DIY outdoor furniture ideas – get creative with clever makes and easy upcycling Warmer weather means that we’ll soon be spending more time out and about in our gardens, so sprucing up outdoor spaces is a top priority. If garden furniture is looking past its best and needs replacing, there are plenty of easy DIY outdoor furniture ideas that are worth a try and won’t cost a fortune to put together. Repurposing something unused or unloved, or using recycled materials to create a new piece, is far kinder to the environment than buying new and can save you money too. Plus there’s the joy of knowing that you’ve created something yourself and have a unique one-off item rather than something that’s mass produced. DIY outdoor furniture ideas If it’s your first attempt at making your own DIY outdoor furniture, then start small and attempt an easy make that doesn’t require any expert carpentry skills first. Repurposing existing pieces or revamping an item with paint or new upholstery shouldn’t be too tricky to do, and as your skills get better and confidence grows, you can attempt trickier projects. Using recycled materials, such as reclaimed timber, old wooden pallets and scaffolding boards is a brilliant way of preventing waste and keeping costs down. While making use of any leftover paints, wood stains, fabric remnants and trims will cost nothing and is more eco-friendly than throwing unused materials away. 1. Use pallets to make simple garden seating Image credit: Future PLC/Jonathan Jones Put together a relaxed seating arrangement for a patio or deck using a salvaged wooden pallet idea. As with any project that uses salvaged wood, check the wood thoroughly first to make sure that there are no protruding nails or staples and give the surface a light sanding over to get rid of any rough edges and wood splinters. Creating a simple outdoor bench like this one is super-easy to do. You’ll need three pallets of roughly the same size. Start by stacking two pallets, one on top of the other, to form your base and use a drill and screws to secure them together. Use the third pallet, propped in a vertical position to create the back of your bench, securing it in place with the drill and screws. Style your pallet seating by painting it with a colourful wood finish or try a natural wood stain for a more rustic look. Then simply add cushions and throws to make it super-comfy. 2. Tackle an easy garden coffee table Image credit: Sadolin Requiring the minimum of DIY skills, this outdoor coffee table is pretty simple to put together using a couple of old wooden pallets. Perfect for a grassy area, its low level makes it ideal for a picnic table with the addition of a couple of comfy floor cushions. Use two wooden pallets to give this coffee table set-up a little extra height. Simply secure the two pallets with a couple of screws on each of the four sides. To give the coffee table more moveability, consider adding castors underneath. You’ll need to attach a castor on to each corner, but it’s well worth doing as it will allow you to shift the table around more easily. 3. Build your own corner seating set-up Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole Building your own outdoor seating using reclaimed timber is a great way of cutting costs and also allows you to tailor the arrangement perfectly to suit the size and layout of your outdoor space. While it’s not a project for a novice, it should be a fairly simple build for a competent DIYer to put together. A corner arrangement like this makes great use of space in a small garden and creates a sociable layout positioned around a coffee table or fire pit. Including lift-up seats with space underneath for storage will also give somewhere to stash garden cushions and throws when they’re not in use. 4. Make colourful garden cubbies from old crates Image credit: Pelargoniums for Europe Find a new use for old wooden fruit crates by making mini wall shelves for a patio area or inside a potting shed. Paint crates in cheery colours, using exterior garden paint to give a weatherproof finish. Secure crates to the wall using wooden battens on the reverse, or add a couple of wall brackets if you intend to stow weightier items inside. Smaller-sized crates like these are great for displaying planters or garden bric-a-brac and look effective in mini groupings on a wall. Alternatively for something more robust, use large wooden wine crates to create a bigger arrangement, securing them onto wall brackets for extra stability. 5. Spruce up a shabby table with smart stripes Image credit: Future PLC/Lizzie Orme If your wooden garden table has seen better days, instead of replacing it, try an easy pick-me-up and give it a fresh lick of paint. Painting a panel of contrast stripes to run along the centre will create the look of a table runner and is an easy way of adding more of a decorative twist. Give the table’s surface a light sanding and wipe down before you start painting. Then give the whole table a couple of coats of white paint, using an exterior paint for a weatherproof finish. Once dry, use small tester pots of paint in contrast colours to create the striped runner effect. Use masking tape to help create the stripes and give a neater edge. 6. Create outdoor shelving using recycled timber Image credit: Little Greene Brighten up a dreary exterior wall by creating a display area for plants and garden ornaments. Reclaimed scaffold boards are a sturdy, all-weather option for an outdoor space and will add a rustic look to a patio dining or seating area. Add extra wow to your wall with a creative garden paint idea by painting it a bold, standout colour. Greenery and shelving will pop against vibrant shades of blue or dark green and will bring the whole…

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