6 DIY Outdoor Shelves

DIY outdoor shelves are some of the easiest projects you can do at home.

You don’t have to be an expert with woodwork or metalwork to make beautiful shelves for your lawn or garden.

You also won’t need a lot of tools and supplies.

Some old items in your home or garage will do.

In this post, we’ll show you how to build different outdoor shelves that you can use to showcase your foliage, keep your yard tools, or compliment your backyard bar.

DIY Outdoor Shelves To Build This Weekend

Don’t you just love showing off your precious potted plants?

If you’re thinking of ways to highlight your foliage, a DIY plant stand is what you need.

Here are incredibly great outdoor shelves that you can try:

1. Fixed Bracket Shelves

Fixed bracket shelves are the easiest to make. 

All you need are three wood planks or scaffold planks of the same length and width, plus 6 fixed brackets.

To install the shelves, follow these steps:

• Position the shelf brackets against the wall along the bottom of the shelf.
• Using a pencil, mark the areas where the brackets need to go so you know exactly where to insert the screws.
• Drill holes to attach the bracket to the wall.
• Screw the bracket holes into the pre-drilled holes.

The adjacent brackets must be leveled.

• Attach the shelves.
• Unless you’re using pre-cut melamine which doesn’t require any additional finish, your wood planks need to be painted.
• In the case of solid wood or plywood, they need to be sealed with a clear wood finish.
• Paint the brackets the same color as the wall to make it appear that the shelves are floating.

2. Tiered Decking

If your lawn is cluttered with planters and spots, you may consider consolidating them into one or two large displays.

Tiered shelving looks like a set of stairs.

It’s the perfect outdoor shelf for small gardens and adds a little bit of height to a tight space.

For this style of shelving, you need the following tools and supplies:

• Two pieces 2X4 lumber, 48 inches long
• Two pieces long legs (57.5 inches long)
• Four pieces of 1×6 lumber (24 inches long)
• Two pieces of long shelves (27 inches long)
• Two 1/2 screws
• 1 1/4 screws
• Glue
• Stain
• Drill machinery and drill bits

Steps:

1. Build the legs for the stand. 

Cut both ends of the front legs at an angle of 60 degrees and then smoothen the cut edges with sandpaper.

2. Fit the support for the shelves. 

Use horizontal support and secure them to the legs using the 1/2 screws.

3. Lock the two sides of the plant stand by attaching the back supports in place.
4. Fit the 1X6 slats to the frame.

Align the slats properly, making sure you create even gaps.

5. Drill holes on each corner and secure the slat using the 1/4″ screws.

3. Plant Theater

Building a plant theater is incredibly easy.

You can use wood from old pallets or crates. They give a rustic appeal to your outdoor shelf.

Here are the things you need:

• Pallets
• Sandpaper
• Screws and screwdriver
• Drill and drill bits
• Saw
• Clamp
• Glue
• Wood stain, paint brush, wood oil
• Tape measure, pencil, and ruler

Steps:

1. Cut the wood planks to your desired length.
2. The size of your plant theater will depend on the available space you have.
3. Sand the planks until smooth.
4. Layout the sides and shelves on the ground to make sure you have measured and positioned everything properly.
5. Once you’re happy with how everything looks, you can start drilling holes and assembling the parts with screws.
6. When all the shelves are in place, you can attach the backboards.

3. Wooden Swing Storage

Set up a space for your reading material on your front porch where you can enjoy a good book while you sip coffee. 

You can use scrap wood or old pallets for this outdoor shelf.

Swing storage is extremely easy to make. 

You only need a handful of supplies, including a rope, scissor, drill, and drill bit.

To make DIY swing storage, cut the wood planks according to your preferred size. 

Next, drill holes on the shelves so you can attach the planks using the rope.

Make sure the size of the hole is big enough for the rope to fit through.

Measure two pieces of rope.

They should have the same length and be long enough to hang the shelf. 

You can design your swing shelf any way you want.

The sky is the limit.

4. DIY Gardening Organizer

If you want a DIY gardening table with shelves where you can store supplies, this DIY outdoor organizer is perfect.

You can add hooks for your gardening tools and shelves underneath to hold unused ports and watering cans.

Here are the things you need:

• Recycled wooden pallets
• Screws, screw gun
• Level
• Drill
• Pry bar
• Framing hammer
• Pencil
• Miter saw or circular saw
• Straightedge
• Wooden pallets
• 2X4 lumber
• Glue, sandpaper

Steps

• Disassemble the pallets using a hammer and a pry bar.
• Select the widest, great-looking boards.
• Trim away splintered wood and square the edges of the board.
• Build the legs using the 2×4 lumber.
• Start with the two back legs.
• Next, attach a 1X26-inch board and screw it perpendicular to the inside of the leg pieces.

This way, the top of the boards will be 36 inches from the ground.

• Screw in the other front leg, so you have a framing that resembles the lowercase “h”.
• Repeat the said steps so you have a framework for the left and right sides of the bench.
• Attach everything using screws.

5. DIY Outdoor Bar

If you love entertaining, you want a place to set up snacks and beverages for your guests and loved ones.

Check out these steps to create a DIY outdoor bar:

• Choose the base. 

You can use a ready-to-assemble shelving unit. 

It will make your life easier.

• You can install a basin as a drop-in beverage tub using a stainless-steel steam table pan.
• Cut a 1X8 wood board into two pieces.
• Drill holes along one edge of the bottom of each board and screw the boards together.
• To protect the wood, apply a clear waterproofing sealer.
• Assemble the unit.
• Attach the shelves using L-brackets.
• You can also install cup hooks into the shelf as a towel holder.

Final Words

Outdoor shelves are an easy and inexpensive way to spruce up your backyard.

Whether you need extra space for your potted plants or gardening tools, or you simply want nice shelving that you can use for entertaining, these DIY outdoor shelves are the way to go.