Time to work in the yard?

I realize that the 3 people who read my blog, don't live in the deep south so this post just may be a bit premature.

However, here in Birmingham, AL it's time to start planning those outside projects!  I have a very large bricked patio out back.  I love it!  It's half covered by mature pecan trees and half completely exposed to the sun but at a northern exposure.  This means that as long as the temperature is below 100 - I have an awesome patio!

Have you priced patio furniture lately?  Pretty pricey unless you want the cheap plastic furniture - which I don't.  I like things with character.  Things with some design to them.  Things that don't cost a lot of money.

Ever see wooden pallets sitting in a pile behind a business?  I do.  Guess what you can do with them?  Make patio furniture!!  Look below:

This piece took 3 pallets (well, 2 full and a partial) and the only cost were the price of paint (it was leftover paint from other jobs) a few nails and a couple of bolts and washers which I already had in my toolbox!!

Look at these loungers!  Same process as the chair above but on these you add a couple of hinges so you can  adjust the back.  In the middle is the top of an old spindle that is sitting on top of a couple of cinder blocks.

When making furniture from pallets, the only thing you have to watch out for are cracks in the wood.  This is an easy fix.  Always gather more pallets than you think you'll need.  Then when you get a pallet that has maybe 2 boards that are cracked - rip them off and take a couple of boards from one of the spare pallets.

One more tip.  Since these are made from low grade wood and they will be outside exposed to all sorts of weather conditions, always (I can't stress this enough) always weather/water proof every inch of the wood (top, bottom, sides) to prevent wood rot, those horrible wood bumble bees, termites and the weather conditions in general from ruining your finished product.

Need a new patio table?  Do I have news for you!!  Look below:

This table is made from wooden boards, small concrete culverts and a couple of concrete pavers.  The hardest parts of this job are (1) the time it takes at the lumber store to find the type of wood you want, boards that aren't warped and of course, (2) the heavy lifting involved in bringing both the wood and the concrete culverts home!

I can't stress how easy this is and how much character it gives your back yard!

Feel free to share photo's of your work!