11 DIY Outdoor Coffee Tables You Can Make Today (With Pictures)
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Greg Iacono
- Last updated:
Entertaining outdoors is always a lot of fun and guaranteed good times. Enjoying time with family and friends under the spring or summer sun is one of the best ways to spend an afternoon, enjoy life, and make great memories. Of course, it helps to have the right furniture so everyone can relax and let loose. One of the most important is an outdoor coffee table where you can serve drinks, snacks, and finger food.
What’s that? You don’t have an outdoor coffee table, and friends are coming over this weekend? Well, lucky for you, we have links to 11 clever and creative DIY outdoor coffee tables below! If you’re a DIY fanatic in need of a coffee table for your next outdoor soiree, the plans below will help you make one you’ll be proud to serve on!
The 11 DIY Outdoor Coffee Tables
1. DIY Outdoor Coffee Table with Beverage Cooler by Kreg Tool
| Materials: | Hole jig, miter saw, table saw, tape measure, drill, nail gun, sander |
| Tools: | Various cut wood, sandpaper, wood oil, exterior wood screws, pocket hole screws, various nails, wood filler |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate to difficult |
| Time to Make: | 6 to 8 hours |
Drinks are an integral part of entertaining friends and family. When you’re outside, running inside every 5 minutes to get another drink can be a pain. This DIY outdoor coffee table solves the drink problem beautifully! It combines a good-looking and sturdy coffee table with a beverage cooler built in.
There’s room for plenty of ice and at least a dozen bottled or canned beverages. Plus, when you’re not entertaining but still want to enjoy your new coffee table, the top covers the cooler so you can use it like a traditional table! It’s brilliant and will be a real conversation starter the next time you have guests.
2. DIY Outdoor Coffee Table / Ottoman Combo by HomeTalk
| Materials: | Used tire, 24-inch diameter wood base, ½ inch sisal rope, wood screws, ⅜ inch sisal rope |
| Tools: | Hot glue gun, drill, jig saw (optional) |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
| Time to Make: | 3 to 4 hours |
This DIY outdoor coffee table doubles as an ottoman when you want to relax and kick up your feet. It doesn’t cost a lot, which is great, and you get to recycle an old tire rather than adding it to your local tire pile. You can purchase the round, wooden tabletop at your local big-box home improvement store or, if you like, cut one to size yourself at home.
Once attached to the tire base, it’s simply a matter of hot gluing on two sizes of sisal rope. In a couple of hours, you’ll have a coffee table that you’ll be proud to display. It’s the perfect way to recycle an old tire, too. If you like it, make three more for an entire set of 4!
3. Basic but Attractive DIY Outdoor Coffee Table by Ana White
| Materials: | Two 2” L x 4” W x8’ H studs, self-tapping deck screws |
| Tools: | Tape measure, carpenter’s pencil, circular saw, drill, clamps, eye and ear protection |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
| Time to Make: | 4 to 6 hours |
DIY maven Ana White shares these plans for a basic but attractive DIY outdoor coffee table. If you like it, she also has plans for a matching outdoor sofa or sectional! While this coffee table won’t win any design awards, it’s functional and attractive and will work perfectly when you’re entertaining guests or relaxing with a cold adult beverage.
It’s relatively straightforward, so you don’t need to be the best DIYer in town (although some basic skills will be necessary). This DIY project would also be a great weekend undertaking for a parent and one of their older kids interested in woodworking. However you choose to make it, when you’re finished, you’ll have an appealing and functional coffee table to use while enjoying your patio, yard, or front porch!
4. Wooden Crate DIY Outdoor Coffee Table by Feeling Nifty
| Materials: | Four 18-inch rectangular wooden crates, five wood slats, five casters, outdoor wood screws, wood stain, paintbrush |
| Tools: | Circular saw, drill, nail gun (optional) |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy to moderate |
| Time to Make: | 2 to 3 hours (plus drying time) |
This DIY outdoor coffee table is a creative way to use wooden crates, especially if you have four of them lying around not being used! It’s a relatively easy DIY project that you can easily get done in a day, and the results are very attractive. You will genuinely like that, under the coffee table, there’s lots of room to display your favorite tchotchkes, plants, and books.
Then there’s the fact that it’s on casters, so moving your new coffee table around will be a breeze. If your outdoor decor leans towards rustic and a quick DIY project sounds fun, this creative coffee table is a fantastic choice! It should also be relatively cheap to make, especially if you already have wooden crates.
5. DIY Outdoor Coffee Table with 4 Hidden Side Tables by Kreg Tool
| Materials: | Various wooden pieces, pocket screws, wood glue |
| Tools: | Pocket hole jig, miter saw, tape measure, drill, sander, sandpaper, outdoor paint, paintbrush |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate to difficult |
| Time to Make: | 8 to 10 hours |
If you’re not afraid of a complex DIY project, this clever outdoor coffee table will be a good choice. You’ll need some decent DIY skills and a handful of standard household tools to make it.
What we like about this DIY coffee table is that, when needed, it comes apart into five tables: the main and four side tables! That makes it perfect for larger gatherings and parties outdoors, allowing guests to place a side table near their chairs to place their drinks and food. After the party, the four side tables disappear under the main coffee table. While the maker chose to paint theirs in dark grey, you can choose any color that fits your outdoor furnishings.
6. Faux Concrete DIY Outdoor Coffee Table by Love & Renovations
| Materials: | Various boards for frame, plywood, concrete mix, wood glue |
| Tools: | Wood screws, drill, nail gun, trowel, sander, urethane, sealer |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
| Time to Make: | 6 to 8 hours |
Using concrete in creative ways is always fun and makes this DIY outdoor coffee table a great choice. One thing to remember, though, is that your new coffee table will be relatively heavy, so don’t expect to move it around all the time. However, you won’t have to worry about your coffee table’s top staying in good condition. Since it’s faux concrete and sealed, it should last forever!
Staining won’t be a problem, so you won’t have to fret if someone puts a wet glass on the tabletop. This project would be perfect for a couple, as it will be slightly difficult to move around as you make it. Your DIY table will look gorgeous wherever it sits and make outdoor entertaining more fun for everyone!
7. Creative DIY Outdoor Coffee Table from Planters by Ohoh Deco
| Materials: | 2 terra cotta plant pots, circular wooden tabletop, heavy-duty glue, outdoor faux stone paint |
| Tools: | Paintbrush, glue gun |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
| Time to Make: | 3 to 4 hours |
This fun DIY outdoor coffee table is made with plater pots and, when finished, will look much nicer than its humble origins. The maker has an easy-to-follow YouTube video to help you get it done in a single afternoon. Depending on the scraps and stuff around your home, you might not even need to make a run to the store for this DIY coffee table.
You’ll be all set if you have a couple of large terra cotta plant pots and a decently sized piece of ½-inch plywood! What’s great about this clever coffee table is that you can use terra cotta pots of any shape and combine two pots for a unique base you won’t see anywhere else. The table size can be as small or big as you like, too (although this isn’t meant to be a large coffee table).
8. Paver Stone DIY Coffee Table by Ana White
| Materials: | Four square paver stones, various wood pieces |
| Tools: | Saw, drill, paintbrush, wood screws, nails, wood glue |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
| Time to Make: | 4 to 6 hours |
If you’ve recently placed paver stones somewhere in your yard and have four of them left over, this DIY outdoor coffee table is ideal! The base is a straightforward coffee table base and will need some moderate DIY carpentry skills. The top? It’s four paver stones, which you can leave natural or coat in a sealer for extra protection from the elements (not that pavers need it).
You’ll get an outdoor coffee table with a top that can handle anything Mother Nature throws at it! Plus, you’ll get to use up some extra paver stones lying around your home and taking up space.
9. Repurposed DIY Rustic Outdoor Coffee Table by Chic Style Living
| Materials: | Repurposed metal table base, repurposed wood |
| Tools: | Saw, drill, wood screws, glue, nail gun |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
| Time to Make: | 3 to 4 hours |
Although the plans are for a DIY outdoor table, you could easily use them to make a coffee table instead. All you need is the repurposed metal base from a glass coffee table (or any short table), and you’re good to go! The maker of this DIY table project wanted to repurpose the metal base from a glass-topped table, and the results are very attractive.
Using repurposed wood that’s seen a few miles away will add to the rustic feel of this coffee table. If you already have the metal base and wood, you could finish this project in 2 hours, tops! This clever project has the added benefit of repurposing old stuff you would usually toss in the trash. The result is a gorgeous, rustic coffee table that costs next to nothing but adds so much to your outdoor entertaining experience.
10. Easy-Peasy DIY Outdoor Coffee Table by Homeroad
| Materials: | Various sizes and lengths of 1×3, 2×4, and 4×4 wooden beams |
| Tools: | Wood screws, drill, wood glue, tape measure, square, table saw |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
| Time to Make: | 3 to 4 hours |
What’s clever about this DIY coffee table is that it’s so easy to make. You’ll need some basic tools and plenty of wood screws but not much else. The beauty of this coffee table is that you can make it any size you like.
If you have the extra wood and wood screws lying around, you might not even need to go to the store! While it won’t win any awards for design, the result will be functional and fit with any decor. This project would be another good one for parents and kids to make together.
11. Gorgeous Ceramic Tile DIY Outdoor Coffee Table by Simple Nature Decor
| Materials: | 2x4x8 beams, plywood, grout, paint, 18 beautiful tiles |
| Tools: | Table saw, drill, clamps, measuring tape, level, spacers for tile |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
| Time to Make: | 8 to 10 hours |
Today’s last DIY outdoor coffee table is probably the most beautiful and decorative. It’s the standard wood base and legs, but the top is inlaid with your choice of ceramic tiles! You can use tiles you have left over from a bathroom or kitchen renovation or purchase any tiles you find attractive and match your outdoor decor.
The results are, in a word, gorgeous! Your friends and family will think you spent hundreds of dollars on a designer coffee table! What’s nice about this DIY coffee table is that it’s relatively easy, but the results look like it was much more involved. Your coffee table will be the talk of your next party or get-together!
Final Thoughts
What did you think of our 11 clever and creative DIY outdoor coffee tables? We think you’ll agree; all of them would make a great addition to your outdoor space and make family time more enjoyable. We hope you love at least one and wish you the best results if you make it. Just remember to hoist a cold one for your friends here at House Grail during your next backyard barbecue!
Featured Image Credit: Zane Persaud, Unsplash
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