Building your own backyard wood projects is a great way to spruce up your backyard while saving you money. But it can be intimidating to try and tackle some DIY projects if you’re a beginner.
Even if you’ve never built anything before, some projects are easy to create with little effort or experience, such as a bench, kid’s teepee or seesaw, Adirondack chair, an herb garden, or a cooler. Most of these designs will not require a lot of material, effort, or time.
Today, we’re going to look at eight easy outdoor woodworking projects for beginners. We’ll give you easy to follow instructions for each project, as well as links to step by step guides with photos.
Here’s the list of simple backyard woodworking projects for beginners:
01. DIY Kid’s Seesaw
If you have kids, they’re sure to have a great time playing on this easy DIY seesaw. All you need is a large electrical spool, some galvanized pipe and decking, and a pool noodle. This simple outdoor DIY woodworking project is great for beginners. All you have to do is cut the spool in half using a reciprocating saw. You will need to split both the top and bottom.
Next, mount the ½ galvanized pipe between the two halves. You will need three pieces of pipe, two installed at the outer corners of the top, and one at the bottom in the middle.
Next, nail down three pieces of decking board to work as a seat. Do this on both sides at the top of the spool. Mount two more pieces at the bottom of the spindle for footrests, right above the bottom pipe structure.
Wooden stoppers on the bottom of the spool prevent this seesaw from doing a lot of dangerous rolling. Instead, you get a gentle rock. The next step is to mount the galvanized handrail in the center. Cover this piece with the pool noodle, and you are done.
Find the full guide here: Hometalk
02. Simple Outdoor Wooden Bench
A wooden bench is a great way to add a bit of personality to your backyard while serving the functional purpose of providing extra seating. You can build a simple bench with just a few steps using this basic design.
Now the appearance of this outdoor furniture isn’t as aesthetically appealing for some people, and it’s quite narrow and plain. But it’s perfect for beginner woodworking projects because there aren’t many pieces to assemble, it’s cheap, and you can put it together in less than an hour.
To build this plain outdoor furniture, you’ll need some wood, screws, a drill, and a miter saw. The legs will need to be 2×8 boards. If you purchase a 10-foot board, you can cut it in half. For the backrest and the seat, you’ll need a 10-foot 2×10 board.
Before assembly, you will need to cut the 2×10 into two pieces – 58½” for the seat and a 61½” backrest. With the 2×8 board, you’ll need to cut at a 25° angle. You’ll need four pieces for the legs. Two 36″ and two 18″ legs.
For assembly, head over to The Project Lady for complete instructions on how to assemble your easy beginner bench. The steps are pretty straightforward, but it might be easier to follow along with the great pictures if you’re a visual learner.
Find the full guide here: The Project Lady
03. DIY Teepee/Kid’s Tent
Who wouldn’t want to have an awesome teepee sitting in their backyard? It’s an excellent place for the kids to play and use their imagination. Or it can serve as your secret spot to decompress every night with a glass of wine or a yummy margarita. Close the curtains to enjoy a good book or recline on cushions to view the stars.
There are dozens of ways to create your own teepee using pallets. You can spruce them up to meet any style you prefer. And setup can be simple enough to do in one to four hours.
For this project, you will need two pallets (same size), some fabric – you can use an old bedsheet, a hammer, nails, and some sandpaper. Building your teepee starts with disassembling the pallets, being sure to remove all the nails. If your pallets are unfinished and rough, use the sandpaper to smooth each piece of wood.
Check out these simple step by step instructions for your DIY outdoor teepee. There’s also helpful pictures for each step so you can tell if you’re doing it right. This design is one of the most simple beginner wood projects.
Find the full guide here: Creative Green Living
04. Vertical DIY Wooden Herb Garden
If you’ve ever thought of growing an herb garden but you’re limited in the yard or outdoor space, you might love to build a DIY outdoor herb garden.
The great thing about building your own stand is that you can size it to meet your needs, so if you only want to grow two or three herbs, no problem. Want to have twenty different spices growing? No problem. There’s a guide for that too. You are only limited to your imagination.
For this project, you will need pine or cedar planks, pots, hinges and locks, screws, and an aluminum screen.
Depending on your design, you may need to have a bit more experience with cutting at an angle. If you’ve never done this, you may want to practice on some scrap wood before attempting final cuts.
For step by step instructions on how to build and assemble your herb garden, you can check below. In addition to the guidelines, you can also view pictures of each step.
Find the full guide here: Diy Vintage Chic
05. DIY Rustic Cooler
There’s nothing better on a hot day than chilling in some shade in your backyard oasis with a cold drink in your hand. But lugging around a heavy cooler every time you want to hang out can get tiresome.
Building a deck cooler is the perfect solution. And it’s so simple; any beginner can do it. You will need to buy some materials, so expect to have to shell out a bit of money. Check out this guide that will list the various objects you will need.
A few items we’ll mention include a 50 Quart cooler, a Dremel ultra-saw, various tools, and five to eight pallets. Pallets can typically be free or bought for a small price. And assembly is pretty simple, so you don’t need to be a master woodworker to build a deck cooler.
Find the full guide here: Home Repair Tutor
06. DIY Welcome Mat
If you’re just starting with woodworking projects, a great project to cut your teeth on is a welcome mat. Welcome, or reject, visitors with your own personalized message made by your own two hands.
The remarkable thing about this project is you won’t need many materials. Hunt down a pallet to use for your wood. For this DIY outdoor job, the slats need to be 1″ x 2″ in size.
This mat requires using rope and wood glue, so it’s a great project to start with or even let the kids help or assemble alone. The only heavy tool you’ll need is a drill to add holes for the rope to be thread through to keep the boards together.
Once you’ve connected your boards into your desired size, you can stain the surface or paint a unique design. Get as creative as you want. And because assembly is so quick, you can even make these to sell for a side business.
We love this step by step guide to help you design and assemble your welcome DIY wooden mat. You may only find steps one through three helpful if you want to do a different model than they list.
Find the full guide here: Bob Villa
07. Lanterns for Outdoor Decor
Lanterns are a great way to add a bit of personality and decoration to your environment, both indoors or outside on your patio. These lanterns are easy to make and can be done out of scrap wood, so you won’t need to spend a lot of money. You will need enough wood to make the top and bottom, as well as all the sides.
Here’s an easy to follow guide to help you create your own rustic lanterns. With this resource, you can design your own lantern in just six simple steps.
You don’t have to be a woodworking master to build these easy lanterns. But you will need to know how to use a nail gun and a saw or handsaw to cut your boards if you don’t have scraps.
Find the full guide here: Diva of DIY
08. Diy Pallet Wine Rack
If you’re a wine connoisseur, you’re going to love this easy DIY outdoor wine rack made out of a pallet. It can be done no matter your expertise level with woodworking.
With this rack, your wine bottles sit safely on a high-walled shelf. And on the bottom of the frame are slots to hang your glasses. While the pallet can be free, you’ll do better to buy the wine rack slot rather than designing your own, unless you have enough experience with woodworking.
This DIY wood rack is rustic and easy to assemble. And it would look great indoors or out. You can leave it bland and rustic or spruce it up with individual design. The possibilities are endless for the final appearance of your wine rack.
Find the full guide here: Virginia Sweet Pea
Conclusion: Backyard Woodworking Projects for Beginners
Building backyard projects using these easy beginner DIY woodworking plans can save you money and give you an outlet to be productive. We’ve provided you with eight easy outdoor woodworking projects that you can do with little to no woodworking experience. We hope you enjoy these simple wood projects.
