A savvy mum has shared how she 'saved £2,000' on her garden makeover by using £4 pallets.
Mum-of-three Stephanie Williams wanted to invest in some new garden furniture after moving to a new house. However, upon finding out the set she wanted was a pricey £2,000, the 31-year-old decided to get creative and make her own on a budget.
Stephanie, who shares her gardening journey on Instagram as @sow_stephanie, told Latest Deals how she pulled off the impressive project. She said: "We moved into a council property last September, and the garden was pretty bare. I've never really had a nice back garden, so I was determined to sort it out finally.
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"During lockdown, all I used to see was people building amazing things from pallets, so I had the idea parked. I knew I wanted a corner seating area - I'd been to a shop in Liverpool called Taskers and seen the most gorgeous rattan seating area for £2,000.
"So, I just went home and dreamed of this seating area for months on end. I did try and save for it a good few times, but with a 13-year-old, two toddlers and a house to run, it just wasn't doable.
"In the house I used to live in, I had built a deck out of pallets and decking boards. However, we were desperately overcrowded at the time, so I had to move. I was so gutted pulling all the decking up - all the hard work.
"I got my new house last September, so all the pallets and wood just sat in my new garden over the winter. When the spring came, and I started to get the garden sorted, I thought maybe I could recreate the seating I had seen with the wood, so that's what I did."
Stephanie set to work with the aim of bringing her vision to life, with the help of a range of affordable materials and accessories. She said: "The shape of the garden was just perfect for doing the design, inspired by the expensive couch from Taskers.
"I got the pallets from a man at the Liverpool Food Hub for £4 each. The decking was from a place in Wigan called Savoy Timbers, and it cost around £400 altogether with the screws. The outdoor rugs were £12 each.
"My small grey pots were a birthday gift from my sister from Morrisons for £30 and my suncatcher and pastel coloured wind chime were gifts from my mum. They were from Traveller Finds and they were £5 each.
"Some of my other pots were a gift from my kids Nan; they were pots she didn't use anymore. They were blue, so I painted them black with the spare doorstep paint I had. I got that from Wilko's own range. I bought the doorstep paint to do the planters that were already here, and it cost around £13 a tin. It was good stuff, a lot better than the masonry paint. I also bought seeds for my wildflower garden from Poundstretcher for £1.50.
"The fire pit was a gift to my kids from their grandad, and the wind chime was from Etsy for £16. The black fence paint was by Spear and Jackson for £10. The masonry paint and wood gloss were both Wilkos own; they were both around £24 each.
"To be honest, I haven't finished the outdoor cushions yet, but I got the foam and material from a haberdashery in Liverpool called Abakhan. It cost £86 altogether and my mum bought me a sewing machine for my birthday. My lovely new neighbour has made the first one for me and shown me how to make the rest, but that will be a job for the winter now when I have time.
"First I washed all the paving flags, then I painted all the brick walls and fences. Afterward, I painted all the planters that were already there when I moved in.
"Then it was just a case of putting the pallets where I wanted them and attaching the decking boards, painting the seating area, and planting and replanting all my new and old plants and flowers. I did this job mostly on Sundays when my kids were at their Nan's.
"Moving the pallets was the biggest challenge. When you see them on Facebook, you just think "Oh yeah I'll be able to do that." They look like you can just pick them up, but they are really heavy and full of splinters - I had to borrow a van to get them home too.
"Getting them level was another challenge. I bought these little things from B&Q called packers. You just slot them under the top layer of pallets to make them level. They cost about £10.
Overall, Stephanie is pleased with the end result of her impressive garden makeover. She said: "If I had to do it again, I think I would paint the walls white instead of grey. That's it really. I wouldn't change anything else because I absolutely love it."
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