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Have a go at these easy outdoor furniture makes that won’t cost a fortune but will spruce up your space

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1 Use pallets to make simple furniture

Put together a relaxed seating arrangemen­t using three salvaged wood pallets. Check the wood thoroughly first to make sure that there are no protruding nails or staples and give the surface a light sanding to remove any rough edges and splinters. Start by stacking two pallets, one on top of the other, to form your base and use a drill and screws to secure them together. Use the third pallet, propped in a vertical position to create the backrest, securing in place with screws. Paint in a colourful wood finish, then add cushions and throws to make it super-comfy.

2 MAKE AN EASY OUTDOOR MIRROR

To make a chic window-pane style mirror you’ll need a frameless mirror and a garden trellis. Cut the trellis to size using a hand saw. Paint the trellis with a couple of coats of exterior paint. Once dry, use grab adhesive to stick the trellis onto the front of your mirror. When dry secure to an outdoor wall or fence panel.

3 SPRUCE UP A SHABBY TABLE WITH SMART STRIPES

Give your wooden garden table an easy pick-me-up by painting a panel of contrastin­g stripes along the centre to create the look of a table runner. Lightly sand the surface, then apply a couple of coats of white exterior paint. Once dry, use tester paint pots in contrast colours to create the striped runner effect. Use masking tape to help create a neater edge.

4 Change old crates into colourful garden cubbies

Find a new use for old wooden fruit crates by making mini wall shelves for a patio area or inside a potting shed. Paint crates in cheery colours, using exterior garden paint to give a weatherpro­of finish. Secure to the wall using wooden battens on the reverse, or add wall brackets if you intend to stow weightier items inside. Smaller-sized crates like these are great for displaying planters or bric-a-brac and look effective in mini groupings. Alternativ­ely, use large wooden wine crates to create a bigger arrangemen­t, securing with wall brackets.

5 SET UP YOUR OWN DIY OUTDOOR KITCHEN

Make a kitchen work station beside your barbecue area so that cooking essentials are close to hand. A slatted fence panel provides a useful surface for hanging utensils; fix shelves on the panels for cooking oils and condiments. A bench will act as an outdoor prep space – stand a couple of wooden crates and baskets underneath for bulkier cookware, pans and grills.

6 Build your own corner seating set-up

Building your own outdoor seating using reclaimed timber is a great way of cutting costs and also allows you to tailor the arrangemen­t to suit the size and layout of your outdoor space. While it’s not a project for a novice, it should be a fairly simple build for a competent DIYER. A corner arrangemen­t like this makes great use of space in a small garden and creates a sociable layout positioned around a coffee table or firepit. Including lift-up seats will provide space to stash garden cushions and throws when they’re not in use.

8 CREATE OUTDOOR SHELVING USING RECYCLED TIMBER

Brighten up a dreary exterior wall by creating a display area for plants and garden ornaments. Reclaimed scaffold boards are a sturdy, all-weather option and will add a rustic look to a patio area. Add extra wow to your wall by painting it a bold, standout colour. Greenery and shelving will pop against vibrant shades of blue or dark green. Arrange shelving at staggered heights and fill with a mix of plants in assorted shapes and sizes.

‘CHECK OUT SITES SUCH AS GUMTREE AND FACEBOOK MARKETPLAC­E WHERE YOU CAN PICK UP PALLETS IN YOUR AREA CHEAPLY, OR EVEN FOR FREE’

7 Repurpose an old stepladder

Make a vintage-style display stand for the patio by upcycling an old wooden stepladder. Use assorted lengths of timber scaffold boards to create the shelves and you’ll have a lovely, rustic showcase for displaying garden plants and flowers. Start by giving your ladder a quick scrub and sanding it down to remove any rough edges and splinters. Then add shelves, using different lengths of board in increasing sizes, screwing them onto the ladder’s rungs to secure. You can choose to leave the wood in its natural state for a worn, weathered charm or add some colour by painting the ladder and shelves in a bright outdoor paint if you’d prefer something livelier.

9 Convert an old drawer into a display

Find a new use for an out-of-action chest of drawers by using individual drawers to make colourful wooden planters. Try mounting a slimline drawer on brackets to create an original wall display, or alternativ­ely use the base of an old table, chair or suitcase stand to make a quirky raised planter. Use exterior paint to spruce up your drawers in a cheery colour. Before painting, drill a couple of holes in the base to provide drainage for plants and line the drawers with plastic membrane to protect the wood from rotting. Choose the perfect spot for your drawer display, then fill with multipurpo­se compost and plant with your favourite blooms. Alternativ­ely, position near your back door and use as a raised veg bed.

‘REPURPOSIN­G PRELOVED ITEMS OR UTILISING RECYCLED MATERIALS IS KINDER TO THE ENVIRONMEN­T AND CAN SAVE YOU MONEY, TOO’

10 MAKEOW WIND BOXES

If your garden is on the small side, or if you have a balcony instead, you might be strapped for planting space. So double up and build two window boxes from wooden planks and place them below a window outside. Fill with compost and plant up with flowers and herbs. You might need to add drainage holes in the higher one, so make sure what you plant below will be happy to have water trickling on them after watering.

11 TACKLE AN EASY GARDEN COFFEE TABLE

Requiring minimal DIY skills, an outdoor coffee table is simple to put together using a couple of old wooden pallets. Perfect for a grassy area, its low level makes it ideal for a picnic table with the addition of a couple of comfy floor cushions. Use two wooden pallets to give this coffee table set-up a little extra height. Simply secure with a couple of screws on each of the four sides. Consider adding castors underneath to allow you to shift the table around more easily.

12 Create a simple centrepiec­e

Fill terracotta pots with sand and push in some dinner candles, to make a simple centrepiec­e to place on your table outside. Odd numbers of candles feel visually balanced, so use three standard-size candles or try seven or nine skinny tapers. Alternativ­ely, use citronella candles to deter pesky mosquitoes when dining alfresco and place all around the patio to create a cosy glow while eating.

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Choose a paint colour that matches your placemats
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Include underseat storage to stash cushions
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Place pillar candles in empty glass jars ready for the evening
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