I absolutely LOVE being outside, on the patio, enjoying this fabulous 70+ degree spring weather. The only problem was, I had no patio furniture. Anytime I'm faced with serious dilemmas like this, my brain immediately goes into DIY mode. Since it's the beginning of the season, I would be hard pressed to find a decent patio set for under $100.
Honestly, $100 is a really good deal for patio furniture, but because I'm so dang cheap I really don't like wasting money on stuff like this, so I decided to build a patio set. I gave myself a $20 budget because we're apartment dwellers, and the lease will be up in a few months. Keeping that in mind, I wanted to try to find materials that were easily transportable, or could just be thrown away without remorse. Not to mention it can't be permanent (apartment dwellers, remember). Seems unrealistic, right? If you believe that then you're new to this blog.
Before I start any DIY project, I like to 'shop' in the house first. We don't have a lot of stuff but we don't use everything either. Case in point, we already had 2 matching bar stools - one was tucked away in the storage closet and the other was being used as a dog leash holder. Since they were just taking up space in the house, I decided to make them the base point of my patio set. Now all I had to do was find a patio bar for under $20 dollars.
After seeing this pin, I sent my love bug on a mission to find at least two 4 foot pallets and a piece of plywood or fencing that was at least 4 feet long. Not only did he find the 2 pallets but he also found an 8 foot x 9 inch board within 2 days of me asking (Thanks, Honey!). The board was the exact width of the 2 pallets (once they were stuck together), but I wanted the bar top to be at least 12 inches - since that's the size of a standard dinner plate. So, I whipped out my electric saw and got to work. Here's is how I made my DIY Pallet Patio Bar.
SUPPLIES:
SUPPLIES:
- 2 pallets of the same size
- Plywood
- Zip Ties
- Wood Screws or nails
DIRECTIONS (READ COMPLETELY BEFORE BEGINNING YOUR PROJECT):
For safety purposes, build your bar against a sturdy, fixed surface (ie - wall, gate, fence, etc.) and zip tie or brace it to the aforementioned surface. This is the first step because the pallets are extremely heavy when they're already tied together.
First, vertically line up each pallet with the tops facing outward and zip tie both ends and the middle together (teal circles). If you're worried about it being top-heavy, secure the whole thing to one of the guard posts with a zip tie (pink circle).
Next, cut the board to fit the length of your base. I had to cut a 4 inch extender out of the remaining piece to make it 12-inches wide, which is the size of a standard dinner plate (This is may not be necessary if your board is already the width you need). Then, secure the bar top into place with screws.
Finally, (to prevent doing extra work like sanding) I got a 54-inch table runner from HERE to put over the top and secured it with thumb tacks.
I painted the exposed part of the pallet bar with two $0.97 cans of spray paint from Wal-Mart for a more polished look. I also painted random gold streaks up and down the planks to add a little dimension, but you're more than welcome to just sand it to distress the paint.
Finally, we broke in the new furniture with a French Toast (in a Mug) brunch.
I added this bright blue flower pot I picked up from HERE and white Petunias that I scored from the clearance section of Wal-Mart's garden center for $2 (don't judge me, I'm still learning how to keep plants alive).
The pillows were made from old Hobby Lobby bandanas and stuffed with old shirts and everything was waterproofed with THIS.
So let's add this up, shall we:
Table Runner..............$6.39
Spray Paint ..............$1.94
Flowers.......................$1.83
Flower Pot..................$1.00
Grand Total................$11.16
$12 bucks isn't bad for a whole patio set, including decor. Hopefully, this inspired you to spruce up your patio space. If this post sparked your imagination, share your ideas in the comments!
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