There is nothing quite like creating a beautiful outdoor living space to relax and enjoy the great outdoors. Especially one that doesn’t cost a fortune.
Whether it is a place to grill, cook and enjoy a delicious meal, a fire pit area, or a simple space to entertain friends and family, outdoor living areas can make a house feel like a home.
The problem is, creating that “wonderful” outdoor living space can be costly! Chairs, tables, and other patio furniture can be expensive.
Adding to the problem, much of the outdoor furniture found in big-box stores struggles to hold up for more than a year or two. And the same can be said for store-bought metal pergolas, arbors, fire pits, and more.
When we started to create our own outdoor living space at the farm, we wanted a solution that was attractive, functional, durable, and above all, affordable!
The answer came was simple – DIY! With a little elbow grease and a few simple plans, we realized we could build most everything we needed, for a fraction of the cost.
From comfy and sturdy outdoor chairs and tables, to pergolas, arbors, and an outdoor kitchen, fire pit and more, we created outdoor projects from strong, inexpensive, and readily available materials.
And it doesn’t take a fortune in tools or know-how either. We created almost everyone with a single Porter Cable Combo Tool Kit that has paid for itself many times over. And by simply slowing down and following a plan, we not only saved a fortune, but had a lot of fun in the process. Where there is a will, there is a way.
And so have many others. Hardly a week goes by that a blog follower doesn’t share a photo or two of their own version of our plans.
So as summer approaches, we though we share our 3 favorite DIY outdoor living space projects from the blog. We have a link to each DIY article below. You can also find all of our plans on the blog here : DIY Plans Blog Page
3 Great DIY Outdoor Living Space Projects
2 x 4 DIY Adirondack Chairs – Comfy Outdoor Chairs That Look Great And Last!
Who knew you could easily turn a few 2 x 4’s into the most comfortable, durable, and great looking outdoor Adirondack chair ever? Our 2 x 4 Adirondack chairs are easily our most favorite and popular DIY project we have ever featured on the blog.
We made our chairs with just 8 inexpensive 2 x 4 x 8 pieces of regular framing lumber. For a grand total of about $35 a chair, they are extremely sturdy, and oh-so comfortable.
They look great stained, painted, or simply left natural, and are right at home on a deck, porch, or any outdoor fire pit or sitting area. And they last forever!
To this day, it is our most down-loaded DIY plan we have on our Etsy site. (See : Adirondack Chair Plans) We even have folks like the Riders from Indianapolis send in their own photos of the chairs (see photo to the right) after creating from the plans. See : Creating 2×4 DIY Adirondack Chairs
The Classic Pergola
The pergola was our first outdoor DIY project at the farm. It is hard to believe, but it’s been up now for 7 years, and still looks as good and strong as the day we first built it. Using sturdy 6 x 6 posts and 2x treated lumber, it is built to last!
The best part is – for about $200 to $250 in lumber, you can have a big 10 x 10, 12 x 12 or even larger pergola that will last 10 to 20 years or more!
That is a far cry from the $700 to $1000+ flimsy metal or pseudo-wood units you find in stores. Better yet – it can be built easily in a day. (See : Building A Pergola Without Breaking The Bank)
Stone Fire Pit
Our stone fire pit is one of our favorite places to gather around with friends and family. There is hardly a week from early spring til late fall that it isn’t used.
Using local stacked stone, a little mortar, and a bit of DIY muscle – we were able to complete the entire project for a grand total of $117. Not bad when you consider that small, commercially available fire pits can easily cost that and more.
We even added a cooking bar to our outdoor pit to make soup over the open fire. And of course, we completed it all with a few Adirondack chairs. (See : Building An Inexpensive Stone Fire Pit)
Happy Outdoor Living! Jim and Mary. To receive our 3 Home, Garden, Recipe and Simple Life articles each week, sign up for our free email list. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. This article may contain affiliate links.