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You’ve put in the time and effort and your lawn and garden look amazing. All that’s left to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy…unless, of course, you don’t have anywhere to sit.
Adding outdoor furniture, like a pair of comfy deck chairs or picnic table where you can entertain your guests, is the perfect way to expand your living space and enjoy the beautiful summer weather.
While you could pick up plastic lawn chairs or a fold-up bistro table at the local department store, your garden deserves furniture as unique as you and your family, and you don’t have to break the bank to create it!
Check out these 15 awesome ideas for DIY outdoor furniture that will have the Joneses trying to keep up with you.
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1. No tools? No problem: The foolproof cinder block bench
If you’re not really into woodworking, or short on power tools, this is the perfect project to add seating to your outdoor space. Simply slot timbers cut to your desired length (the lumberyard can do that for you) into the holes of cinderblocks, and presto! An instant bench.
You can stack your blocks as high as you need to, but make sure to use a concrete adhesive to keep them from tumbling over if you do opt to stack. Check out this blog post for more tips on creating a bench of your own.
2. Add flexible seating with upcycled tire ottomans
Another great project for DIY-ers without fancy workshops. All you need is an old tire, some nylon rope to create a comfy seat, sisal rope for a beachy, summery look, and a glue gun.
Here’s a tutorial on how to make it all come together.
3. Create a canopied cabana
If your backyard is lacking shade, or you’d love a covered deck but a remodel just isn’t in the cards, check out this DIY cabana!
It’s a straightforward build that anyone with basic carpentry skills and a little help can assemble in just a few days, and making the canopy yourself only requires sewing a couple straight seams.
Make sure to use outdoor fabric designed to withstand frequent rain and UV damage for the canopy, and you’ll have an outdoor oasis for years to come.
4. Host a crowd with a DIY outdoor sectional
Seating is always a struggle when you’re dealing with a crowd. Inside, you can make do with an extra chair borrowed from your home office, or an ottoman pulling double duty as both a footstool and an extra seat, but outside things get a little trickier, especially if you want to avoid your guests going home with grass stains.
If you love to entertain, this DIY outdoor sectional sofa is the answer you’ve been looking for.
5. Rock on in a wire spool rocking chair
This isn’t a project for beginning DIY-ers. Taking a giant cable or wire spool from industrial junk to backyard showstopper takes some advanced carpentry skills and a bit of metalworking know-how, since the curved wooden slats that make up the inner seat are attached to a tubular steel framework.
If you’re up to the challenge, though, the results make this project well worth the effort. It’s even eco-friendly, since it’s made with recycled materials!
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6. A DIY cedar potting bench for gardeners
Outdoor furniture doesn’t have to be all fun and games. Pieces like this potting bench are as functional as they are stylish, and great for avid gardeners.
This one is simple enough that even beginning carpenters can build it. Check out this detailed tutorial for a step-by-step guide.
7. With this outdoor beverage station, drinks are on you!
Made from salvaged doors and shelves, this rustic outdoor bar is ready to party. There are hooks and shelving to store glasses, bottles, and essential equipment (no party’s getting started without a bottle opener and a cork screw!), and plenty of space for a large cooler to keep everything chilled.
Rebecca Farrant of Infarrantly Creative shows you how to get it done.
8. Easy DIY tiled tabletop
For an outdoor table that will stand up to the weather and add a little sparkle, think tile. This design for a low coffee table easily doubles as a bench for extra seating, and adds a pop of beachy color to your outdoor living spaces. Not so into beachy? No problem.
Change up the tile to suit your design preferences. Just be sure to double check the measurements so you don’t end up needing to trim your tiles.
9. Create a kid-friendly play space
Who wouldn’t have loved a portable play fort as a kid? With these simple A-frame tents, all you need are some very basic carpentry skills and the ability to sew a seam or two. They’re even portable enough to bring indoors during the winter months!
10. Hang a swinging side table
Wouldn’t it be nice to set up a table without having to lug out one of those giant folding beasts or rearrange your furniture to steal something from the living room? With this hanging tabletop, all you need is some plywood, a pretty cover, and a place to hang it!
Add a sturdy hook to a tree branch near your barbecue, or the rafters of a gazebo, and your hanging table will add extra serving space when you need it and store easily when you don’t.
11. Lounge the day away in a hammock chair
This is a great project for kids and adults alike, and requires very basic DIY skills. Don’t skimp on your supplies, however.
Sturdy canvas, a hardwood dowel, and polypropylene rope are essential to creating a hammock that can stand up to a lot of use…and boy, will this one get a lot of use! Check out this tutorial for detailed instructions.
12. Combine garden and furniture with a succulent table!
What’s more popular than DIY projects using old shipping pallets? Projects that combine them with succulents, of course!
These unique plants are easy to grow, and the design of this table makes it easy to display them the way they deserve. With a removable center planter, you can even keep your plants thriving through the winter and enjoy them indoors!
13. The sturdiest DIY table you’ve ever seen
If wood working isn’t your strong suit, you can still make a DIY side table with style. This design is made of hypertufa, a mix of Portland cement and different kinds of stone that make it lighter and more porous than regular concrete.
Add a pre-cut wooden top for a handy spot to set your drink, or fill it with soil and add some plants instead! Hypertufa is great for plants because its porous nature lets water drain slowly without making the soil too soggy.
14. Revamp some retro lawn chairs
Everyone’s seen them. Sad, sun bleached aluminum lawn chairs, folded up and stashed away in the back of the garage or garden shed. Breathe some new life into them with woven paracord or macrame cord seats!
Check out this site for ideas and patterns.
15. Customize an outdoor area rug
Just like indoors, you can define an outdoor seating or dining area with a rug! Since regular area rugs couldn’t handle the weather and outdoor rugs tend to be pricey, whip up your own using nothing more than some paint, tape, and a canvas drop cloth!
This video tutorial will show you how it’s done!
What Outdoor Furniture Will You Make?
Outdoor living spaces are great for bringing people together. Enjoy the beautiful summer weather, your gorgeous garden, and your friends and family with some comfy and stylish outdoor furniture this season.
With DIY options for every decorating style and ability level, you’ll even be able to create your one-of-a kind space on a shoestring budget. Start with something small—maybe a single chair, or a side table—and let your creativity take it from there.
When your new backyard oasis is complete, don’t forget to take a few minutes to sit back, relax, and just enjoy what you’ve accomplished.