Do-It-Yourself Outdoor Project Ideas

Sprucing up your deck, patio, or yard just got an inspirational boost, thanks to these 15 projects you can do yourself. They range from small and simple to more intricate and involved, and all are worthwhile to make the outdoors more livable and lively come spring.

By Sarah Wolf

Pallets in a Perky Palette

Wooden pallets are easy to come by on the cheap -- many businesses will even give them away! They are the building blocks of acoffee table so low-maintenance, it can stay outside year-round. Our version stacks two pallets together for height and features a window box-style planter (which we filled with Scotch moss) as a centerpiece.

Double Duty

Boost the function of a store-bought potting bench, which doubles as an outdoor serving station. Cut sections of lattice to fit the sides and back, paint them to match -- we chose a saucy hot-pink -- and fasten the lattice with screws. Use S-hooks or screw eyes to hang garden tools, gloves, buckets, or other necessities so they’re always within reach.

Fancy Fence

All fences are functional -- even the simplest ones are good at delineating the neighbor's yard from your own -- but this one takes practicality to new heights. Not only are the boards brushed with green, blue, and gray exterior wood stain for a lively striped look, but the fence also holds aloft a couple of gutter gardens. That's right: Inexpensive vinyl gutters -- the ideal shallow plant container -- were cut into 3-foot sections (folks at the hardware store can do it for you) and then sprayed with two shades of green paint. Once we attached the gutters to the reinforced areas of the fence, we filled them with potting soil and plants for an easy, almost-instant garden.

Sized to Suit

Most of us wouldn’t even try to build a house by ourselves, but shrink down the scale to the size of a garden shed, and all of a sudden we’re eager to roll up our sleeves! And why wouldn’t we be when a shed can be as detailed and dapper as this one? We designed it to be 5x8 feet so we could use standard, 8-foot boards, and it sits on a level spot so that water flow isn’t an issue. And because it’s meant to endure theelements, we used galvanized nails and weather-resistant materials throughout to avoid rust and rot.

(source link: http://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/porch/outdoor-rooms/diy-outdoor-projects/#page=1)

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