10 of Our Best DIY Outdoor Living Projects
"The days are longer, the weather is warming up, and we’re loving outdoor living. Plus, it’s one of our favorite times of the year to squeeze in more DIY projects!"
The days are longer, the weather is warming up, and we’re loving outdoor living. This is one of our favorite times of the year to squeeze in more DIY projects, especially to freshen up or add more functionality to outdoor spaces so we can make the most of the summer. Below you’ll find some of our most popular outdoor living DIY projects—from easy outdoor seating options to different ways to level up your backyard cooking—to help make the most of the season.
How To Build an Adirondack Chair
A symbol of summer and lazy days sitting in the sun, this cedar Adirondack chair is a great addition to any yard, deck, or porch. Pro tip: Adirondack chairs are often made or bought in pairs, and as it turns out, making two at a time is a more economical use of your lumber.
Simple DIY Outdoor Bench
This simple wooden bench lives up to its name—using basic building techniques and construction-grade lumber, you'll have a brand-new bench in just a couple of hours. It's really simple!
How To Build a DIY Outdoor Cook Station
Take your outdoor cooking beyond barbecue with this outdoor cook station. It’s perfect for long-cooking foods that tend to fill the house with odors (think slow-cooked pork) and provides a spot for cooking something particularly messy or prone to splattering (think high-heat skillet cooking).
How To Build a Mini Picnic Table Squirrel Feeder
Whether you’re hoping to distract squirrels from your bird feeder or you have a soft spot for these little animals (or both), this squirrel feeder is a great way to bring nature up close and get to know the creatures in your backyard.
How To Build an Easy, Affordable Outdoor Side Table
At first glance, you’d never guess that this side table was built and painted to match the store-bought seats! It is also surprisingly quick and inexpensive to pull together.
How To Build a Wooden Swing Set
What better way to bring the whole family together for the summer than with a swing set? This DIY wooden swing set teaches you how to build your own set, complete with a climbing ladder and rock wall.
How To Make a Decorative Utility Screen
Utility screens are a great way to hide clunky household staples like trash bins and air conditioners or to add some privacy to your living areas. This 2’ by 4’ panel provides both style and screening while still being able to swing open for easy access.
How To Make a DIY Patio Cooler Stand
This DIY wooden cooler and stand is the perfect mix of function and beauty—our favorite combo! To complete the look, we added a bottle cap–opener and a tin for catching the caps, but the options for customizing and accessorizing are endless.
How To Build a DIY Horizontal Fence
This horizontal wooden fence, which is our term for a fence with horizontal boards, helps create more privacy for your house or yard while upping the curb appeal of your home.
How To Build a Picnic Table
If you have a large outdoor space that’s just waiting for a table and seating, you’re going to want to check out this classic wooden picnic table. This project is more involved and time-intensive than many of our others, but it’s so worth it!
Want to dive even deeper into our outdoor living project library? Check out all of our projects for your home’s exterior here, or browse years worth of gardening tips and projects here.
