How to Make Outdoor Patio Bar Furniture

When it comes to outdoor patio furniture, building bar furniture adds to the décor and offers additional functionality. While you can purchase a variety of types of materials to build your bar furniture, you should consider teakwood. Its natural oil protects the wood from the elements, making the furniture durable and resilient.

Things You'll Need

• Bar furniture plans (optional)
• 4 2 x 4-inch pieces of lumber, 1 foot 41/2 inches long
• 4 2 x 4-inch pieces of lumber, 5 feet 4 3/4 inches long
• 4 1 x 1-inch pieces of lumber, 5 feet 8 inches long
• 1 box 1 1/4-inch finishing nails
• 1 teakwood piece, 5 feet high x 6 feet wide
• 2 teakwood pieces, 5 feet long x 2 feet wide
• Shelves, varies by design
• 3/4 x 3/4-inch ledgers, varies by design
• 1 teakwood piece, 6 feet long x 2 feet wide
• Wood filler
• Barstools or outdoor patio furniture
• Mini-fridge (optional)

Instructions

1. Purchase supplies to build your bar furniture. If you're using plans, consult the material list for exact specifications. You may want to consider getting the wood pre-cut to reduce the amount of work and time you spend on the project.

2. Build a 1-foot 4 ½-inch by 5-foot 4 ¾-inch base from 2-inch by 4-inch pieces of lumbar for the top and bottom of your bar's frame. Attach these sections together with 1-foot by 1-foot pieces of lumbar in each corner.

3. Use corrosion-resistant nail to secure the exterior pieces for the bar to the frame on the sides and the front of the bar; leave the back open for storage. You may want to consider making solid pieces from teakwood paneling.

4. Install shelving into the back section of the bar. Make ledgers from ¾-inch by ¾-inch pieces of wood. You need to recess the ledgers at least 2 inches to hide them from view. For longer shelves, install a middle support to prevent bowing.

5. Place a piece of teakwood on top of the bar for the countertop. You want to make sure the countertop matches up to the sides of the bar. If you plan to set heavy items on top of the countertop, add ledgers for extra support.

6. Touch up the bar with matching wood filler to hide errors and nails.

7. Build matching chairs for bar-side seating or consider adding outdoor patio furniture to match.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have other outdoor patio furniture, you may want to incorporate similar details to incorporate the bar furniture into your décor.

• Consider adding a refrigerator on one side of the bar in place of shelving.