DIY Modern Patio Chairs

Purchase the plans to DIY a matching patio sofa HERE!

One typical morning in quarantine last week, I decided on a whim that it was a good idea to sell our wicker patio furniture set and build a new set on my own. WHAT?! I have never built furniture before, but I’d seen some simple plans on Pinterest and figured I could do something similar. In 20 minutes our patio furniture sold (I accidentally listed it for too low!) and BOOM I was now responsible for building our new outdoor furniture. I shared the whole process of these DIY modern patio chairs on my Instagram and had multiple requests for a more detailed blog post, so HERE WE GO!

The Plan

This is the blog post I read that convinced me to try building patio chairs on my own. After doing some measurements and looking at different sizes of lumber I decided to make some adjustments to fit my needs! I built my chairs to fit these patio cushions that I plan to purchase at the end of summer. Our current cushions squish in there okay but it will look much better with the cushions that actually fit!

Supplies (to make one chair)

-6, 2x3x8 whitewood studs
3 inch exterior screws
4 inch exterior screws
wood filler

Tools

-power drill
-miter saw preferred, I used a circle saw and it worked out okay
-level
-power sander

Cuts

-4 boards cut at 28 inches
-10 boards cut at 25 inches
-4 boards cut at 22 inches

Assembly

  1. Start by assembling the side frames. Take 2 of the 28 inch boards and connect them with a 25 inch board at the top.
  2. Measure 14 inches up from the bottom of the 28 inch boards and mark. Screw in another 25 inch board just above those marks.
  3. Screw in a final 25 inch board in between the two already placed.
  4. Repeat steps 1-3 to make the second side frame.

Next, we connect the two side frames together:

  1. Attach a 22 inch board to each side frame at the 14 inch mark you created earlier using the 4 inch screws. Do the same to the back side of the side frames.

Next, we assemble the backrest:

  1. Attach the two remaining 22 inch boards perpendicularly to each side frame to create the back rest. Use the 4 inch screws.

Lastly, we assemble the seat:

  1. Equally space out the 4 remaining 25 inch boards vertically across the chair to create the seat. Use two 3 inch screws per board to ensure stability.

Sand the entire chair frame with extra focus on the armrests. Use wood filler to fill in any imperfections or holes.

That’s it! I wouldn’t say this is an easy DIY, but it is very simple with straightforward cuts and basic tools. It would have been much easier for me if I had an extra set of hands and a better saw, but I got the job done!

Investment

I sold our old patio set for $75, and built these chairs for about $16 each! The lumber cost $12, and the exterior screws cost $4. Worth the investment because they won’t rust! I stained both chairs with an 8oz can of stain I already owned, and I sealed them with this $15 deck sealant meant to protect wood from the elements. These are so cost effective to make that I plan to build a matching sofa as well!

But Wait!

I loved these chairs so much that I decided to build a matching patio sofa! I spent a lot of time and effort curating a detailed tutorial and guide to answer any and all questions you may have about this build, and am offering it as a purchase HERE!

Would you ever consider building your own patio furniture? When I shared that I was making these DIY modern patio chairs I got tons of comments saying you wanted to do them too! If you make them, please share so I can see your work!

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17 Comments

  1. Emily Hartley
    September 24, 2020 / 2:52 am

    You say 3inch screws and 4 inch screws but the instructions do not say how many of each we need to purchase.

    • collectivelycasey@gmail.com
      Author
      December 10, 2020 / 9:08 pm

      I bought a box of each, they are linked in the body of the post!

  2. Miranda
    May 31, 2020 / 8:45 am

    Where did you purchase the lumber from?

    • collectivelycasey@gmail.com
      Author
      June 1, 2020 / 9:13 pm

      I linked it in this post, but it’s from Home Depot!

  3. Nikki
    May 30, 2020 / 8:32 pm

    We made these chairs today! Haven’t sanded or stained yet but that’s coming next weekend! (Building sofa tomorrow!) we love it!!

    • collectivelycasey@gmail.com
      Author
      June 1, 2020 / 9:13 pm

      That is so exciting!! Thank you for the feedback!

  4. Stephen
    May 30, 2020 / 8:48 am

    These look great! One of the photos looks like it had a metal bracket on the chair. Is this something you would recommend?

    Planning to start a chair today the. Go for the sofa next. Thanks!

    • collectivelycasey@gmail.com
      Author
      June 1, 2020 / 9:12 pm

      Hi! I actually just added that metal bracket when I ran out of larger screws! I don’t think they’re necessary, but will add extra support if you are concerned.

  5. Kayla Croswhite
    May 22, 2020 / 5:07 am

    Making a chair this weekend? Did you share the instructions for the loveseat you made? Thank you!

  6. Sarah
    May 14, 2020 / 2:09 pm

    I love these! I am going to try and make them this weekend 🙂 random question, those cushions you linked from target… will the first both the back and the seat? Thank you so much!!

    • collectivelycasey@gmail.com
      Author
      May 14, 2020 / 5:57 pm

      Ahh that is so exciting! The linked cushions will fit the seat. There’s a pillow from that same line at Target that will fit as a backrest!

  7. Roohan Jabbar
    May 14, 2020 / 12:32 pm

    How did you make the cushions and what was that investment? My wife and I have been wanting to make outdoor furniture but we always run into the issue of cushions. They’re so expensive to buy and to make.

    • collectivelycasey@gmail.com
      Author
      May 14, 2020 / 1:03 pm

      I actually just covered some old cushions that we had!I linked some affordable ones from Target that will fit these dimensions

  8. Corrie Gibson
    May 14, 2020 / 6:38 am

    Plan on doing this! Just fantastic!

    • collectivelycasey@gmail.com
      Author
      May 14, 2020 / 1:02 pm

      I love hearing that! Thank you!

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