To see the prices on outdoor furniture at a major big-box retailer, you’d think your wallet would need to be tracked down and captured before opening for that amount. The prices on pieces designed for external use are ridiculous ”“ but they don’t have to be. It’s easy to make outdoor furniture yourself out of items you may never have thought of! And the best part, these pieces blend in perfectly the rest of your landscaping. Knowing how important landscaping in Missisauga is, we’ve compiled this list of versatile, functional furniture!

1. Make an outdoor table with an old spool of wire.
   Those enormous wooden spools that are so common around construction sites? They can be bought for cheap from nearly any flea market or thrift store and make wonderful outside tables. Cutting them in half can double their use, making them look like small mushrooms rising from the ground just for your convenience. A layer or two of outdoor paint and they’ll be as resistant as any other item you find anywhere else.

   These spools make the perfect options for outdoor barbecues and summer evening parties. Nothing like sitting around with friends and discussing your lives while nibbling on ribs and drinking a cold brew. An additional item to note about these spools is the hole often in the center of them ”“ it’s the perfect fit for a patio umbrella. Getting any ideas?

2. Design your custom outdoor couch with wooden pallets.
   Wooden pallets are everywhere; any company that ships large amounts of product has them in droves. Homeowners like to buy the pallets for cheap to reuse the wood inside of them, and for good reason; it’s much less expensive than paying for commercial furniture! Stacking the pallets together and then using nails or screws to secure them will allow you to design your own patio couch. The pallets are already moisture resistant, so there is little prep work to be done. Once you’ve assembled them in the desired shape, a quick coat of paint and some cushions to go on top will give you a place to sit and recline at a fraction of the cost you might have paid in stores.

   Building your own couch can win some major guy points with friends, and score major brownie points with the wife. Plus, it makes an awesome conversation piece when people come over to visit. Nothing is quite like saying, “I built it,” when asked where you bought a piece of furniture!

3. Build your own easy to clean fire pit.
   Finding an old metal drum is pretty easy; a lot of auto shops have them. Just ensure that the drum itself is thoroughly cleaned out before you use it. A good way to do this is to start a fire inside of it and let the flames burn away any lingering chemicals that might be inside. Afterward, find someone to cut the drum in half (or do it yourself). Placing the drum in the center of your patio gives you an area to pile wood and start a fire when you want it, and with only half the drum in place, it can easily be hidden with rocks around the base.

   This makes it look like you have a professionally installed, expensive fire pit for the price of a few hours’ work and a bit of metal. Putting a grate over the top of the drum is a simple matter, and provides a cheap, do it yourself grill that will provide hours of use for the entire family. Everything tastes better when cooked over wood instead of charcoal, anyway. When you need to empty the pit, just remove the grate and dump out the ash!

For more ideas, visit our website or do some browsing of your own. Creating simple outdoor furniture takes just a few hours of your time, and can be very rewarding both in how fun it is, and in how much money you’ll save.