If you’re looking to become a DIYer or if you’ve been a DIYer for years we’ve got an assortment of incredible DIY projects you can try. Check them out.
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Use Firewood For a Project
If you have a stack of firewood, grab a couple pieces and a saw and make one of these simple firewood projects. Whether you make coasters, a stool or a shelf, you can create something in just a couple hours. Don’t forget to check out these DIY firewood storage ideas.
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Family Handyman
Cedar Potting Bench
This super-simple potting bench will make your gardening projects much more enjoyable — and it’ll help you stay organized, too! Get the plans here.
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Build a Wooden Bench for Less
Need outdoor seating in a hurry? This simple bench, based on author and ecologist Aldo Leopold’s classic design, can be constructed in a couple of hours, even if you are a novice woodworker. All it takes is two boards and 18 screws, for a cost of less than $25. You’ll find the simple how-to instructions here.
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Arbor and Benches
Build this simple seating/planter/arbor project to create a quiet, private space in your yard or on a deck. It provides shade and comfort as well as a welcome screen from neighbors. You can install it on an existing patio or build it on your deck. Get the full plans for this arbor and benches here.
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Add Seating with a DIY Wooden Bench
For large outdoor gatherings, copious seating is a necessity. This outdoor couch can fit several adults, and oversized arm rests act as end tables for drinks. Before getting started, you’ll want to pick up the cushions for the couch first; depending on their size, you can make any adjustments to the cut list necessary for the perfect fit. Once you have the cushions, all the materials you need can be found at local home centers. We used treated lumber, but you can splurge for a naturally rot-resistant wood like cedar or cypress. We’ve got the full plans here.
Also, check how you can make furniture pieces with hairpin legs and turn all kinds of ordinary objects into fun, funky furniture.
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Gather Round a Fire Table
A fire table is a beautiful addition to your outdoor living space—and an invitation to gather around. It’s also a stylish centerpiece that gives you a great opportunity to showcase your DIY prowess.
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Family Handyman
Tile-Top Table
Combining woodworking, metalwork and tiling techniques, this Italianate tile-top table makes a lovely addition to any deck or patio. The top is made from plywood, with mosaic tiles added for a Mediterranean feel. Adding the tiles is simple when you follow our expert tiling tips. The legs are hand-bent metal. Full instructions are given, but you’ll need to make a gig to ensure accurate shaping. This is a straightforward DIY outdoor furniture project but it will take you several days. And the instructions tell you exactly what to complete each day. It will cost between $100 and $500.
Also, check how you can make furniture pieces with hairpin legs and turn all kinds of ordinary objects into fun, funky furniture.
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Family Handyman
Polished Concrete Table Top
Although it certainly doesn’t seem like it would be a quick project, this gorgeous concrete table-top builds faster than you’d think. And it’s an excellent introduction to working with finished concrete. Follow the plans for a complete how to for building this table, including how to make table legs from wood. The longest part of forming a concrete top is building the form. But once you’ve mastered that skill the rest moves along easily. Working on a smaller scale—such as the DIY coffee table shown here—allows you to put custom detailing into the DIY table while also providing your guests with a beautiful conversation piece on which to rest their drinks.
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Faux Marble Table
This beautiful faux marble table looks like stone, but has the strength and durability of concrete because you make it with Quikrete Countertop Mix. Learn how to make your own outdoor table as you follow along with the builder as he explains each step of the process.
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Pedestal Picnic Table
If you’d like a more refined picnic table, one that will fit right in at a dinner party for adults or an afternoon barbecue with the kids, here’s the design for you. The Craftsman style is timeless — and no one has to sit with a table leg in their way.
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Family Handyman
Elegant Outdoor Table
Build this attractive, durable stone look-alike table in a day, using inexpensive concrete products available at many home centers. You simply mold and pour the top, then assemble the wooden legs. When sealed, it’s stain-resistant and can be used indoors or outside. Planning to surprise your kid? Lear how to DIY kid’s outdoor table.
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Garden Bench
With a simple design and elegant lines, this beautiful garden bench is the perfect place to sit and enjoy your backyard. The design is strong and stable, and the curved seat adds a touch of originality to the look. This DIY outdoor furniture project requires moderate skills, for example making biscuit joints with a biscuit joiner. A router is a good alternative if you don’t have a biscuit joiner. This bench can be completed in a weekend and costs between $100 and $500 to build, depending on your choice of wood.
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Simple Folding Chair
This folding wooden lawn chair is the perfect project for a beginner. It boasts a simple design, with a carrying handle cutout in the back for easy portability and a neat interlocking look. This DIY wooden chair requires mainly basic woodworking tools, although you’ll need a table saw and a belt sander for best results. It costs $20 to $100 to make, depending on the wood. The chair shown is cedar, but you could also use Cypress fir or pressure-treated wood. You can easily build a chair like this in a day.
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Umbrella Table
Sipping a cool drink in the shade of a patio umbrella is the ideal way to spend a hot afternoon. And this stylish umbrella table (here’s how to build it) will provide a stable base to avoid accidents when the wind picks up. The base is made from plywood and No. 2 cedar, with the top from knot-free cedar or pressure-treated deck boards. The cost depends on materials. You’ll need moderate skills to complete this project, such as how to use pocket screws and operate a miter saw. But you should be able to finish it over a weekend.
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How to Make an Adirondack Chair and Love Seat
This Adirondack chair and matching love seat are designed for outdoor comfort. It’s one of the wood projects designed for easy assembly, so that a novice can build them. And you can build them from inexpensive, durable wood that, once stained, looks beautiful. Learn how to make an Adirondack Chair and Love Seat.
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Garden Hutch
Wouldn’t it be nice to have all your gardening tools and supplies in one handy location? This pine hutch holds long-handled tools like shovels, rakes and hoes on one side, and smaller tools and supplies on shelves on the other side. Follow these simple project plans to build this good-looking garden hutch.
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Make This Coat and Mitten Rack
The design of this shaker style coat and mitten rack is easy to build with butt joints connected by screws that get hidden by wooden screw-hole buttons and wood plugs. The coat and mitten rack mounts easily to the wall with screws driven through the hidden hanging strip on the back. The five large Shaker pegs are great for holding hats, umbrellas and coats, and the hinged-hatch door at the top keeps the clutter of gloves and scarves from view. And you can build this project in a few hours, with an additional hour to apply a finish.
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Build a Shoe Storage Booster Stool
Build this handy stool in one hour and park it in your closet. You can also use it as a step to reach the high shelf. How to make storage shelves: All you need is a 4 x 4-ft. sheet of 3/4-in. plywood, wood glue and a handful of 8d finish nails. Cut the plywood pieces according to the illustration. Spread wood glue on the joints, then nail them together with 8d finish nails. First nail through the sides into the back. Then nail through the top into the sides and back. Finally, mark the location of the two shelves and nail through the sides into the shelves. Don’t have floor space to spare? Build these super simple wall-mounted shoe organizers instead!
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Hanging Wall Bookcase: Suspended Bookshelves
The steel cable and shaft collars add style and strength to this suspended bookshelf. Build this simple set of book or display shelves in a single weekend. They’re strong and stylish. By changing materials or finishes you can easily customize them to fit the décor of any room. Get the project plans here.
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Floating Bookshelves
Strong, quick to build, no visible supports and made from only two parts! These shelves are handsome, easy to build and inexpensive. And they’re strong even though they have no visible supports. They appear to float on the wall, no clunky hardware or brackets. We made them from only two parts—half of a hollow core door and a 2×4. Get the project plans here.
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DIY Bed Built-in Shelves
Nightstands are just not big enough for everything: lamp, alarm clock, phone, photos of your kids … so books, magazines, your tablet or your cup of tea ends up on the floor. This shelf unit gives you about 10 times more space for decorative and essential stuff. And its dazzling design will transform your room. Best of all, it’s easy to build with basic tools. Get the project plans here.
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