23 DIY Patio Furniture Ideas to Inspire You

Summertime is just around the corner, and you can boost your home’s curb appeal or spruce up your entryway by coming up with your own DIY patio furniture. The weather is excellent for spending time outdoors with your family and friends, and you can create DIY patio furniture for focal points and to give everyone space to gather round. No matter if it’s something simple like a bench or chair, or something more unique, we’ve rounded up 23 DIY patio furniture ideas to inspire you. 

You can break out the tools, take a few days, and create this DIY patio furniture in no time. What’s even better; you’ll have a one-of-a-kind item that you can design and make match your decor or stand out. Let’s dive in and discover the 23 best DIY patio furniture ideas that anyone from the weekend warrior to the novice DIYer can take on in a weekend. 

1. Concrete and Wood Bench

This is one of the easiest DIY patio furniture ideas on the list, and all you need is a few sturdy wooden slats and concrete blocks. If you have leftover wood from other projects, you can repurpose it here. To make this bench, all you have to do is stack the concrete blocks three high and two deep for the base. Slip the slats of wood through the holes in the concrete blocks. 

If you tip one block up on its side on each end, you can slide two slats through the back to create a backrest. It’s easy to customize it too by adding pillows, or you can stain the wood and paint the concrete blocks. Staining the wood will help it last much longer, and you can use concrete to affix the blocks together or leave them freestanding. 

Glorious Bench in Hope by Andrew Bowden / CC BY-SA 2.0

2. Small Patio Daybed

This fun patio idea involves using pallets to create a small and attractive daybed in the corner of your porch or patio. It can fit perfectly in a corner of your deck too, and you can change the size to match your space. If you want to attach it directly to the house, you’ll need two thicker boards to create a frame. You can get pallets and stack them inside to make the base. 

Once you build it up to the correct height, you can add a large pillow with a cover to create a comfortable sitting area. Add a few more throw pillows around it, and you should stain the base to lock the moisture out. If you don’t want to attach it to the house, you’ll need to make a frame out of four boards and fill it with pallets. 

Deck by eventrombley / CC BY-ND 2.0

3. Concrete Planters

Do you have old concrete blocks laying around your yard collecting dust? If so, you can transform them into rustic planters very quickly and easily. You can use these planters to line your deck, patio, or path. You can also stack them to create fun tiered planters, and you can even create a living wall if you stack them with the holes facing outward from your home and fill the area with plants. 

Get your planters in the configuration you want them in. Once you have it, you can fill the holes with a mixture of moss and potting soil. You could stick pots in the upright concrete blocks too. Add your plants and water them well. Take care of them just like you would any other type of planter. When fall comes, you can pull the plants if they’re annuals and leave the planters until the next year. 

IMG_7610 by Marc Majcher / CC BY-SA 2.0

4. Milk Crate Seating

Maybe you’re someone who needs a few more seats on their patio or deck but you don’t want to go out and buy soccer mom chairs or invest in a full patio set. If this sounds like you, recycling old milk crates into low seating options is a great idea, and it works especially well for kids. For this simple DIY patio furniture idea, all you’ll need is a few old milk crates and some indoor/outdoor cushions. 

Take your milk crates and flip them upside down so that the solid edge is facing up. This is where you’ll sit. Get your indoor/outdoor cushions and affix them to the solid interior portion of the milk crate. You can affix them permanently or have them be removable. You could also paint the crates to all match your existing decor and make them look nicer. 

Milk Crates. Church Pew. Pope Joan. by My Aching Head / CC BY-SA 2.0

5. Wire Patio Table

Do you have a few wire tomato cages lying around your garden shed? You can easily turn them into a chic metal table base and get a piece of round repurposed scrap wood for the top. Get your tomato cages and paint them whatever color you like. We like black because it goes with almost any decor, and it stands out nicely from the top’s color. Once you spray it, allow it to dry. You’ll need two cages set inside one another for this DIY patio furniture idea. 

When they dry, put one inside of the other and flip them so the larger portion is on the ground. You’ll bend the thin spokes that usually go into the ground inwards so they’re laying flat. This will give your table’s top more support. Set it where you want on your deck or patio and add the wooden top to it. You can set it and let it balance or fix it in place to make it more stable. 

Tomato Cages by Andrea Parrish – Geyer / CC BY-ND 2.0

6. Hanging Porch Swing

Adding a nice porch swing can easily turn any area into a place to relax and unwind after a long day. This design can be as complex or as simple as you like, and it’ll all depend on your skill level. This DIY patio furniture idea utilizes wooden pallets to make a stable base. You can attach two together to create a wide and long seating area. 

You will want to support this swing on the ends and maybe in the middle, depending on which materials you use. Use thick ropes or chains to hoist it up to your desired height. You should also stain the wood to help seal out moisture. Add a few fluffy body pillows with a protective case on them to give yourself a larger porch swing that you can sit or lay in to relax. 

Porch Swing by Ryan McFarland / CC BY 2.0

7. Protective Rug

Although this isn’t technically DIY patio furniture, it’s a nice switch that you can use to liven up the area and protect the wood underneath it. However, you don’t have to go out and buy a brand new rug to complete this project. Instead, you’ll pull a rug that you already have and you don’t plan on using again. You can use it to stand on and dry off after you get out of the pool too! 

All you need is the rug and some spray paint. Decide which colors and patterns you want to have on the rug and section it out. Carefully use the spray paint to create your patterns. Allow it to dry between each coat, and you’ll want to apply two or three layers. Once it’s dry, it’s ready for you to place wherever you like on your patio. It’ll survive the elements and it’s easy to touch up or switch up. 

Patio by evetrombley / CC BY-ND 2.0

8. Door Beverage Station

If you’re installing new exterior doors, what are you going to do with the old doors? If you’re not sure, you can easily use this DIY patio furniture idea to breathe new life into the door and use it as a rustic drink station. You’ll want to adhere the door directly to the wall flat to give it stability to start. You can paint it, but peeling paint will make it look more rustic and whimsical. 

For the side facing out, add a few shelves with a hook for your bottle hanger. You can put your higher-end alcohol on the higher shelf to keep it safe. You should install a second wider shelf around door knob height. This is where you’ll mix your drinks, have your glass storage, and have enough space to set all of your miscellaneous bar accessories. 

s facing boarded window – detached door PW RS 6-16-2011 by Grand Canyon National Park / CC BY 2.0

9. Cooler Ottoman 

All you’ll need to create this fun DIY patio furniture is an old cooler, plywood, rolling casters, and an indoor/outdoor pillow. Start by measuring your cooler’s dimensions. You’ll use these measurements to create wooden sides out of plywood. Create a rectangle with a bottom that is an inch or two bigger than the cooler itself by nailing the plywood together at the corners. Stain or paint the plywood to help protect it from the elements. Flip it over and attach the wheels to the bottom.

Slide your cooler into the space. For the lid, you can either upholster it to match your paint color on the sides of the cooler, or you can paint it. You can also add handles on the side to make it easy to push the cooler from point A to point B. Fill your cooler whenever you have a gathering at your home to keep your drinks cold.

Cooler by Young Rok Chang / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

10. Repurpose a Crate to a Table

If you need a little side table that looks rustic, all you’ll need for this DIY patio furniture piece is an old wooden crate. Apple crates work well, and you can easily get one from almost any farmer’s market or grocery store.  Once you get your crate, you’ll need to pick out a nice wood stain and learn how to stain it to help seal it to prevent moisture damage. 

Allow the crate to dry after you stain it. You could also add a clear coat of poly if you’re worried about scratching it. Set the crate up on one side next to your favorite chair. You now have a small side table for your glass. It also gives you a very small storage area, but the back is open. So, make sure that anything in there is protected from the rain. 

Wooden apple crate maker DSC_5638 by Apple and Pear Australia Ltd / CC BY 2.0

11. Cushioned Tree Stumps

Tree stumps make an excellent chair if you’re out around the campfire, but they also work very well as DIY patio furniture. They’re heavy duty, difficult to tip over, and you can get a very rustic and woodsy look by introducing them. To start, go pick out a few stumps. If you know someone who is having a tree removed, see if you can take some of the cut sections off of their hands. 

Cut the stumps to level them up on the top and bottom to give yourself a nice area to sit. You can keep the bark on or peel it off too. Measure the stump’s top. You’ll cut a small piece of plywood to fit this area to be the base for your cushion. Get fabric and filling and create a small pillow that sits right on the top of the stump. You can nail them down if you don’t want them to move. 

Tree Seat by SHYCityNXR / CC BY-NC 2.0

12. Oil Drum Patio Lounge

This DIY patio furniture idea will require you to cut through a oil drum, so you’ll need some specialized tools at home. You’ll also have to cut a thicker piece of plywood to serve as the base for your seat and get cushions to add to it. To start, get your steel drum and flip it sideways. Cut out half of the barrel, leaving the rounded ends intact. 

You’ll flip this cut section and use it for the back of the lounge. Get wood scraps and make small stands for the barrels to sit in. You could also pile river rocks around it to keep it stable. Measure and cut plywood or wood scraps to fit over the space you cut earlier. This will be your seating area. Add your cushion, and add cushioning to the sides of the lounge so nothing is sharp. 

Oil drum couch by Alternatives Journal / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

13. Woven Tire Chairs

For this DIY patio furniture, you’ll need old tires, four sturdy wood poles to act like legs for your seat, screws or nails, and paracord. To start, get your tires and clean them thoroughly. Cut the wooden poles you picked out to your desired height. You can screw them right to the tire itself, or you can cut through the bottom area of the tire and thread them up through until they hit the top layer of rubber by the rim. 

Get your paracord and plan out your webbed design. This design will cover the open area in the middle of the tire and give you space to sit comfortably. Add your nails or screws to the edge of the tire’s interior to hold your paracord in place and weave in your design. Snip off the end of the paracord when you finish and set your new chair out on the patio to enjoy. 

Chair from Recycled Car Tires! By icecairo / CC BY 2.0

14. Milk Jug Side Table

This is another super easy DIY patio furniture idea that needs a little paint, stencil, and old milk jug, and a small wooden table top. You’ll want to get a spray paint for metal if you’re planning on repainting the milk jug to match your decor. To start, paint the milk jug and let it dry between coats. Once it’s dry, if you’re going to apply a stencil, you’ll put the stencil on the jug and paint it in. Peel the stencil off and all it to dry. 

If you’re not going to stencil anything, you can go to the next step. You may want to put a clear protective layer over the spray paint, but this isn’t a must-do item with this DIY patio furniture. Set the milk jug wherever you want it on your patio and set the rounded table top on the open top of the jug. You now have a farmhouse-inspired table that’s ready to use. 

Old Milk Jug by SHYCityNXR / CC BY-NC 2.0

15. Trampoline Bed

Once your kids grow up, you could have a trampoline sitting in your yard that you don’t use anymore. If so, you can easily use this DIY patio furniture idea to create a stunning swing or teepee bed. You will have to build a stand to hang this project up on so it floats over the ground if you don’t have solid trees in the area. Get a teepee cover and string it up at the top of your hanger. 

You’ll drape the teepee cover down over the sides of the trampoline. Get heavy-duty ropes and secure them around the trampoline at four different points to give yourself a stable surface when you lift it. Hoist the trampoline up on the stand, fix the teepee to the edges, and you now have a swing or bed.

Trampoline by Bill Hails / CC BY-ND 2.0

16. Coffee Table Garden Shelves

Outdoor garden shelves have to be durable to withstand the elements, and this can make them expensive. However, you can create your own using pieces of an old coffee table, some paint, screws, screw gun, knobs or hanging hardware, and a little imagination. Take your coffee table and cut the ends off on the short end, leaving three to four inches of space to serve as the shelf. 

Paint or stain this cut piece of coffee table to whatever colors you want. Attach your knobs or hanging hardware along the front edge of the coffee table piece. Next on this DIY patio furniture idea, you’ll attach the piece of coffee table directly to the wall. They work well on fences, the side of garden sheds, or indoors by your front door to hold your keys. 

New Shelves & Stuff by FarOutFlora / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

17. Tire Coffee Table

Old tires can be challenging and expensive to get rid of when you don’t need them anymore, so this DIY patio furniture idea allows you to upcycle them. You’ll need two tires for this project, a glass or wood table top, and spray paint. Take your tires out to an area where you won’t accidentally get paint on anything important and give them a coat or two of your chosen color. 

Allow the tires to dry completely before you move them. You may want to flip them and paint both edges, but one will be hidden when you stack them so it’s not necessary. When they’re dry, take them to wherever you want to place them and stack them on top of one another. Set your wood or glass table top on top of your tire stack to complete this DIY patio furniture idea. You can go back later and add lights inside the stack for a fun whimsical look. 

Stacked Tires by EveryCarListed P / CC BY-SA 2.0

18. Galvanized Bucket Table

If you’ve ever container gardened, you most likely have a galvanized steel bucket laying around. If not, you can purchase them at your local home improvement store. Pick the height that correlates to your desired table height, but keep in mind that this DIY patio furniture idea is generally shorter. Get your bucket and set it right side up in your chosen area. 

Next, you’ll get a table top and set it on top of the bucket. That’s it. You now have a durable table to sit on your patio. If you get a heavy enough table top, you won’t even have to secure it because it’ll weigh itself down and stay in place. What’s more, your bucket now doubles as a handy storage compartment for smaller tools or items. Since the bucket has handles, it’s easy to pick up and move around too. 

Vintage Hibbard’s Minnow Bucket by Cindy Shebley / CC BY 2.0

19. Flower Pot Stand

For this DIY patio furniture, all you’ll need is a tube of construction adhesive, two large terracotta pots, metal or ceramic pizza pan, and paint. To start, flip one terracotta pot upside down so the base is facing up. Set the second terracotta top on top of this flipped over one, right side up. Take your construction adhesive and put a thick line around where the pots meet before allowing it to dry. 

When everything dries, take the attached pots out and spray them whatever color you want. Give them two or three even coats and allow them to dry. Move your table wherever you want it. Get your metal or ceramic pizza pan and slide it on the opening of the top terracotta pot to create a flat surface. This will be your table, and it should be heavy enough to stay in place. You can also get a wood or glass table top too. 

Stack of Pots by Peter Sigrist / CC BY-SA 2.0

20. Rope Ottoman

This is another DIY patio furniture idea that involves old tires, some rope, a piece of rounded plywood, and glue. Get your old tire and cut the rounded piece of plywood to fit the top of the tire. Glue it into place. Take your rope and start in the middle of the plywood, start wrapping. 

You’ll slowly work your way from the center of the top of the tire out down the sides. You can get clean glue and coat the rope as you complete another pass around the tire. Continue this process until you get to the bottom of the tire and it’s fully covered. Snip the rope, glue it into place, and allow the whole thing to dry. It works well as an idea for a smaller bedroom for a table too.

tire rope ottoman by Outi Les Pyy / OutsaPop Trashion DIY fashion / CC BY-NC 2.0

21. Spool Table

If you can get your hands on an old electrical wire spool, you can use this DIY patio furniture idea to create a fun table. Take your spool and stain or paint it. Staining it will bring out the rich tones of the wood used in the spool. Allow it to dry fully. 

You can leave the spool’s interior bare, or you can wrap it with a small amount of rope to add decoration. Set your spool up on end wherever you’d like it. You can use it as-is for a table, or you can invest in a round glass table top and set it on the top to protect the wood. 

Big spool table by Tara Aukerman / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

22. Log End Table

All you’ll need for this DIY patio furniture idea is a 30 logs cut to the same height and some tie-down straps. Source your smaller log pieces and cut them to your desired table’s height. You’ll want to saw and sand them down to give you a smooth surface too. 

When you finish this, the next part of this DIY patio furniture project involves standing all of the logs up on end. Once you have them up, wrap your tie-down straps around them and pull tight. This will secure the logs in a stable position. You may have to trim the edge of the straps. Set this table wherever you want to use it. You can add a top too, but it’s not necessary if you made them all even in previous steps. 

Logs by Scott / CC BY-NC 2.0

23. Wine Barrel Tables

The final DIY patio furniture idea on this list involves a wine barrel and a saw. A rain barrel will also work well, as long as it’s in good condition. All you have to do is mark the halfway point on the barrel and cut it in half. Flip the barrel so the wider end is at the base. Set them alongside your patio furniture to create simple but sturdy wooden tables. 

Wine barrel as a table by Sandip Bhattacharya / CC BY 2.0

Bottom Line

These 23 DIY patio furniture ideas are a great way to make something unique to sit out on your patio all spring and summer long. You’ll need a few days and a few items, depending on what you want to make. However, they’re almost all beginner-friendly, and you can easily tackle these DIY patio furniture ideas by yourself.