Move into the Outdoors with Wood Furniture

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Outdoor wooden table and benches woodworking plans with assembly diagrams and picnic setup on grass

It’s time to think about the “lazy days of summer” and create a comfortable, attractive outdoor living area that reflects your family’s lifestyle.

Consider décor featuring wood furniture that you build yourself, using advice and products from Woodcraft. Or, if you already have wood furniture, let Woodcraft help you give it a new look – maybe distressed or antiqued or a brand-new color.

Woodcraft’s Project Plans include Outdoor Table and Benches shown here (in photo collage at left) and featured in the April/May 2013 issue of Woodcraft Magazine. 

Yellow painted wooden Adirondack chair with matching side table and footstool on weathered dock near waterFurniture Options

Woodcraft offers nearly three dozen building plans for the popular Adirondack chair in several individual styles, as well as a glider, loveseat, folding, twin adjustable, chaise lounge, child size, and footstools. Adirondack chair templates are also available.

Other outdoor seating plans include Tudor style chairs, folding sling chairs, and porch and folding patio rockers.

Picnic table-bench combo plans include the traditional shape and an octagonal version, while bench plans feature seats with and without backs/arms in various styles such as Tudor, Lutyens, English, and arched. Traditional porch swing plans come in several styles, some with frames for yard use. Glider plans are also available.

Other plans include a tree seat, garden trellises, a footbridge, birdhouses, and a camp kitchen.

Outdoor wooden bench with slatted back and armrests, flowers on seat and grass beneath
Build a Garden Bench
Outdoor wooden picnic table with two matching benches on grass under trees
Outdoor Table and Benches
Folding outdoor chair with wooden frame and blue fabric sling seat and backrest

Folding Patio Rocker

Outdoor wooden rocking bench with slatted back and seat, decorated with cushions and a sun hat

Build a Porch Rocker

Octagonal wooden picnic table with attached angled benches and sturdy cross-braced legs

Octagonal Picnic Table

Outdoor wooden garden bridge with curved handrails and vertical balusters surrounded by flowers and rocks

Arched Foot Bridge

Bosch electric jigsaw with ergonomic grip and blade guard for woodworking cutsTools & Products to Build (Or Repair)

Once you have selected your wood, something rot-resistant like cypress, cedar, locust or white oak, the 7.0 amp variable-speed Bosch Barrel Grip Jigsaw, with a tool-less blade-change system, will make cutting chores easy.

Keep a work surface handy with the Kreg Mobile Project Center. It is a workbench, sawhorse, assembly table, and clamping station all in one that provides a versatile work space for DIY, repair, and woodworking projects.

To join the furniture pieces, Kreg Jig HD Starter Kit will do the job using pocket-hole joinery. The Kreg Jig® HD is made to work with 1-1/2″ and thicker material to build outdoor furniture, fences, trellises, and more. Kreg Jig® HD Screws are #14 hardened-steel screws with a Protec-Kote™ finish that has three anti-corrosion layers.

Two woodworkers measuring and marking wood clamped on a Kreg workbench in a workshop.
Kreg Mobile Project Center
Pocket hole jig clamped to workbench drilling angled pocket holes in vertical wood board
Kreg Jig HD Starter Set
Five weather-resistant exterior wood screws with bugle heads and coarse threads for outdoor furniture assembly

 

HD Pocket Hole Screws - 30 or 125 count

Tools, Supplies and Hardware

Other tools, supplies and hardware that come in handy for furniture projects include:

Bottle of Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue with waterproof label and green cap nozzle
Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue for interior and exterior use is waterproof (not for use under water), cleans up with water, has an eight-minute open assembly time, and offers an application temperature as low as 47°F.
Metal try square with a wooden handle for marking and measuring right angles in woodworking.
Groz 6" Stainless Steel Engineer's Rule is handy for setting up table saw blades, jointer fences, and other machine tools where accuracy is a must. 
16-foot tape measure with lefty/righty markings and metal end hook extended

FastCap Lefty/Righty 16' Tape Measure features dual-display standard measurements that can be read easily from either side of this 16' tape. 

Cordless Festool drill with two 18V lithium-ion batteries, charger, and carrying case

Expand your drilling capabilities with the Festool T18 Easy Cordless Drill Plus Set —with new generation brushless EC-TEC motor and electronic torque setting for precise screw driving and drilling wood or steel.

Cordless pneumatic nailer with green and black housing for fastening wood joints
Hands adjusting a metal crank mechanism on a light wood furniture leg assembly in a workshop.
Glider Bracket Hardware fits most gliders and can be used to replace old worn or broken brackets typically used in outdoor gliders.
Cordless pneumatic nailer with green and black housing for fastening wood joints
The lightweight, compact Grex GC1850 Cordless 2“, 18-gauge Brad Nailer features an all-metal robust construction with the power to sink 2″ 18-gauge brad nails into 2″ red oak.
Yellow zinc-coated wood screw with square drive and flat countersunk head shown from side and top views

HIGHPOINT XT Square Drive Woodworking Screws, Flathead, 100-piece packs offer almost twice the torque values of other screws.

Cordless pneumatic nailer with green and black housing for fastening wood joints

The lightweight, compact Grex GC1850 Cordless 2“, 18-gauge Brad Nailer features an all-metal robust construction with the power to sink 2″ 18-gauge brad nails into 2″ red oak.

 

Finishing

Selecting a finish offers the opportunity to customize furniture for your family’s tastes and lifestyle. Color and special effects options are the “tools” for this creative endeavor.

One-gallon container of Blue Bear Soy Gel Paint and Urethane Stripper for removing finishes.
For removing finish when refinishing furniture, Blue Bear Paint and Urethane Stripper (Soy Gel) is a good choice because it has no known health hazards, is virtually odorless and works well.
Open can of General Finishes Persian Blue water-based milk paint with foam brush on workshop table
General Finishes Milk Paint is for use indoors or outdoors, and the 28 premixed colors can be mixed, lightened, glazed, layered, antiqued or distressed.
Can of General Finishes Outdoor Oil clear wood finish for sealing and protecting exterior wood surfaces

General Finishes Outdoor Oil Finish is ideal for exterior weather conditions and may be used over other brands of exterior oil stain or exterior clear oil finishes for additional protection.

Plastic bottle of Wood River 100% natural unprocessed tung oil for wood finishing

WoodRiver Pure Tung Oil provides a natural long-lasting finish.

One-gallon can of General Finishes Exterior 450 satin wood finish for outdoor wood protection

General Finishes 450 Varnish in Satin minimizes fading, retards mold and fungus growth, and can be applied quickly to achieve a clear, tough finish.

Can of satin marine spar varnish with label showing brush applying finish to wood surface

System Three Marine Spar Varnish in Satin is designed for exterior surfaces and provides long-lasting protection against water and marine environments.

woman in workshop setting with necklace, posing for woodworking blog header

To learn more about these and other products, visit your local Woodcraft store, call (800) 535-4482 or visit store.woodcart.shop.

Let us help you create the perfect outdoor retreat with new wood furniture created in your own workshop, or updated, older pieces that just need a pick-me-up. 

We hope you’ll be inspired!

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