DIY Lawn Furniture

Often outdoor spaces are forgotten when design money is budgeted, and you find yourself with a beautifully appointed home with a bare backyard. You dont have to forsake your backyard, however, even if your decorating budget is barely in the black. Craft a full set of matching outdoor furniture for less than the cost of one piece of store-bought furniture. Save money and conserve resources by using construction-site discards and dollar-store finds. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

Cable Spool Stool

1

Sand the surfaces of your cable spool, removing any splinters and rough edges. Paint the spool and allow to the paint to dry completely before applying a second coat of paint.

2

Lay your batting over the top of the spool and cut around the spools round top. Lay your exterior fabric over the top of the batting and cut around the edge of the spools top, leaving a 5-inch border of extra fabric.

3

Turn the spool over onto its top, holding the batting and fabric onto it so that it sits directly over the center of the batting and fabric. Pull the fabric over to the underside of the spools top edge and staple in one place.

4

Find the opposite side from that staple and pull the fabric on that side over and staple; you now have two staples on opposite sides underneath the spool top. Find the spots between the two staples and staple fabric in those two spots underneath the spool, first pulling the fabric taut.

5

Staple around the edge, underneath the top, always stapling on the opposite side of the last place you stapled and remembering to pull the fabric taut but not tight.

Pallet Sectional Seating

6

Sand your pallets thoroughly to remove any splintered areas or ragged edges. Paint your pallets to match or complement your stool.

7

Place two of your pallets flat in an L formation, with one placed perpendicular to the other, at the end of the long edge of the pallet.

8

Place the other two pallets on top of the first pallets, matching the edges.

9

Lay your outdoor bench cushions over the pallets tops to finish the outdoor sectional. Artfully place throw pillows around the sectional for effect.

Rope Trash Can Table

10

Turn the trash can onto its opening. Cover the exposed bottom of the trash can with a generous helping of construction glue. Set the tabletop on the glue, centering it onto the bottom of the trashcan. Allow your glue to completely dry before proceeding.

11

Warm up your hot glue gun. Hot glue around the perimeter of the base of your trash can, and then start wrapping the rope around your trash can bottom, covering the glue. Glue around the next exposed part of the trash can, and then add another layer of rope by wrapping the same length of rope around the trash can in another row.

12

Continue gluing and wrapping rope around the trash can until youve covered the entire trash can. Allow all the glue to dry before going forward.

13

Turn the table onto its top. Starting at the trashcan base, hot glue and attach rope in a spiral until the underside of the table is covered with rope. Continue gluing and attaching onto the tabletop, covering the edge of the table.

14

Turn the table onto its base. Continue gluing and attaching rope in a spiral, until you get to the center of the table. Cover your rope with several layers of clear spray coat to protect the rope and complete the project.