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.