HOT? & WHO’S NOT!

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER: Myeshia “Mia” Abdul-Hakeem ____________________________ ASSISTANT DESIGN DIRECTOR Bilal Abdul-Hakeem ____________________________ CONTENT SUBMISSIONS: Byzantine Flower LaToya Simmons Homedit.com Dr. Lorraine Johnson Yahoo! Sports, Les Carpenter ___________________________

Location

PO Box 151160, San Diego, CA 92175

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American Awards, Owner James “Sugar Bear” Cole, banners & cards A.D.O.O. Productionz & Owner, Annikia “KeKe” Moore BlastTV Artwork, Monique J. Lindsay Nika Water, Jordan Mueller Baby, Bump and Beyond Leon Marin Rumpeez, Dannelle Kelly Byzantine Flower Jim Kelly Realty, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 by Who’s Hot? & Who’s Not! LLC. All rights reserved . Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Who’s Hot? & Who’s Not! ® is a registered trademark of Who’s Hot? & Who’s Not! LLC. Published electronically all over the world.

CONTENTS EARTH DAY ISSUE

// pg. 7

• “Feeding Baby Green,”

by Dr. Greene Why You Should Help

White Out America

// pg. 25

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WHWNMAGAZINE.COM

WHO’S HOT? & WHO’S NOT! MAY 2012 • Introducing Byzantine Flower

• Tips for Starting Your Own Seeds // pg. 18 •

Ask Dr. Johnson:

Talk to the doctor about your life, family Mental health & Well Being

•

//pg. 5

FEATURE STORY:

21 Ways of Turning Pallets into

Unique Pieces of Furniture

• The

// pg. 21

Spotlight is On:

Chris Herren & His Work with the Purple Project // pg. 16

ON THE COVER: RECYCLING OLD LIGHT BULBS INTO PLANTERS, Byzantine Flower shows how one can recycle old light bulbs.

We

want to extend a warm welcome to Dr. Johnson. She has a Doctorate of Psychology from Booker T. Crenshaw Christian College and joins our team to help with anything from learning to love and accept yourself to learning to love and accept another; to help with children or any other stressful situation life throws your way.

Starting from the left, Mr. Broome, Dr. Johnson, Karen Briggs and Conley Broome at the OJN and Broome Family Foundation Fund raiser held at the Athletic Club, Los Angeles, CA, February 20, 2012.

This week’s topic is: How to build healthy self-esteem and fall in love with yourself, remember you have to learn to love yourself before you can love someone else. And remember to love simply, love generously, love unconditionally, care deeply and speak kindly of others and leave the rest to God. Hope to hear from you soon!

Dr. J. Professional Vitae:

LORRAINE R. JOHNSON, PH.D., L.C.S.W.

Licensed Clinical Social Worker, State of California License #13641 CADAAC Substance Abuse Treatment Certification Pupil Personnel Services Life Credential Community College/ Social Welfare Life Credential Community College Counseling Life Credential School Social Work Life Credential School Social Worker, San Diego Unified School District Approved Therapist, Children, adolescent, and adult crime victims and perpetrators via child court protective court system.

• Participating Therapist, California State Department’s Crime Victim Program • Treatment Consultant, Sisters by Choice, Inc. • • • • • • • •

Professional Affiliations: National Association of Social Workers National Association of African-American Social Workers National Association of African-American Psychologist

Please

do not forget that the Broome Family Foundation (BFF) has two programs that are currently in need of funding. The first is the “At Risk for Success 2015 Initiative” which educates and places the youth of LA with entrepreneurial businesses to give the youth a head start on how to succeed in running their own business.

The second program is “Hope4Families.”Hope4Families serves low-income Special Education students who have been denied their right to an appropriate public education.

Through advocacy and legal action, Hope4Families equips poor, urban families with the tools to access the education that is crucial if their children are to have lives of purpose.

To make a donation or for more information, please contact Conley Broome at conley.broome@gmail.com Namaste

About

Byzantine Flower

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” ~ Hippocrates ca. 400 BC Background: Masters Degree in Oriental Medicine (Acupuncture & Chinese Pharmacopoeia); Health & Wellness Consultant. Artist, environmentalist, foodist, organic gardening & sustainability, human/animal rights, liberal democracy & freedom…

I am a strong advocate on natural/organic foods & gardening, humane animal methods on farming and the impact it has on our environment. Please help by supporting your local organic farmers, go to your local farmer’s market vs large grocery chain stores, purchase free-ranged chickens, grass-fed beef, wild fish/organic fish farms. Say No to GMO’s & Fluoridated Water!

Available customized on-line individual consultations for health & wellness, diet, and health issues, by appointment.

Please email for schedule, questions/rates. *To schedule an on line (Skype) private consultation, please contact me for further details @ email: ybertaud@yahoo. com.com Pasted Experiences: •

partner & operator of a Chicago Italian-Cajun Restaurant

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practitioner & director of a holistic medical clinic in Evanston, Illinois

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Interior Arts & Design – commissioned artwork & interior arts.

Additional links: •

www.ByzantineFlowers.blogspot.com (on today’s dire issues)

•

www.ByzantineFlowers.com (art website)

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Face book group page www.facebook.com/pages/ByzantineFlowers/195391367140088

•

Distributor for one of the Best Water Filtration Home Systems: www.pureeffectfilters.com/#a_ aid=4eca8b759a290&a_bid=21ee3cc1

YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED, SEND PAYMENTS/DONATIONS TO PAYPAL: ~ybertaud@yahoo.com~ Thank You Share this: •

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Twitter

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Email

STOP

Before You Throw Away Try Recycling Everyday Items

SAVE OUR PLANET

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elcome to Rumpeez! We specialize in organic & eco-friendly cloth diapering solutions. Rumpeez offers a full line of onesize diapers, one-size covers, fitted diapers and organic diapers creams. While a lot of our products are ready made we do also have a lot of listings that are made to order. Please be sure to fully read each description for details. Made to order products will be made and shipped within 3 weeks while ready made will ship within 2 business days. If you need an item quicker or would like a special custom order please convo me and we can set up a custom listing for you. Be sure to check us out & “LIKE� us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rumpeez for special offers and shop updates!

Thanks for stopping by! Blessings! ****ONE SIZE DIAPERS BACK IN STOCK*** Danelle Kelly San Diego, CA Shop at etsy.com/shop/Rumpeez

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ew to our team is Byzantine Flower, with a wonderful blog that has everything from relieving insomnia to making your own homemade probiotics. In honor of making everyday Earth Day, here is another great article

by Homedit Interior Design & Architecture, Byzantine Flowers pointed out. We republished it in its entirety.

Links to visit the actual site are listed throughout the reprint and at the end.

21 Ways of Turning Pallets into Unique Pieces of Furniture

by Simona Ganea

Do you have some pallets or pieces of them that you don’t need anymore? Don’t just throw them away. There are lots of ways you can use them and turn them into something original and very useful. Here are some examples that might help you. Feel free to improvise and don’t forget to use your imagination!

Tables and Desks

1. Recycled Wood Dining Table Here’s an example of how you can create a nice table using four pallets. The table can be adjusted to the size of the pieces you’re using and its design can change as you go along with the project. It’s great for both indoors and outdoor use and it has a simple and rustic look. Finish it with oil, wax, or a polyurethane/deck sealer to add resistance and you’re done. Download the PDF instructions at readymade.

2. Rolling Outdoor Table

This particular table was made using 2 – 4 x 4 wood pallets, 1 – 4 x 4, 4 caster wheels, some L-brackets and screws and gray stain. The result is a very practical outdoor rolling table that can act as a coffee table when you’re sitting outside, interacting with your friends or family, or as a mini dining table when you need a snack and you want to enjoy it outside, found on joyeverafter.

3. Pallet Coffee Table

Here’s an extremely simple coffee table that was made of two pallets stacked one on top of the other. Then some casters were added and it was done. It’s a perfectly usable coffee table, with a rustic look. It also comes with a very practical shelf for things like books, magazines or anything else you might want to store there. You can paint the table in any color you want, found on sewhomegrown.

4. Pallet Coffee Table with a Glass Top

Here’s another version of a pallet coffee table. This one is still simple but it has a more modern look. It’s also made of wooden pallets and it also features four wheels that you can find at any hardware store. In order to make the table more appealing, a glass top has been added, found on stylizimo.

Next page

5. Oriental Coffee Table

In case you have the opportunity of finding some more unusual pallets, you can use them to create an exoticlooking coffee table like this one for example. This particular coffee table reminds a little of Marrakech and it was also made from a pallets found near a shopping area. It has a simple design and a very nice color combination.

The table also features two small drawers where you can store different items, found on espritcabane.

6. Pallet Computer Desk

You think you could use a computer desk but you don’t really want to spend he money on something like this?

You don’t have to because now you can make your own desk by using pallets. For this particular one all you need is a pallet, some sturdy legs and a plywood sheet. It’s a fun and easy project and at the end you’ll have an original computer desk. It’s easy, cheap and functional.{found on ikeahackers}

Before You

Throw Away That Soda Bottle

7. Kitchen Island

As you can see, pallets can be used to create all sorts of things. You can even use them to create a kitchen island.

You’ll need at least three pallets, some tools and paint. Cut the pallets, secure them together and add a top. Paint them in a natural color or in a more vibrant tone. It’s not difficult and you have the freedom of choosing your own design, found on jennyshus.

Chairs and Sofas

1. Cozy Pallet Sofa

Even if it’s a little hard to believe, this cute sofa was made using a plastic pallet. The pallet was cut in half and some stainless steel plates and legs were added to create stability and to keep the two pieces together. In the end some cushions were added and the sofa was ready to use. It’s comfortable and easy to make, found on recyclart.

Continued on page 25

Leon Marin’s New Mixtape: Beyond Limitations Link:

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?unh2dyg45guu752 Available Links Online: Here’s Leon Marin’s Official Website: http://www.leonmarinmusic.com/ Like Leon Marin’s Music Page HERE: Facebook.Com/LeonMarinsMusic Download Leon Marin’s Music HERE: http://leonmarin.bandcamp.com/ Check Out Leon Marin’s Music Videos, Freestyles, & Interviews Here: Youtube.com/User/MisterLeonMarin Follow Leon Marin On Twitter HERE: @LeonMarinAwwMan Like Leon Marin’s Management’s Facebook Page HERE: Facebook.Com/LivLifeProductionsLLC Follow Leon Marin’s Management’s Twitter Page HERE: @LivLife28Leon Marin’s/Leon Marin’s Manager’s (Olivia “Liv” Newton-Atwell) Contact Information: Contact Leon Marin For Interviews, Features, Bookings Here: LeonMarinIsMusic@Gmail.Com Contact Leon Marin’s Manager, Olivia “Liv” Newton Atwell For Leon Marin Interviews, Features, Bookings, Legal Work HERE: LivLife28@Gmail.Com

HE POTLIGHT Chris Herren & The Purple Project

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x-Celtic Chris Herren using “Project Purple” to fight drug addiction.

Chris Herren already knows how this is going to end when the Boston sky darkens Tuesday evening and one by one the downtown buildings – from the Prudential Tower to the state capitol to UMass-Boston – are bathed in a purple glow for his anti-drug project. He will feel the tears slide down his face. He will choke up. And he will wonder how so much has happened so fast.

Chris Herren will be honored Tuesday by the Celtics for his work against drug addiction.

“Let’s face it, not even 4½ years ago I was on the side of the road, with a needle in my arm and dead for 30 seconds,” he says.

Herren is never far from that day. The car accident in which he was high on heroin and a policeman found him unconscious, slipping into death, is the moment that saved him. And left with another chance after an adult life of addiction that destroyed his NBA career, he decided to work to save others. This is how he invented Project Purple, which tries to help addicts get off drugs and find proper care, and keeps teenagers from tumbling into the same drug-filled abyss as him.

His dream is to make the color purple for attacking addiction as popular in sports as pink is in fighting breast cancer.

He will start with his old team the Boston Celtics, who are honoring him as a “Hero Among Us,” on Tuesday night. It will be a moment cloaked in irony, for it was on the Celtics – his favorite team from childhood – where his NBA career finally blew up. He forever remembers the nights his teammates prepared for the start of the game while he stood outside the arena in his Celtics warm-ups, waiting for a dealer to bring him heroin.

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ow the Celtics are honoring him?

But it shows how far Herren came in a life story that has been retold in the memoir “Basketball Junkie” and the documentary “Unguarded.” A basketball star in the old Massachusetts mill town of Fall River, he went to nearby Boston College in the mid-1990s before transferring to Fresno State. His addiction festered as he was drafted by the Denver Nuggets and played there two years before being traded to the Celtics. Four years after leaving Fresno, he was out of the NBA, drugs having ruined everything. He drifted around European leagues for a few years before coming back to Massachusetts where his addiction raged out of control.

After hitting bottom with the car accident, he began talking to high schools, elementary schools and colleges.

It was at a high school in Rhode Island a couple of years ago when he saw six students standing in the front of the room wearing purple T-shirts. They said they were the ones who chose to stay sober. And he was so taken by them and the fact the school was named Mt. Hope he decided that day to start a foundation that would, in part, support children like this. Because they wore purple shirts, he called it “Project Purple.”

At first, finding money for Project Purple was hard. But then came the book and documentary and he talked to more and more classes. He was so powerful in telling the story of his fall that children approached him afterward and whispered, “I’m a purple shirt too.” It saddened him that they were so ashamed to admit they didn’t drink or use drugs they couldn’t say it aloud. When emails started pouring in from kids he had met at assemblies saying they were taking drugs because of various problems in their lives and wanted to get off them, he realized he was often the first person they were confiding in.

He hopes Project Purple can create resources to help them, to give them alternatives. He also wants the foundation to help people with addictions pay for treatment, to help them fill out insurance forms and spend a reasonable amount of time in the clinics to actually attack their addictions.

“I know it is taboo to talk about substance abuse but tough crap,” Herren says. “It’s not about one person, it’s about millions who suffer from this and need a voice. This needs attention given to it the way cigarettes got attention.”

The drugs are worse today, he says. They are stronger, more dangerous. He gets angry when people suggest marijuana is not a gateway to more dangerous things. “I know a lot of junkies,” he says, “and none of us started on heroin.” He thinks education is more important than ever.

He wishes people would understand this.

But Tuesday, Boston will light for him. And he will stand with the wife and three children he nearly lost as he tumbled out of control, and he will see all the purple and hear the roar of a Celtics crowd as his name is announced and realize that wrecking his car with a needle in his arm was the best thing that happened to him. It gave him another chance.

Just look what he has done with it.

This article was originally published by Yahoo! Sports, Les Carpenter is a feature writer and columnist for Yahoo!

Sports. He previously has written for the Washington Post, the Seattle Times and the Connecticut Post.

14 Tips for Starting Your Own Seeds Posted by ybertaud9 in City Gardening, Educational, home & garden, Organic Garden, Permaculture, Propagating

A little help goes a long way…

Photo: Eggshells ~ a great idea… then just plant the entire thing in the ground, egg will break down eventually and it feeds your plant.

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nsure that your plants are organic from start to finish by starting your own seeds. Start your own seeds and you can be sure that your plants have been raised organically from first to last. And by sprouting and nursing your own seedlings, you don’t have to wait for warm weather to get your hands dirty. Best of all, starting your own seeds is easy and fun. Here’s how to get started now: 1. Place sure bets Some plants lend themselves to home germination better than others. Surefire vegetables include basil, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chives, leeks, lettuce, onions, peppers, and tomatoes. Some reliable annual flowers are alyssum, cosmos, marigolds, and zinnias. Perennials include Shasta daisies, columbines, and hollyhocks.

2. Get the timing down To calculate when to sow your seeds, go to our seed-starting chart, print it out and then fill in the blanks. Then you will have a planting plan you can follow through the season.

3. Gather containers Reuse last year’s nursery flats if you have some around. Otherwise, any container 2 or 3 inches deep will do.

Punch holes for drainage into the bottom of containers and set them into trays. Protect against plant disease by thoroughly cleaning all used containers: Wash them in hot, soapy water, and rinse with a dilute solution of household bleach and water. If you want a less-irritating substitute for the bleach, use distilled white vinegar.

4. Pick the right growing medium You can buy bags of seed-starter mix or you can make your own seed-starting mix by blending equal parts of perlite, vermiculite, and peat. Add 1/4 teaspoon of lime to each gallon of mix to neutralize the acidity of the peat.

You’ll eventually want to repot most of your seedlings into larger containers before setting them into the garden.

But lettuce, melons, and cucumbers are finicky about being transplanted and should go directly from the original containers into the garden. When starting these fussier plants, always add two parts well-aged, screened compost to your mix to give them a healthy beginning.

5. Sow carefully Moisten your medium in the containers before sowing the seeds. Next, drop seeds onto the surface of the mix, spacing them as evenly as possible. Cover the seeds to a depth about three times the thickness of the seeds. Some seeds, such as ageratum, alyssum, impatiens, petunias, and snapdragons, should not be covered at all because they need light in order to germinate.

6. Top it off Lightly sprinkle milled sphagnum moss, a natural fungicide, over everything to protect against damping-off, a fungal disease that rots seeds and seedlings. In the case of seeds that need light to germinate, sprinkle the moss first and then drop the seeds onto the moss.

7. Keep seeds cozy Cover the flats with plastic wrap or glass to keep the environment humid and place them near a heat vent or on a heat mat made especially for seed starting. Most seeds germinate well at about 70 degrees F. 8. Keep them damp Mist with a spray bottle or set the trays into water so the mix wicks up the moisture from below.

9. Lighten up At the first signs of sprouting, uncover and move the containers to a bright spot—a sunny window, a greenhouse, or beneath a couple of ordinary fluorescent shop lights (4-footers with two 40-watt bulbs). The lights are worthwhile, especially if you live in the North. They provide a steady source of high-intensity light. Short days restrict window light, and your seedlings need 12 to 16 hours of light a day. Suspend the lights just 2 inches above the plants and gradually raise them as the seedlings mature. If plants have to stretch or lean toward the light, they can become weak and spindly. To turn the lights on and off at the same time each day, hook them up to an electric timer.

10. Cool down Seedlings don’t have to stay as warm as germinating seeds. Move them away from radiators and air vents, or off the heating mat, as soon they have germinated.

11. Feed them If you’re using a soilless mix without compost, begin to fertilize your seedlings as soon as they get their first true leaves. (These leaves emerge after the little, round cotyledon leaves.) Water with a half-strength solution of liquid fish/seaweed fertilizer every week or two. Use either a spray bottle or add the fertilizer to the water you set the trays in if you’re using the wick-up method described above.

12. Give them room If the seedlings outgrow their containers or crowd one another, repot them into larger containers filled with a mix that includes compost. Extract the seedlings with a narrow fork or flat stick, and handle by their leaves and roots to avoid damaging the fragile stems. Tuck the seedlings gently into the new pots, and water them to settle the roots. Continued on page 21

Continued from page 19

13. Pet them Lightly ruffling seedlings once or twice a day with your hand or a piece of cardboard helps them to grow stocky and strong. Or, set up a small fan to gently, continuously blow on your seedlings.

14. Toughen them up About 1 week before the plants are to go outside, start acclimating them to the harsh conditions of the big world.

Gardeners call this hardening off. On a warm spring day move the containers to a shaded, protected place, such as a porch, for a few hours. Each day—unless the weather is horrible—gradually increase the plants exposure to sun and breeze. At the end of the week leave them out overnight; then transplant them into the garden.

Source: OrganicGardening.com

FOR A REFRESHING NEW LOOK A A OLD THING

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CALLED HIP HOP...

INTRODUCING L7

Dr. Greene’s book, “Feeding Baby Green,” Gets Two Green Thumbs Up

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ast year, I attended the “Natural Baby Fair,” in Point Loma, California (a small city in San Diego). Needless to say, I truly had a blast! Five months pregnant with our child, I waddled from booth to booth learning of all the countless ways to have as natural childbirth and birthing experience as possible. The best part of the day was listening to guest speaker and meeting Dr. Alan Greene, author of “Feeding Baby Green.”

In the book, he discusses how he recommends to “white out” American food, especially food given to babies and children that is getting children hooked on junk food. What are “white” foods? Anything from white rice, white bread, rice cereals, juices with no juice, processed and junk foods, all fall into this category. When one considered that the baby is well on the way to developing a taste for certain foods while the mom is pregnant, then what a mom does while she is pregnant is just as important as what she does before and after. In “Feeding Baby Green,” he shows how an entire family can eat well while positively influencing a child’s eating habits from the beginning.

Dr. Greene’s quest is a noble one: to get your child hooked on fruits, vegetable, whole grains, fish, and organic meats; to develop an open pallet for all natural spices and flavors as research shows, spices have been shown to have many therapeutic benefits. By following his book, I even tasted things I had never tasted and loved them! Now our daughter loves her food and has developed a healthy relationship with it.

In this short, this easy to read book filled with great recipes, suggestions and his own family’s food battles, he navigates a family from pre-pregnancy well into the shift of the baby to eating solids and beyond. My family has truly benefited from his research, conclusions and book. I hope you’ll pick up a copy so that yours will too.

Bon Appétit!

the artists monique j. lindsay

MONIQUE J. LINDSAY twitter: @culturedclass facebook: moniquejenkinsart

2. Pallet Sofa with Built-in Storage Space

Continued from page 14

Here’s a more elaborate project that required 6 wooden pallets. They were painted and covered with upholstered foam pillows. Because the base was made of two pallet levels, this provides a lot of very useful storage space for all sorts of things like books and magazines and other items, found on cuartoderecha.

3. Outdoor Swing Chair

It looks like when people start to sue their imagination they come up with a lot of interesting ideas. For example, here’s an outdoor swing chair that was made of a wooden pallet. The pallet was taken apart and small pieces were sewed together using durable rope. Then more rope was used to hang the piece from a tall tree.

Be sure to use safe and durable rope if you don’t want to end up on the ground, found on recyclart.

4. Outdoor Lounger

Here’s a very good-looking lounge chair. Believe it or not, it was also made of wooden pallets. You’ll need four pallets of the same size and then stack them on top of each other two by two. Use the remaining materials to make a backrest. Take your 2x4s and attach them to the top boards on either side. Prop your seat back up where you want it, paint the chair in a vibrant color and you’re ready to go.{found on shoestringpavilion}

5. Shipping Pallet Daybeds

If you need an extra bed just make one using pallets. It’s easy and much cheaper. For example, take a look at these ones. They look safe and quite comfortable. These daybeds were made using shipping pallets. However, they are not meant to be used by adults so it’s best to let the children enjoy it just to be sure. Just stack some pallets on top of each other, secure them and add a comfy mattress on top. It’s that simple, found on ashleyannphotography and norskeinteriorblogger.

6. Pallet Pet Beds

If you don’t need an extra bed for yourself, then you can use the pallets to build one for your pet that I’m sure will be appreciate. They are very easy to make and they don’t cost much. Just cut a pallet in a way that allows you to obtain a rectangular structure. Add a comfy pillow and some decorations if you want and your project is over, found on etsy.

7. Pallet Reading Nook

This is absolutely one of our favorites! Do you sometimes need a quiet place where you can go and read a book or clear your mind? You can build it by yourself without even asking anyone for help. All you need are two pallets and some power tools. Cut the pallets in the shape that you want, reinforce them and add some back structure. Add a comfy pillow and you’re done.{found on kojodesigns}

1. Mudroom shoe rack

Nobody likes a muddy room and you can avoid that by creating a very practical show rack. This one is made from a discarded pallet and it seems to do the trick. Just clean the pallet a little and secure it vertically on a wall for example and here you go, your very own pallet shoe rack. You can even paint it to make it more attractive.

2. Pallet Bookshelf and Bike Rack

“Building lifetime relationships, one family member at a time.”

Hello!

My name is Myeshia “Mia” Abdul-Hakeem. I am a wife, a mother and REALTOR® for Jim Kelly Realty, Inc. Our mission statement is, “Where Honesty & Integrity ALWAYS Comes First!” Please contact me for all your real estate needs. Email me at homeswithmy@gmail.com. I look forward to helping you and your family realize your dreams.

Mid Right: My husband, Bilal, and I, having brunch at the Sheerwater Restaurant then getting married on Coronado Beach Jan. 1, 2011. Bottom Right: My boss and dear friend, Jim Kelly, playing with my dog, Kayla.

Because of their structure, pallets can be easily used to create bookshelves. You don’t even have to make a lot of modifications. Just place the pallet along the wall, secure it and maybe add some shelves here and there and you’re done. Paint it in a vibrant color if you want and you’re free to add the books. Moreover, you can also use the structure as a bike rack, as shown in the picture, found on flickr.

3. Pallet Floating Shelving System

This particular shelving system is probably the easiest one to make; and we must add it looks the most expensive!

You don’t need to know anything about the process because there really isn’t anything to know. Just hang the pallet on the wall and you’re done. Use it to store pictures or other decorative items. You can also sand or paint the pallet for a more appealing look, amandacarverdesigns.

Decorative Items 1. Pallet Vertical Garden

Here’s an idea of how you can turn a pallet into a very beautiful vertical garden. For this project you’ll need 1 pallet, 2 large bags of potting soil, 16 six packs of annuals, 1 small roll of landscape fabric, staple gun, sand paper.

The result is a very beautiful and functional structure on which you can grow your plants, found on lifeonthebalcony.

2. Honeycomb Mirror

Even though this particular example features honeycomb mirrors, you can basically use any type of mirror you have in the house. Use the shipping pallet as a support structure and add the mirrors. You’ll have a nice decorative piece that was easy to make and that’s also functional, found on lovinglivingsmall.

3. Pallet Chandelier

Here’s a very beautiful chandelier, with an architectural look and a very simple history. In the beginning this chandelier was a simple, undesired wooden pallet. Someone found it and decided to turn it into something more beautiful. After cutting the pallet and selecting pieces that has different sizes, they were put together and secured n a very artistic way. The result was a very beautiful and functional chandelier. And not to be undone...

4. Pallet Staircase

Pallets can be used to create all sorts of things. Here’s a more elaborate project that required several pallets. In order to make this project part of your own home, you’ll need a lot of wooden pallets and some skills and knowledge about staircases. It’s not something that we encourage everyone to do because staircases can be dangerous if not built properly. This particular pallet staircase is part of a larger office that features all sorts of pallets pieces like furniture and light fixtures. In fact, the entire office is made of pallets. Designed by most architecture.

Also you can look on 25 more ways of turning pallets into unique pieces of furniture and 25 diy ways of using rope for a vintage look.And also the latest 11 ways of turning pallets into furniture for outdoor.

Original post in DIY, on August 9th, 2011 found here.

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