Easy DIY Patio Chairs using 2 x 4s-Tutorial

Materials and Tools: (for one chair)

12 - 2 x 4 at 24" (see the table for detailed cut list)
4 - 2 x 4 at 26"
2 - 2 x 4 at 23"
2 - 2 x 2 at 20"

Drill and drill bits

Power saw/ Hand saw (or get the lumber cut according to the measurements from the store)

Electric sander 

Sand paper 120 grit 

Wood screws, 3"

Wood glue

Wooden dowels, 1.5"  

Paint (I used BEHR premium paint and primer in one-ultra pure white-satin finish)

Paint brushes/foam brushes

Tape measure

Pencil

This project is inspired from Ana White's post on outdoor chairs. I have made a few changes in the measurements and style such as I used only 2 x 4 lumber and reduced the number of side slats so that the chair is not too heavy to lift. Also, modified the style of legs to match the end table I made recently.

This is a very simple project and needs only 2 x 4 lumber. The chair is designed to fit 24" x 23" cushions. Make the corresponding changes in the plan to fit the cushions with any other dimensions.

What is a 2 x 4 wood? Understanding wood sizes:
When you plan a wood project, it is crucial to have a basic understanding about the type, grade, and size of lumber you are going to use. In the lumber isle of a hardware store you will see various studs and boards with nominal dimensions such as 2 x 2 (pronounced as 'two by two'), 2 x 4 ( pronounced as 'two by four'), 4 x 4 (four by four), 2 x 6 (two by six) with different lengths. 
In a 2 x 4 board, the two numbers are actually the dimensions of the cross section of the board in inches, ie width and depth. This is the dimension when the board is sawn from the tree. But, as the wood dries it will shrink and hence the width and depth are going to change. So, when you purchase  a 2 x 4 board from the store, the actual dimension of the board is not 2" x 4" but it is close to 1.5" and 3.5 ". Keep this in mind when you design any woodworking projects with various size lumber and plan accordingly.  
For further reading click here  

Tutorial: to make one chair

Step 1: Cutting lumber

The measurements that are required to make one chair are given in the table below. Get the lumber cut according to the measurements.

Cut list to make one chair

Lumber size	# of Pieces	Length (Inches)	Purpose
2 x 4	4	24	Legs
2 x 4	2	26	Bottom piece
2 x 4	2	26	Arm rests
2 x 4	2	23	Side slats
2 x 4	3	24	Back-2 & front-1 slats
2 x 4	4 or 5	24	Seat slats
2 x 2	2	20	Inside cleats

For making two chairs, I bought:

7- 8 feet long 2 x 4 lumber,
2-10 feet 2 x 4 lumber, &

1- 8 feet 2 x 2 lumber 

All the lumber were bought and cut from Home Depot. FYI, if you buy lumber from Home Depot, you can get it cut from the store for free. 

A few more things to remember:

• Once you cut the lumber, be sure to sand all the pieces to get a smooth surface. 
• Make sure to predrill holes for the screws
• Apply wood glue on all joints before screwing the pieces together
• All the measurements are given in inches and the length of the pieces is given in parenthesis, for eg: legs (24")

Step 2: Attaching legs to the bottom piece

Position the two legs (24") at the ends of the bottom piece (26") and predrill holes for the screws. Two holes are made at each joints. Apply glue on the joints and then screw the pieces together. 

Step 3: Attaching the side slat and armrest

Place the side slat (23") at 12" from the bottom piece and mark its position. Predrill screw holes, glue at the joints and screw. 

Attach the arm rest (26") to the free ends of the legs to finish off one side frame of the chair.  Be sure to predrill screw holes and glue the joints. Assemble the next side frame by following steps 2 and 3.

Step 4: Attaching front, back slats, and inside cleat

Get the two side frames that are assembled in step 3. Place them upright and screw front (24") and back middle slats (24"). Also attach the inside cleats (20") towards the lower inside of the two side slats. 

Next is to attach the one of the back slats on the top backside of the chair. If you have pocket hole Kreg jig, you can connect it very easily. As I do not have one, I used wooden dowels. Make two dowel holes at each ends of the back top slat and two on the top inside of the chair (dowel positions are marked in the following picture). Insert four dowels into the pre-glued dowel holes of the back slat and slightly hammer the dowels so that only half of each dowel should go into the holes. Then, position the dowels into the pre-glued holes on the top inside of the chair and fix it. You may use a strap to keep the assembly tight until the glue gets dry. 

The back slat on the top is attached to the chair using 4 wooden dowels. The dowel positions are marked white.

Step 5: Attaching seat slats

Four or five seat slats (24") can be used. Screw them equidistant onto the inside cleat. That's it!! The chair is almost done. 

Step 6: Painting

To finish off the patio chairs, use an exterior paint. Apply two coats of  paint (I used BEHR premium paint and primer in one-ultra pure white-satin finish) and allow it to dry. Add some contrasting cushions and throw pillows. 

How to Build a Modern Rustic End Table

Materials and Tools:

2 X 4 cut at 15": 4 , for the legs

2 X 4  cut at 16.5": 2, for the bottom 

2 X 6 cut at 16": 3, for the top

Wooden dowels, 1.5"  -8

Wood screws, 3" - 16

Wood glue

Drill and drill bits

Hand saw (or get the lumber cut according to the measurements from the store)

Electric sander 

Sand paper 120 grit 

Stain

Tape measure

Pencil

Tutorial:

1) Cutting lumber: Using a hand saw or power saw cut the lumber. Make the following cuts according to the table below:

# of Pieces	Lumber size	Length	Purpose
4	2 x 4	15"	Legs
2	2 x 4	16.5"	Bottom
3	2 x 6	16"	Top

2) Sanding and Staining: Sand each of the wood pieces using 120 grit paper and stain (For staining I used Minwax polyshades-stain & polyurethane in 1step in expresso gloss finish) 

3)  Assembling side legs and the bottom pieces: Lay one of the  bottom piece (2 x 4 with 16.5" ) with its one of the long 2" side facing down. Place the two leg pieces ( 2 x 4 with 15 ") on its two ends of the bottom piece. Be sure to place them perpendicular to the bottom piece. Predrill 2 screw holes on the ends of the bottom piece to attach the legs. A total of 4 screws are required, two at each ends. Similarly assemble the other side.  

Attach the bottom piece to two side legs

4) Assembling top: If you have pocket hole Kreg  jig, you can connect the top three pieces without much difficulty.  I used wood dowels to connect the three pieces for the end table top (I do not have Kreg jig).  

Lay out the three pieces for the top (2 x 6 with 16"), side by side with their broad side facing down. Align the boards to be mated and mark the positions of the dowels with a pencil. Choose the middle piece and predrill four holes for the wooden dowels on the center of its two sides. The depth of the holes should be approximately half of the length of a dowel. Similarly, choose the first and third piece and predrill holes for the dowels in the center of only one side of each piece. 

Relative positions of dowel holes:Four dowel holes on both sides of the middle piece and four holes on only one side of first and third piece

To install the dowels in the dowel hole place a small amount of glue into each predrilled holes in one board, insert dowel into the glued hole, slightly hammer on the other side of the dowel to tighten the dowels in the holes. Then position the next board to be mated onto the corresponding dowels with its side with holes. Fill dowel holes with glue and apply generous amount of glue on both surfaces to be joined. Inset the dowel into the the holes with glue. Slightly hammer the other side the board to make sure the dowels are properly fit in between the boards. Once the glue has dried, attach third board following the same procedure. You may use a strong strap around the three boards to tighten the joints.

5) Assembling the legs to the top:

Get the two sides that have been assembled in step 3, with its free ends of the legs sticking up. Place the assembled top on the legs, predrill screw holes, and screw in place. Eight screws are used, 2 for each legs.  

6) Getting the rustic finish: You can basically do anything to imitate the natural wear and tear to get a rustic/distressed/vintage look to the furniture. Here I am using sandpapers to sand off the stain especially from the edges of the end table. A few nails, screws and hammer are used to make some dents and a steel wool to make scratches on the top. Wipe of the dust and make sure to sand the rough edges and apply a coat of clear sealant once finished.

Beach Bag & Bathing Suit Rack

Materials and Tools:

Wood piece (2 x 4 at least 25")
Sanding paper, 220 grit-1
Drill and drill bits
Coat rack hooks and 1/2" screws- 3
Paint and paint brushes/foam brushes
Mod podge
Shells to embellish

Tutorial:

1) Sand the wood to get a smooth surface. Paint with your choice of color. I choose beach sign theme and used blue/teal colors to cover the surface and also gave a few strokes with white. Also glued a few shells. Once the paint is dry apply two coats of mod podge. Allow it to dry.


















2) Install  the coat rack hooks onto the wood using 1/2" screws with equal distance between the hooks.




















3) Predrill two screw holes, one at each ends of the rack. Mount the rack onto the wall using 3" screws.

Seashells Wall Decor

Supplies:

Seashells
Wooden picture frame without glass
Glue
Mod podge
Acrylic paints
Paint brush/foam brush

Tutorial:

I had this wooden picture frame for a while and recently its glass has broken. This is a re-purposing project to use the frame as a ocean themed wall decor.

Attach the back panel to the frame either by heavy duty stapler or by using the clips already on the frame.Paint the frame and back panel with your desired color. Allow it to dry.

Glue the shells onto the back panel. (If the frame doesn't have a backing, use a cardboard piece cut into the shape and attach to the frame using heavy duty stapler or glue). Once the glue has dried apply two coats of mod podge over the shells and frame to seal the work.

Three Tier Wooden Shelf/ Bathroom Storage Shelf

Required materials and tools:

2 x 4 at least 30" -1

2 x 10 at least 9"-1

2 x 10 at least 10"-1

2 x 10 at least 11"-1

(if you prefer equal tier length, buy three similar length  2 x 10s)
Sandpaper/sanding block (220 grit)-1

3" or 2.5" Wood screws- 9

Wood glue

Hand saw (or get it cut from the store)

Drill and drill bits

Measuring tape

Pencil

Paint or stain

Paint brush or foam brush

Tutorial:

1) Sand all the sides of wooden pieces to make the surface smooth. Wipe down entire surface to remove any dust from sanding. Lay out all four wood pieces.
The 2 x 4 (pronounced as 2 by 4) with 30" length is going to be the back support and the three 2 x 10s are for the shelves.  Decide the position of each tier and mark it with pencil on the back support.

2) Predrill screw holes. Predrilling screw holes guarantee that the screw won't break or the wood won't crack. Choose appropriate size drill bit (more precisely, a bit that matches the inner diameter of the screw thread). I used 1/8 drill bit for all my works.

 A total of 6 screw holes are required on back support, 2 for each tiers. Make 2 screw holes on the center of each tiers as shown below. 

drill with bit for screw hole

predrilled holes on back support and tiers

3) Place all tiers perpendicular with the side with screw holes on top. Apply generous amount of wood glue around the screw holes. Position the back support on top of the tiers so that the screw holes on the back support and tiers are well aligned.(You can use a thin wooden skewer or thin metal rod to check the screw hole alignment). Then, screw along the holes. For attaching three tiers on the back support, I used 6 screws, 2 for each tier.

4) The last step is to paint/stain the shelf. Allow at least an hour for the glue to dry before applying stain. Apply two coats of paint/stain and dry according to the directions.

(For staining I used Minwax polyshades-stain & polyurethane in 1step in expresso gloss finish. Unfortunately, I am not very satisfied with the result I got with this oil based stain on pine lumber. I can see blotching as pine is a soft wood. It needed 2 coats of stain at least to get satisfactory results. Next time I would select a water based stain. Brush cleaning procedure is much more easy with a water based stain. Whereas for oil based stain, mineral spirit was required to clean up the brush.)

5) For mounting the shelf on the wall, make three equidistant predrilled screw holes on the back support and screw onto the wall.

Upholstering Dining Chairs to Tufted Accent Chairs

Tools & Supplies:

Wooden chairs
Foam- 3 inch and 1/2 inch thickness
Batting
Upholstery fabric
Fabric covered buttons/Upholstery buttons
Tufting twine/ thick and strong thread
Measuring tape
Jute webbing ( or any strong fabric)

Heavy duty stapler and pins
Staple puller/ remover
Hammer
Nails
Scissors
Screw driver
Long needle

Before starting the project, make sure the chairs you plan to upholster are sturdy and stable. If required, tighten any loose screws or glue any joints using industrial grade glue.


Upholstering Seat:
First step is to dissemble any existing fixed cushions from the chairs. For that, flip the chair upside down and loosen the screws from the bottom four corners. Then loosen the staples to remove the fabric and foam from the bottom wood panel. If you are working with a chair with no cushions, you may skip this step.

chair with bottom cushion and wood panel has been removed

It is necessary to fill up any medium/large gaps on the chair surface before attaching foam, batting, and fabric. My chair has a  gap between seating and the back. to cover up that, I nailed two pieces of plywood on the front and back to make the surface free from the gaps. (You may also use jute webbing or any thick and strong fabric strips to cover up the gaps). For the backside of seat back, I used a  fabric instead of webbing and staple them in place.

 

Now keep the bottom wood panel back on and screw it in place. Cut 3"thick foam, same size as the bottom wood panel and glue it to the panel. Cut and wrap 1/2" thick foam along the sides of the wood panel and glue/staple the edges of the foam to the chair. Cover up the entire seating area and sides (including 3" and 1/2" foam) with batting. Staple the batting edges to the underside of the chair. Trim off any excess batting.

(Tips: If you have any old quilt or comforter, you can replace it for batting. Because batting is the material that is used for making quilts and comforters.)

Place upholstery fabric on the seat and spread it out. The dimensions should be enough to cover the seating area and all four sides of the chair, plus 3" to staple on the underside of the chair.  Pull the fabric tightly along the sides and staple it on the underside of the chair. Similarly, pull the fabric tightly along the front and back and staple it on the underside of the chair. When working with the corners, be sure not to bulge with fabric or batting. You may trim off any excess fabric or batting from the corners and fold inside and staple to get a nice boxed look.

Upholstering Chair Back:

Once you finish seating, the next step is to work on the chair back. Cut 1/2" foam and batting according to the dimensions of the front side of the chair back, plus 2". Staple them to the backside of chair frame. Spread upholstery fabric, pull tightly, and staple on the backside of the chair. Repeat the same for all sides. When working with the corners, be sure not to bulge with fabric or batting. You may trim off any excess fabric or batting from the corners and fold and staple.

Tufting:

Decide the location of each tuft and mark it with a pen. String upholstery thread on a long needle. Push the needle from the backside to front along the tuft mark, leaving at least 5" of the string on the backside. Then, string fabric covered button, insert the needle from the front, at least 1/4" away from the original tuft mark and pull it from the backside. Pull the two ends of the twine tightly and tie them together on the back to keep in place. Repeat the same for the remaining tufts.

Finishing underside and backside of chair:

For the backside of the chair, cut the same upholstery fabric and batting, same size as the backside of the chair. Staple batting followed by the fabric. Before stapling the fabric, make a 1/2" fold along the edges and then staple it. Make sure to pull the fabric tightly before stapling.

You may use upholstery tacks to give a bit more fancy look and cover up the staples.

For the underside of the chair, flip chair upside down and spread out the fabric. Make a 1/2" fold along all sides and staple it.