You don't have to be an expert woodworker or own specialty tools to take on one of these 40 outdoor woodworking projects for beginners. Every one of the simple projects included here features step-by-step plans and tips for success.
39 Outdoor Woodworking Projects for Beginners
![DIY outdoor wooden chair bench](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/FH17JAU_580_54_001.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Easy Timber Bench
If you have some experience with power tools, you’ll have this timber bench built in just a few hours, though staining it will take a couple of hours more.
![Modern Birdhouse Features](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/ModernBirdhouse_Features.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Modern-Style Birdhouse
Make this minimalist birdhouse on a Saturday morning, and learn some tricks to cutting and matching tough angles in the process.
![raised planter](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/FH17APR_577_51_526.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Raised Planter
This sturdy, easy-to-build planter is perfect for a vegetable garden or flower bed. It can go anywhere around your home — in the backyard, on the patio or deck, on the front porch, you name it!
![0004_009-1 diy garden trellis](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/0004_009-1.jpg)
Mixed-Medium Garden Trellis
![garden closet](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/FH08MAR_486_50_013.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Garden Closet
If you don’t have room in your yard for a large, freestanding shed, you can still create plenty of space for garden tools with a shed attached to the back or side of the house. This garden closet project is easy to build, even for a beginner.
![](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/FH15APR_PATIOP_01-3.-1200-Box-Pond.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Patio Garden Pond and Planter
![finished and painted cornhole boards](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cornhole-lead.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Cornhole Boards
Cornhole boards are a classic backyard game is easy and inexpensive to make yourself. And with legs that fold up, it’s easy to tote along for tailgating, camping and more.
![FH99JUN_01643leadfade DIY table picnic](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/FH99JUN_01643leadfade.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Pedestal Picnic Table
![window planter](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/FH09MAR_WINPLA_01-3.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Stripped-Down Window Planter
![FH09APR_497_51_010 planter and trellis](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/FH09APR_497_51_010-planter-and-trellis.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Planter Trellis Combo
![tile patio table](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/BL10468E51_RT.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Stone-Top Patio Table
![classic garden cart](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/FH05APR_457_54_120.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Classic Wooden Cart
If you enjoy gardening but not making multiple trips to collect tools, fertilizer, flats of plants, mulch, a garden hose and a weed bucket, you’ll love this simple cart. It’s lightweight and easy to maneuver, but it works like a heavyweight. It’s easy to build with these step-by-step plans.
![Tiered](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/FH09APR_PLASTA_01-3-Tiered.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Tiered Plant Stand
![diy backyard idea arbor](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/BA_124_FH04MAR_05047_047.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Add Interest with a Garden Arbor
![FH17MAY_578_00_233_hsp patio chairs fire pit](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/FH17MAY_578_00_233_hsp.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Perfect Patio Chairs
![DIY Butterfly house](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Untitled-2.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Butterfly House
Butterflies like the protection of dark, sheltered areas, whether it’s for months at a time during long, cold winters or a few moments when dodging hungry predators. Here’s a simple refuge you can build for them for under $20.
![island deck](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/FH08May_488_50_035.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Island Deck
The simplicity of this ground-level deck makes it fast to build. With a helper and all the materials ready to go first thing in the morning, you can have a completed ground-level deck before sundown.
![FH99SEP_LATTRE_04-3](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/FH99SEP_LATTRE_04-3.jpg)
Create a Porch Trellis
![boardwalk](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/FH09APR_497_50_141.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Backyard Boardwalk
Paths built with concrete, stone or pavers are expensive and labor-intensive. They require a lot of digging, hauling of heavy materials and the disposal of tons of soil. If you’re looking for an easier path, consider a wooden walkway, especially good for wet or sloped sites.
![](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Fh04May_Patio_Chair.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Adirondack Chair and Love Seat
![FH06APR_466_51_033 umbrella table pool](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/FH06APR_466_51_033.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Umbrella Table
![DIY wooden chair bench—small](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/BL944046E16-bench.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Wooden Bench for Less
![big red garden cart](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/FH13MAY_538_52_004.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
DIY Garden Cart
Wheelbarrows are great for hauling stuff around the yard — unless you’re working on a hill, trying to negotiate steps and rough terrain, or moving bulky material like leaves and branch trimmings. This beefed-up, two-wheel garden cart is a must for your yard chores. Follow these simple plans to build it yourself.
![how to build a chair bench from wood](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/FH12MAR_526_55_005.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Garden Bench
![backyard privacy screen](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/FH04SEP_05050_051.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Backyard Privacy Screen
We’ll show you a foolproof technique for laying out this privacy fence to ensure you get perfect post positioning. Get the full step-by-step plans for building this privacy screen in your backyard.
![Build a Foldable Patio Chair](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/FH01SEP_02363_001.ia2_.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Simple Folding Chair
![Elegant outdoor table](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/FH11JUN_STOTAB_01-elegant-table.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Elegant Outdoor Table
![garden arbor with swing](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/FH13MAY_538_00_028.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Garden Arbor
This combination arbor and swing may look like a challenging, weeks-long project, but it’s not. If you can drive screws and handle a saw, you can build it in a weekend.
![FH09MAY_498_52_023 DIY concrete table top](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/FH09MAY_498_52_023.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Polished Stone-Top Table
![self watering garden planter](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/FH12APR_527_51_165.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Self-Watering Planter
![FH16MAY_PATSET_01-2](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/FH16MAY_PATSET_01-2.jpg)
Patio Combo With Built-In End Table
![wooden planter box](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/FH16JAU_PLANTR_01-8.jpg)
Three-Season Planter Box
![campfire bench](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/FH13MAY_538_50_081.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Campfire Bench
This simple, sturdy campfire bench is perfect for the backyard or cabin. Build it with your kids this weekend and park it next to your fire pit or under a shade tree.
Cedar Potting Bench
![classic adirondack chair](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/FH01JUN_02342001.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Classic Adirondack Chair
Plop down in one of these solid wood chairs and you’ll appreciate the comfort of this traditional design. You don’t have to be an expert to build it either. All the parts of this great-looking Adirondack chair can be cut with a circular saw and jigsaw, then assembled with a drill, a few clamps and glue.
![above ground pond featured image](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/FH08APR_487_51_056.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Pond in a Box
Build this simple, above-ground pond with a trellis and fountain in a weekend. The advantages of an above-ground patio waterfall are:
- With this design, there’s practically none of the worst part of pond building — gut-busting digging. And that also means there’s no huge pile of dirt to get rid of.
- Talk about instant gratification! Build the walls and trellis in the morning and assemble the pond in the afternoon. Add the trim the next day and go buy goldfish!
- Traditional in-ground ponds can be a drowning hazard for toddlers and pets. With this above-ground design, the risk is reduced.
Get the how-to instructions for this homemade pond here.
![birdhouse](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/FH08APR_GARCUB_01-2.jpg?fit=700%2C700)
Garden Tool Storage Cubby
![patio planter](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/TFH_PatioPlanter_Lead-2-1.jpg?fit=696%2C696)
Patio Planter
This raised patio planter is designed to make your patio or deck gardening much easier. Instead of filling it with dirt and planting each flower or plant individually, you simply set pre-potted plants right into the planter. Build one for your outdoor space with these plans.
![FH08MAR_SUMSHA_01-3](https://www.familyhandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/FH08MAR_SUMSHA_01-3.jpg)