How to Make Medieval Stocks for Halloween Decor with Pallets

How to make medieval stocks for Halloween decorations using old pallets. This is such a fun and easy project!

I have a bunch of old pallets that I’ve been saving for projects for our annual Halloween trail. They work well because they look rustic and they’re free… and the older, the better. So today I made some medieval stocks (you know, the things that they’d put in the town center, put criminals in with their head and hands locked in place, and toss rotten tomatoes at!). This will go in our jail section of the trail this year. It’s 100% scraps and supplies that I already had on hand. Yay for FREE!

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DIY Medieval Stocks for Halloween

Supplies

Old pallets, disassembled
Wood Glue https://homedepot.sjv.io/5b4JQo
Ryobi Airstrike https://homedepot.sjv.io/qn7Zbj
Ryobi Jig Saw https://homedepot.sjv.io/doqDEW
Screws/screwdriver

Tutorial

Step 1: Take (4) long boards from old pallets. You want to connect two together using small pieces of scrap pallet wood. Connect the other two together as well. You can use wood glue and brad nails to attach them.

Two photos. Top photo: 4 pieces of pallet wood.

Bottom photo: using small pallet wood scraps and applying glue to the back.

Step 2: Place the two sets of wood planks above and below each other, and draw the circles for a head and two hands. These sections form the center of the stocks.

Step 3: Cut out the circles with a jig saw.

Step 4: Take 2 more long planks for either side of the stock area. Place the stock pieces on top, around standing height. You want to attach the BOTTOM of the two pairs of boards to the sides… but not the top. The top stays loose in the channel that you’ll be creative.

In the photo below the top part of the stocks is upside down. I flipped it later.

Bottom side pieces with the bottom stock piece in place. This was glued and nailed in place.

Step 5: Add an additional 2 planks on top of the stock pieces. This sandwiches the two stock sections between 2 boards on each side. Again, you’re attaching the top board to the bottom of the stocks.

Top side pieces go over the stocks (make sure the top piece is facing the right direction, mine was backwards here). This means each side is two long planks that sandwich the stocks center in between. The bottom of the stock center is attached in place. The top can slide up and down along the track.

Step 6: I added small scraps of wood at the bottom and top, sandwiched between each pair of side pieces. This just was to help add stability.

Step 7: Add ‘legs’ using scrap 2x4s (either from the pallet or scraps from your wood collection. I used screws for this.

DIY pallet stocks standing up inside a garage.

Video Tutorial

Please share and pin this post! If you make this project, share it in our Stuff Mama Makes Facebook Group. We have regular giveaways for gift cards to craft stores. You can also tag me on Instagram @doityourselfdanielle; I love seeing everything you make!