5 Simple Woodwork Ideas for A Summer Patio

Make the most of your Summer with a simple woodworking project for your patio to enhance your outdoor spaces. Summer is the best time to take a break from sitting in the office, stretch out those cramped muscles, and get some fresh air into your lungs. This is the perfect season to bond with your friends and family outdoors or pursue a hobby that you’ve put off throughout the entire year.

If you’re looking for a new and creative way to get outdoors this summer while beautifying your outdoor spaces, check out these five simple woodwork ideas for a summer patio:

1. Adirondack Chairs

What better way to sit back and enjoy summer evenings than sipping your favorite brew from the comfort of a chair you constructed yourself? That’s right; you can make your own patio chairs. And why not use the most iconic design around for a classic look in your outdoor spaces.

If you have some experience working on the deck or around the house, you’ll probably have most of the materials. You’ll need a jigsaw, measuring tape, a drill, a square, clamps, and eye protection. You’ll also most likely need to utilize a miter saw by making crosscuts.

You can find tons of simple plans online so that you can find the right one for your yard. Aside from knowing how to build it, keep in mind that the success of creating Adirondack chairs also depends on the kind of wood you’re going to use. Regardless of how complex or detailed the plan is, if you end up using the wrong kind of wood, your Adirondack chair might be easily damaged.

Some of the best types of wood you can use when making Adirondack chairs are cedar, pine, fir teak, and cypress. These types of hardwood are durable, easy to maintain, and can withstand the test of time.

2. Adirondack Loveseat Glider Rocker

If you’ve already mastered the traditional Adirondack Chair and you are ready to take your woodworking skills to the next level, try making an Adirondack Loveseat Glider. This project is still relatively easy to make, and the best part is that you will still have all of your tools handy from making the original Adirondack. Well, actually the best part is that your friends will be super impressed.

3. Tree Coasters

Keep your patio table ring-free in rustic style by crafting your very own coasters. All you need to make your own stackable set of country chic coasters is a piece of oak wood and a dowel. You can finish them off to perfection with a natural stain, waterproof them with varnish, or create a stencil and personalize each one with its own unique image for the more artistic types. These coasters will be so cool; your guests will actually want to use them.

You can even personalize your tree coasters by adding the name of your family members. Or, if you’re feeling a little generous, you can personalize them with the name of your friends and give it to them the moment they visit your house. Aside from being a unique gift, tree coasters are also very functional.

4. Enchanting Pathway

Create your own secret garden by building a pathway around your patio and meandering through your garden. There are various styles you can choose from, but all of them are fairly simple. You can create a rustic pathway by placing thin cross-sections of a tree trunk as stepping stones through a dirt path or a mesmerizing mosaic using mandala patterns and colorful pebbles.

If you’re really feeling whimsical, use cement or Plaster of Paris to create some designs on your patio by adhering to the same pebbles you applied to the mosaic — this will create an effortless transition from the pathway to the patio.

If you haven’t created a pathway in the past, consider enrolling in a program like Ted’s Woodworking. The skills you’ll learn from this class will make it easy for you to make any pathway in your outdoor space, which can even encourage you to start a business that involves woodwork.

5. Build A Bee House!

If you’ve been keeping up with the news, then you know that the bees are not having a great time. According to environmental experts, the number of beehives decreases drastically, causing serious problems for humans and the environment. Do your part for mother nature and show your love for the environment by creating a home for the orchard mason bee. This harmless little creature lives in wooden blocks, using holes that are already available to nest. Bee houses are easy to make and a great way to get your kids involved. The National Wildlife Foundation encourages mason bee houses to help keep these essential pollinators alive and well.

Building a bee house is actually an effortless task. For this woodwork, you’ll only need a wooden box and small logs. Open one side of the wooden box and then fill it with small wood blocks with drilled holes on them. After you’ve assembled this bee house, it won’t be long before bees will rush to your outdoor space and use these small blocks of wood as their nest sites.

In Conclusion

Save your indoor decorating activities for the winter — it’s summertime, so get out there and soak up the sun. Now that you’ve read about five simple (or relatively simple) woodwork ideas for your summer patio get outside and get woodworking. When you need a break from sawing and staining, you can also work on less physically demanding ways to prepare your garden for summer. Just don’t forget to put on your sunscreen!