How to Make Furniture From Debris

Debris bench

You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on furniture. You can get it at a low cost or often absolutely free when you make furniture from debris. Salvage yards, junk yards, garage sales and thrift stores often have the supplies you need to meet a wide array of furniture needs. You can make furniture from debris with some imagination and creative steps.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Random debris
• Pillows and cushions
• Sheets or throws
• Welder (optional)
• Fasteners like nails, screws, pipe fittings and glue

1. Make a table can be made from anything that is stable and has a flat surface. You can always cover an unsightly top with a nice tablecloth. You can expand the size of the surface by placing a large slab of wood or other flat, stable debris on top. Dinner tables can be made with a large barrel beneath a heavy, round flat object. A coffee table can be yours with two low debris hunks with a thick piece of glass or a mirror atop it. Look for interesting bases like old sewing machine tables, fish tank stands or fencing pieces that can be attached to a tabletop.

2. Build a desk, out of two hunks of debris that are the same height. Leave a space in the center for your legs and place a large piece of glass or wood slab on top. A couple of milk crates work well as the base, as you can store books, paperwork and other office supplies inside them. Hook the milk crates together with metal pipe fittings for stability.

3. Have a seat. Stools and benches are some of the easiest furniture to make with debris. The former can be created from an old tree trunk, several tires stacked with pillows in the center or an upside down ceramic planter. Cover the seat with a decorative meditation pillow. The latter uses the same principles as the coffee table or desk, but use a slab more stable than glass or a mirror on top. Concrete slabs work well for benches, with other chunks of concrete or heavy wood piled beneath.

4. Have another seat. Old shopping carts with one side ripped off, wheel wells and old car seats make for some interesting chairs throughout the yard or house. Pile pillows on cushions on the base so you are not sitting on something wholly uncomfortable. Cover the debris with an old, dyed sheet or other material if it’s an eyesore.

5. Shelve it. Milk crates, wine crates and other box-like debris make excellent shelving units. Make sure the bottom is stable, or make it stable with slats of wood nailed or glued beneath and stack them up. Secure the tiers with nails, screws, glue or pipe fittings. As with any shelving unit, make sure to put the heaviest items on the bottom so it does not topple over. For added security, you may want to attach the unit to the wall with fasteners sold at hardware stores.

Tips & Warnings

• Spray paint will become your best friend to turn something ugly into something snazzy. Experiement with colors. It's not like you can ruin the debris.

• Metal pieces can be secured together with a welder or pipe fittings that adjust to keep things in place. Check your local hardware store for pipe fitting options that will work.

• Wooden pieces can be nailed, screwed and glued together with a heavy duty wood glue.

• Plastic pieces adhere well with screws or a heavy duty epoxy.

• Remove or sand any rough edges, random shards or sharp pieces that could hurt someone.