DIY Garden Furniture — Build It for a Fraction of the Price

Why Build Your Own Garden Furniture?

A decent outdoor dining table from a furniture retailer will cost you anywhere from £400 to well over £1,000. Build one yourself from cedar or treated hardwood and your materials bill is typically £80–£180 — with timber you chose, dimensions that suit your space, and the deep satisfaction of eating dinner at something you made with your own hands.

Garden furniture is also one of the most forgiving categories for beginners. Outdoor pieces don't need to be perfect — small gaps in joints, slight variations in spacing, a surface that's not quite glass-smooth. None of this matters outdoors. What matters is solid construction and the right timber.

Choosing the Right Timber for Outdoor Furniture

This is the most important decision. The wrong timber will rot, warp or disintegrate within a few seasons. The right timber will last for decades.

Three Projects to Build — In Order of Difficulty

1. Garden Bench (Beginner)

Two side frames, a seat, a back. Uses basic butt joints and pocket screws. Cedar or treated pine. A complete garden bench can be built in a weekend with basic tools and costs around £60–£90 in materials. Extremely satisfying and immediately useful.

2. Outdoor Dining Table (Intermediate)

Four legs, apron frame, tabletop boards. The key to a good outdoor table is designing for wood movement — floating tabletop boards rather than a glued slab, and proper drainage gaps between boards. Cedar or teak. Budget £120–£200 in materials for a 6-seater.

3. Garden Chair Set (Intermediate)

Chairs require more precise angled cuts than tables or benches — the back legs are typically raked (angled back) for comfort. Once you've cracked the compound angles, a set of four matching chairs is a genuinely impressive build.

Finishing Outdoor Timber

The finish you choose determines how much maintenance your furniture will need and how it ages.

• Penetrating outdoor oil — soak into the timber, protecting from within. Needs annual reapplication. Maintains the natural wood colour.
• Exterior paint (primer + topcoat) — completely covers the grain. Very durable but needs repainting every few years as it chips and peels.
• Leave unfinished (cedar and teak only) — both weather naturally to an attractive silver-grey and require zero maintenance. The timber is protecting itself.