26 Awesome Outdoor Seating Ideas You Can Make with Recycled Items
Summer has arrived, and with it comes the desire to spend more time outdoors, whether it’s reading a newspaper on the balcony or entertaining in the yard. Comfortable seating is a must, but options like plush sofas, elegant benches, and swinging chairs can strain your budget.
Why not embrace sustainability and create your own seating by upcycling old items? For instance, repurposing pallets can yield stylish and budget-friendly chairs, sofas, benches, and more for your outdoor space. It’s a simple and cost-effective solution! Here, we present 26 creative and cheap outdoor seating ideas that will transform your garden seating on a budget. Enjoy exploring these DIY options for your outdoor oasis!
Tire Stools
Transform old tires into stools by attaching short, sturdy legs and adding a cushioned seat.
Source: criartedicas.blogspot.com
You can make this easy hanging chair with just some strong fabric and a few sticks.
Tutorial: themerrythought.com
Upcycled Wooden Pallets
Wooden pallets are so useful. Paint them, stack them, and add wheels. Now you have a cool sofa that is easy to move, just add fun cushions!
Source: 1001pallets.com
Build a simple wood deck right around your trees. It’s a perfect, shady place to hang out.
Source: flickr.com
Repurposed Bed
Detach the legs from an old bed frame and add ropes to each corner to craft a hanging bed. Keep the mattress and enhance it with waterproof fabric and cushions.
Source: stylemepretty.com
Make your own comfy lawn chairs for movie night. A few pieces of wood and some bright fabric are all you need.
Tutorial: notjustahousewife.net
Innovative Bath Tub Seating
Believe it or not, an old bathtub can become the foundation for a unique sofa.
Simply cut away one side, add some vibrant cushions, and you’ve got a cozy spot to relax. Claw-footed tubs work exceptionally well for this seating idea.
Get creative with more than just car tires. Use old bicycle wheels for the back of a chair! Weave some strong rope or netting for the seat, and you have a whole patio set.
Versatile Breeze Blocks
Hollow breeze blocks offer numerous seating possibilities.
Cement them together to fashion a chair, stack and secure them as stools or tables, or insert wooden planks for armrests and bench seats.
Wooden Cable Reel Seats
Convert old cable reels into chair ends and affix a flat wooden base as the seat. Alternatively, stand the reels upright and use them as stools.
Source: theownerbuildernetwork.co
Hay Bale Seating
Stack hay bales for giant chairs, leave them as impromptu seats, or cover them in pretty fabric to create benches.
Need a small table outside? It’s so easy. Just flip over a plastic milk crate and put a flat piece of wood on top.
Source: workingclassmag.com
See how you can turn simple pallets into a great outdoor daybed? First, lay them down. Then, build a nice frame around them and paint it. Add a mattress and pillows, and even your cat will love it!
Source: lovelygreens.com
You can even make a chair from a big, hollow log. Just cut it the right way and add soft cushions inside.
Here is that concrete block bench again. See how much better it looks when you add a coat of bright blue paint to the blocks?
Source: mashable.com
Build a garden chair that will last forever. You can stack big flat rocks and stones to make a seat that looks like a king’s throne.
Source: carolynsshadegardens.com
Make a bench using plastic storage bins as the base. Add ½ inch water-sealed plywood on top of the bins and hide the sides with panels made from reed fencing or lattice, attached to the plywood.
Source: engineeryourspace.com
Metal Tractor Seat Stools
How funny are these? They look like they came from an old farm. Just take big metal springs, attach them to a heavy base, and put an old tractor seat on top.
Source: hometalk.com
Naturally Chic Tree Trunks
Fallen tree trunks can serve as stools, tables, or with some skilled carpentry, you can carve out chair-shaped seats and adorn them with cushions.
Here’s another way to build a deck around a tree. This one is stained dark wood and is low to the ground. It’s a great spot to put down some pillows and read.
Wooden Wine Barrel Chairs
With some skill, adapt wooden wine barrels by cutting away half the body and filling the space with a cut-to-size wooden crate or pallet.
The barrel’s top and base become rounded chair arms, requiring only cushions.
Gabion Seating
Metal-framed gabions filled with stones or recycled wine bottles create playful and funky seating, as well as tables.
Look at what a little paint can do! These are just plain wooden pallets. But when you paint them black and add bright cushions, they turn into a fancy outdoor couch.
An old metal bed frame or futon frame makes a great bench. Just add a cushion!
Source: sunset.com
You can build a whole little patio world. This one uses wood for the seats and a rock-filled wire basket for the table. The colorful boxes on the wall make it extra fun.
Source: apieceofrainbow.com
Here’s another smart way to use concrete blocks. Stack them up to make the arms of your sofa. See how you can use the holes as little shelves?
