DIY Outdoor Chaise Lounge

June 10, 2011 By

Hello summer!  I’m sure most of you are also experiencing the heat wave in your area!  It’s down right hot in the Lone Star State:) I couldn’t get this project started fast enough!

Ahhh!!!  Swoon!  Love this set of chaise lounges from Pottery Barn….but I don’t love the $600 price tag (and yes that is the “marked-down” price;)  I’m sure they are worth every penny but my wallet will never know!

Nope, I saved some dough and built my own for $25 thanks to the free plans I got from Ana’s site!

Trip to Home Depot for supplies (no kids;)  Thank you hubby!

I used my battery-powered drill and nailer to assemble the chairs…. oh and Gorilla Glue Wood Glue of course;)  Here are some pictures of the steps I took as I went…

I used the base of the chaise to assemble the back by aligning each board on top of the other to ensure a good match when the back was attached.

Use narrow utility hinges to attach the back to the base.  The regular width is too wide…I learned this the hard way…

This is the prop for the back rest:)

Again, narrow hinges to attach the prop to the back.

This is my FAVORITE part!  All of these scraps are used to make…

stoppers for the prop on the back rest!!!  You just pick the angles that you want the back rest to sit at and attach them!

I finished with Elmer’s Wood Filler and a good sanding using my battery-powered sander and that was it!

Yah, I had to make two:)  I might make a third….

I can’t share all of them with you just yet….because they aren’t finished but, I will be back very soon to show you the finished chaise lounges!

These were very simple to build.  The only annoying step was the hinges but after I got past the first set I was okay:)

Time invested:  1.5 hours to measure and cut lumber for 2 chairs, 1.5 hours to build each chair.

Money invested:  $50 for lumber!

I’m a happy girl:)  I’ll be a happier girl when I can actually enjoy them!!!  Hope you all have a great FRIDAY!  Whoop!

~Ashley

75 Comments Filed Under: Furniture, Knock-Offs

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  • http://thependletonhouse.blogspot.com Megan

    Looks great! And talk about saving money!!!

    • Ashley

      Thank you Megan! Gotta love a 90% savings (maybe more?)

  • http://www.PrettyHandyGirl.com Brittany (aka Pretty Handy Girl)

    Way to go! Those are fabulous. I can’t wait to see the cushion you use on them.

    • Ashley

      Thanks so much Brittany!

  • http://erinscreative.blogspot.com Erin

    Those are a definite necessity right now in Texas, especially if you could put them up next to a pool, which I sadly do not have!

    • Ashley

      Hey, I’ve never been afraid to layout in a chair with the sprinklers on!!!!!!

  • http://www.DesignBuildLove.co [email protected]

    look great! Those are soooo gonna come in handy for the summer time!

    • Ashley

      Thank you Ashley!!!! I can’t wait to actually enjoy them:)))

  • http://www.thecraftmonkey.blogspot.com Heidi@thecraftmonkeyblog

    Amazing! Those chairs turned out awesome! I’ve been looking for some for our back yard and even the cheap plastic ones are more than $25! I’m not very handy with wood & saws, but I may have to try this!

    • Ashley

      Thank you Heidi! I agree, after shopping around I realized I wasn’t going to get what I wanted unless I built it! If you haven’t built many things you would still be able to do this. It is very simple. You can even get the hardware store to cut your lumber for you so all you have to do is assemble it! Good luck:)))

  • http://www.TheDiamondE.com Jan

    These are awesome and anytime I can say $600 and do it myself…I will! Great job!

    • Ashley

      Thank you Jan!!!! Love saving money:)))

  • http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/ Funky Junk Interiors

    You rock. You totally totally rock. Fabulous!

    And I want the truth when you’re done. Just how comfy are they? I can’t wait to see how you go about the padding!

    Donna

    • Ashley

      Aw thank you Donna!!! Looking for cushions now;)

  • http://Redo101.blogspot.com Mary @ Redo 101

    Oh yeah, you rock – amazing. I’ve been coveting those chairs at PB every time I glance at the catalog, but like you, no way was I going to spend that $. Ana is our stop-by place to learn all, isn’t she – I need/want to build a kitchen island and am going now to visit Ana. Thanks for sharing!

    • Ashley

      Thanks so much Mary! LOVE Ana’s site:))) I have used so many of her plans and I am very satisfied with all of them!

  • Linda

    This is so sensational! I am inspired!

    • Ashley

      Thanks so much Linda:)

  • http://www.thatredheadedstepchild.com Red

    They look great! I love Ana White!!!

    • Ashley

      Thank you!!! Us too;)

  • http://domesticatednomad.blogspot.com Jen @ Domesticated Nomad

    I have always loved those lounge chairs too. I can’t believe how straight forward that is to make your own! My list of projects is already too long right now, but I think I have to add this to the list! Thanks for sharing. I found you at Tatertots and Jello. :)

    • Ashley

      Thanks so much Jen:)))

  • Sommer

    Love love love! I cannot believe you made them $25 a chair! I want some so bad. My birthday next week, maybe i’ll be shopping for wood lol. Please let us know where you find coushions! Please stop by and link up to my party this weekend at http://designergarden.blogspot.com/2011/06/vip-party-18.html

    • Ashley

      Thank you so much Sommer! I would rather spend my birthday shopping for wood than clothes any day;) I will let you know where I find the cushions as soon as I do:))

  • http://www.whyleavewellenoughalone.com Kelley

    Those are incredible! Did Ana size them so that standard chaise cushions would fit?

    I think the pine will hold up fairly well, especially if you use some outdoor sealer. I wonder, though, what the price differential would be to make some out of teak

    • Ashley

      Thank you so much Kelley! She did make them to fit standard sized cushions…I am looking for some but they are EXPENSIVE! I’m bummed because Pottery Barn/s are on clearance for $59 and of course they are sold out:( Teak would be awesome!!! Not sure where to get that….if you know would you share it with all of us! I would pay more for it for sure!

      • http://www.whyleavewellenoughalone.com Kelley

        Y’all are in TX, right? The San Marcos outlet had a TON of cushions when we were there a few weeks ago…

        For teak, I know that Rockler carries *some*. I don’t know that they’d have the sizes to build something like this, though. I need to find some other retailers that carry more than pine and oak. I have some projects churning in my head. ;)

        • Ashley

          Ohhh I need to make a trip down there:) Thanks so much for the tip!!!

  • http://www.farmgirlinmyheart.blogspot.com Ruth

    These are amazing. I would love them.
    Great job!!
    Ruth

    • Ashley

      Thanks so much Ruth;)

  • http://ouradventuresinhomeimprovement.blogspot.com Pam

    Great job!! I love them!

    Pam

    • Ashley

      Thank you Pam:)

  • Philly

    Hey! Stumbled onto your site. These look great. However I am concerned about the 1×4 legs. They don’t look strong enough. Also it is not clear how you attached them. I wouldn’t want you laying on the chair and having the legs give out under you. You might spill your drink!!! Also make sure you use a good wood sealer cause that untreated wood won’t last long out in the elements. Now the next step for you is the wheels and side tray of the expensive ones.

    • Ashley

      Hi! Thanks so much for commenting! I actually just started building within the last year so I am fairly inexperienced… I have been getting all of my plans from Ana-White.com and I just followed her plans exactly. What would you suggest using instead of 1×4′s? They seem very sturdy right now but I definitely understand your concern. I am using outdoor wood sealer to finish them and I do have plans to add the wheels and tray just trying to work it all out;) Thanks so much for stopping by!!!!

  • http://www.momnivores-dilemma.com nicolette @ momnivore’s dilemma

    I’ve been pining for these chairs for years, and I agree with you, that price tag from PB is too steep!

    {I’m pinning you to my covet folder on pinterest!}

    • Ashley

      Thank you Nicolette!!!!

  • http://www.abeachcottage.com abeachcottage

    They look great, well done. And you make it look so easy making them. Thanks for the tutorial.

    • Ashley

      Thank you:)))

  • http://pinkiefae.blogspot.com AprilG

    So pretty. I’m sharing this post with my readers today.

    • Ashley

      Awesome! Thanks so much April!

  • http://www.atticmag.com Allison

    Wow! What a great job! I think you should start taking orders. lol
    Hope you’ll drop by and see the tile floor Jane wrote about for Met Monday.

    Allison
    Atticmag

    • Ashley

      Thank you Allison:)))

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  • http://alittleofthis-emilyadamc.blogspot.com/ Emily Christensen

    Wow! I love these! They look so easy to make too. It nice to see another girl who knows how to use power tools :)
    I found you on Tip Junkie.
    Emily

    • Ashley

      Thank you Emily:)) LOVE power tools;)

  • http://redblondeandburlap.com Brittany

    I think I can, I think I can attempt at trying to make this. The price is much better then PB’s! Thank you for sharing!

    Found you from Tip Junkie link party!

    http://www.redblondeandburlap.com

  • http://www.crafterberly.com CrafterBerly

    Ooh ooh ooh! I SO want to do this!

  • John

    Lounge looks really nice, however the legs are waaaay too flimsy. They will only last if you never move it. First time someone drags it over a brick patio, the legs will come loose and eventually crack. Easy fix though. All you need to do is to make each leg from two pieces, in an L shape. They will be 10 times stronger. Round the bottom of the legs so the corners are not sharp and don’t catch on stuff so easily. Even better, buy a couple of wheels and a piece of threaded rod at your home store and you can then pick one end up and roll it around the patio. Trust me, you will move it more than you think, like every time the angle of the sun changes.

    • Ashley

      Thanks for the tip John:) If the legs to start to deteriorate I will fix them this way. I do intend to add the wheels because I love the look:) Thanks for stopping by!

    • Kim

      I thought the legs looked fragile as well. I’m not a “wee” lass. :) I noticed the pottery barn chaise has square legs on the front that look to be affixed up inside the apron of the chaise on both the side and the front of the apron…thereby creating more structure. This is an awesome idea. Thank you so much for sharing your experience!

      • http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/ Shanty2Chic

        We have made it through 2 summers with these chairs:). Kids standing on them, adults lounging and they have been dragged everywhere! They are still standing strong! Never a bad idea to reinforce but I do stand behind these plans!

  • http://www.backlessshirt.blogspot.com Jamie

    These are great! Stumbled Upon your blog!
    jamie

    • Ashley

      Thank you Jamie:)))

  • http://www.theweekendhomemaker.com Crystal (theweekendhomemaker.com)

    These are awesome and look like they were easy to build. Thanks for the cost and time breakdown. You’ve inspired me to build something!

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  • http://luxurydreamshomes.com/ luxury home

    Done good job showing how to make – Thanks for showing step – step

  • http://bluevelvetchair.blogspot.com Michael at Blue Velvet Chair

    LOVE this project! Very clever.
    Michael

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  • Anne Dapore

    I love these thanks for posting. Here is a link to a DIY Lounge Pillow you can make from Martha! These would be cute with your lounger!
    http://www.marthastewart.com/273544/custom-made-cushions?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/sewing-projects#slide_36

    • Ashley

      This is awesome Anne! Thank you so much:))))

  • http://www.getredwood.com Laura

    This is such a great idea! I was recently pricing lounge chairs for our new pool and i cannot believe how EXPENSIVE they are, I never thought of making one out of wood!

  • Sheila

    Excellent! I’m inspired.

  • http://www.workathomepay.weebly.com Alicia Washington

    Looking forward to sharing this with my husband! I believe we could actually accomplish this ourselves. I would feel proud to showcase our own furnishings. Thank you so much!

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  • http://www.masspainters.com William Carr of Mass Painters

    Great photos, very easy to follow and most important: CHEAP! $25 in materials aint bad!

  • http://www.simonelwoods.com Simone L Woods Author of ‘This House’ and ‘Our Homes ‘ Journals

    This is a project. I love the detailed step by step instructions. You have done a really great job.

  • http://www.simonelwoods.com Simone L Woods Author of ‘This House’ and ‘Our Homes ‘ Journals

    Wow, that is a great job. The step by step instructions and photos are fantastic. I might even be tempted to give this a go myself.

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  • http://zigzagsandblossoming.blogspot.com Melissa Delight

    Hey there! I made my own version of this project. Check it out! http://zigzagsandblossoming.blogspot.com/2012/03/multi-way-patio-lounger.html

    Thanks for the inspiration!!

  • Michelle

    Hi there,
    Do you have a cut list by any chance?

  • tiffany of camp1899.com

    this is an amazing diy! i’m lucky and my husband is SO handy, he’s dirt to sky been renovating our tiny bungalow, this should be so easy for him thanks to your great step by step!! thanks for sharing!

  • Jessica

    This is great. This is a good handmade chaise lounge cushions. Craftmanship!

  • Michele

    I love this project! I am truing to come up with a low cost seating idea for my covered porch and I think this is it! Do you have a cut list by any chance? Also I am a novice at wood cutting and such but a very handy person overall, do you think I could pull this off?

  • dallas

    It definitely, cost more than 25 $ per chair, just went and spent $40 on wood and hinges alone!

    • http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/ Shanty2Chic

      It for sure cost me $25 per chair. I purchased furring strips and the hinges. I’m sorry yours was more.