This DIY Outdoor Patio Furniture Will Add An Air Of Sophistication To Any Space

By AUGUST WEST

If you're looking for outdoor furniture designs, you needn't look much further. Wood pallets are a commonly sourced item on the do-it-yourself scene, and for good reason. Lifehacker writes that "they're essentially Legos for adults because they can be turned into just about anything with minimal effort or skill." Consider me sold. 

Pallets are generally had at a low price, if not for free, and the wood used often lends itself to reuse. While pallets come in all sorts of wood types, the Nelson Companynotes that "(Southern Yellow Pine) SYP made up 18.9% of all woods used (in pallets) while oak made up 17.1% (by volume)." 

Both of these types of wood are also commonly used in woodworking. Pine is attractive for a number of reasons, and For Dummies puts one of these reasons simply: "Pine is commonly used in furniture because it's easy to shape and stain." 

Oak is a common choice for furniture building too, but for altogether different reasons. For Dummies writes that this hardwood is "one of the most used woods for furniture," and when looking at the wood's characteristics, it's easy to see why. Oak often has an enviable grain to it, and it's really strong. 

While the project below from HOW TO: Live Your Style is a low-cost endeavor, it's not no-cost. In addition to used wooden pallets, the project requires some deck coating — the mother-daughter pair in the video uses Behr's DeckOver, but the brand used isn't too important. They use concrete pier blocks to support the pallets, and those run really cheap — Home Depot sells some for just over $4 a piece.

Today's Home Owner gives a cautionary notice about varnishes, saying that "paint blocks UV rays better than a clear finish," so while it might be tempting to use a varnish instead of a paint on the surfaces of the table, paints will hold up much better under the elements of the sun's UV rays, and general weather-related wear.