20 Easy Do-It-Yourself Outdoor Projects

Spring has finally sprung in our neck of the woods, and I’m ready to start sprucing up my yard! So, as I was searching Pinterest for some ideas, I came up with these 20 easy do-it-yourself projects. Now, I’m sure I won’t be finishing all of them, but I would like to tackle a few this Spring!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your cost will remain the same but Farm Girl Reformed will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated! Read our full disclosure.

20 Easy Do-It-Yourself Outdoor Projects

I am always needing ideas for unique side tables, and this milk can table will definitely add Farmhouse charm to my patio! I just need to find an old milk can, which will probably be the hardest part of the whole project!

We don’t have a covered patio. Our yard is kind of a courtyard, which helps a little with the wind. But sometimes the wind can get pretty nasty, and this table appears to be heavy enough to withstand the heavy winds!

Supplies Needed:

• old milk can
• round table top
• liquid nails
• primer
• paint

This project is easy, because you use a pre-made birdhouse—that, I can handle!! I’m not really a birdhouse collector, but I have collected several over the years. I use them a lot inside for my Spring decor, but every once in awhile, one makes it outside.

We tend to have a terrible wasp problem every summer, and we find their hives everywhere. That’s one of the reasons I hesitate to place them outside. I don’t want it to become a wasp preserve instead of a birdhouse! So this one may have to wait until we build our enclosed back porch.

Supplies Needed:

• short step ladder (new ones are usually metal, so you would probably want to find one at a garage sale or thrift store)
• large birdhouse
• small flower pot
• rusty garden tool
• ivy and flowers for the flower pot
• wooden bird figurine or other decoration (size will depend on your birdhouse)
• grapevine garland
• paint (colors of choice)

This tree bench is not quite as easy, unless you have woodworking skills! I, myself, have never spent a lot of time working with wood. I have a husband and two sisters that are very good at it, so I use them!

I have always wanted one of these. But we don’t have any large trees in our backyard, and it doesn’t really seem like the kind of thing I want in my front yard. But who knows, maybe someday! Check out This Old House  site for the list of supplies and how-to.

Several years ago, we repainted our house, and we never did get the house numbers back up on the house! At this point, I don’t think it’s ever going to happen. So I’ve been looking for unique ways to display our house numbers.

These bucket numbers are definitely easy, and wouldn’t really cost a lot. So this is definitely a possibility for this summer!

Supplies Needed:

• galvanized buckets (number will depend on house numbers)
• chalk paint
• black acrylic paint
• sealer
• solar spot light (if you want to light them up at night)
• plants

This bench is another project that is easy if you have woodworking skills. The unique thing about this bench is that it hides your ugly hose inside!

I know I will have to get my husband involved if I want this (and then he’ll tell me we don’t really need it!). So what I’m saying is, this one probably won’t get done! But, if you need some extra seating and want to hide your hose at the same time, this is a nice way to do it! You can find the supplies and how-to on the Sunset site.

This lantern is another unique way to display your house letters. I haven’t decided between the two yet, but I definitely love ambiance, so this might be the one!

Supplies Needed:

• solar lantern
• opaque white shelf liner
• hose guide (this is to attach the lantern to so you can spike it into the ground so it won’t blow over!)
• self adhesive vinyl numbers
• strong glue

I saw this one a few years ago, and I even found a couple of the light globes for the project. And now they still sit in my attic, waiting to be used! This is such an easy project, and since I already have the supplies, it needs to get finished this year!

Supplies Needed:

• light globes (I found mine at Habitat for Humanity, and have been on the look-out for more!)
• outdoor lights (if you use solar ones, you won’t even have to turn them on at night—or put them close to an outlet!)

Here is another idea for a unique side table. I had planned to try this one last summer, but got the idea too late in the season, and was unable to find a large enough pot for the base. But this one also has a lot of farmhouse charm, and will be really simple to make. So it’s on the list for this year!

Supplies Needed:

• large terra cotta pot (the largest I could find online was 12″—except for this one, which is quite a lot more than I want to pay! Sometimes I have seen large or tall ones in Home Depot and Lowe’s, so I will be checking there.)
• large terra cotta saucer
• primer
• paint
• sealer
• glue
• jute cord

I really love these side tables! They look like they are really easy to make, yet they have a sort of elegant look to them. I’m pretty sure I need at least one this summer!

Supplies Needed:

• sheet metal (you will need three sheets to do one of each size, as shown)
• 36″ and 24″ round table tops (I’m assuming on these—the instructions don’t actually give the sizes for these)
• wood stain (color of choice)
• polyurethane
• super glue
• primer
• spray paint (color of choice—make sure it will work for outdoors)

You will also need some metal clippers, gloves, embroidery thread, masking tape, scissors, sand paper, and a RotoZip RotoSaw (if you want to make a groove to attach the bases).

It’s hard to believe that this swing cost only $40 to make! I have been wanting a porch swing for most of my life. The problem is, we don’t have a porch!! And my husband tells me it wouldn’t work very well to add one to our house.

But he did say that maybe we could get rid of our front flower bed and replace it with a small stone patio. So if we do that, I won’t be able to have a hanging swing like this one, but he said he would build me a free-standing one. So hopefully soon!

Head over to Shanty 2 Chic to find out the supplies needed and the how-to for this awesome swing.

I have been looking for a potting bench for a few years, now. But I don’t want a new one. I haven’t been able to find a used one, so I guess I’ll have to make one!

I don’t actually want it for a potting bench, though. I want to use it as a beverage station on my patio. My sister told me the other day she has a whole garage full of really nice pallets, so I told her I needed some! However, I also need her help to build it, since I’m not especially experienced in the woodworking department!

For mine, I plan to saw a hole in the top just big enough to place my ice bucket. I think this is the perfect bench to do what I want to do! This post doesn’t have a tutorial or supplies list, but it looks like it wouldn’t be too hard if you have a few woodworking skills.

Here is another unique way to hide your hose. The hose is hidden inside, and you have beautiful plants to look at outside! To find out the supplies needed and the how-to, check out their post.

I just love all of the cinder block ideas I found! I have wanted to make this bench for quite some time, but we don’t really have the right wall to place it against. But there are so many bench ideas from cinder blocks, I’m sure we can find something!

Supplies Needed:

• cinder blocks (if you’re really lucky, you can find some used—that’s my goal!)
• pad (it says they just covered a plank—I think I would want something a little softer! Depending on the size of bench you make, you may be able to buy one, or you may have to make one. You could even line up several square ones!)
• outdoor pillows (you could also make your own)

Here is another bench idea with cinder blocks. This one doesn’t use as many cinder blocks, but it does use wood, so I’m not sure how the cost would compare. It would definitely be simple (and I even have those exact same cushions from Walmart!).

Supplies Needed:

• 12 cinder blocks
• 4 pieces of 2 x 4 x 8 lumber
• liquid nails
• caulking gun

Here is another fun project using terra cotta pots. I really love the green they used. It goes really well with all of the bling!

Supplies Needed:

• 14″ saucer
• 12″ saucer
• 3 (8″) terra cotta pots
• Apple Green spray paint
• flat backed glass marbles
• plumbers goop

If you don’t have a smoker, here is a fun, cheap way to smoke small amounts of meat! We have a smoker, but have only had it for a year or so. I had seen this idea before, and always wanted to try it. Now we don’t need to, but it’s still a really cute idea!

Supplies Needed:

• electric hot plate (look at their post for all of the specifics—size will matter!)
• clay pot
• small round grate
• cover (see post)
• handle (see post)

I really love these food display stands! I think my favorite part is the colors she used, not just for those, but the candles, drinkware, etc. I have a couple drink dispensers, but I always have to place them right on the edge, so that you can fit your glass under the spigot. This will solve that problem!

I think I will need a couple to go on my new pallet potting bench/beverage station!

Supplies Needed:

• 10″ clay saucer (you may need to adjust the size according to your drink dispenser)
• 8″ clay pot
• spray paint of your choice
• E6000

I have always wanted to learn how to do macrame. I’m not a knitter or crocheter, but these instructions look fairly easy to follow. Once again, the only tree we have that will work for this is in our front yard! But if we build my cute little “front porch patio”, maybe this will just provide extra seating!

Supplies Needed:

• 3 1-1/4 inch dowels (30″ long each)—you may have to cut them down if you can’t find them 30″ long.
• 2 5/8″ dowels (36″ long each)
• 200 yards, 1/4″ macrame cord or rope
• 8 yards, 1/2″ rope
• 4 1″ wood screws
• Drill and 5/8″ bit
• measuring tape
• scissors

I love pergolas, and we plan to build something along those lines eventually. This one just looks so cozy and inviting! Once again, we don’t have a wall that we could do this on, so ours will have to be free-standing. But I’m thinking I will have to light it up like this one!

Head over to The Created Home for a list of supplies needed and the how-to.

I have had this project in my to-do files for a few years, now. I just love this whole patio! But my husband usually has his own ideas, and I have a feeling this won’t be happening at my house! So hopefully you will try this project and enjoy it for me!

For a list of supplies needed and the how-to, be sure to visit I Should Be Mopping the Floor!

I hope this list of 20 easy do-it-yourself outdoor projects has inspired you to start sprucing up your outdoor living spaces! If you are looking for more inspiration, check out my outdoor projects page!

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Cherryl Ehlenburg