If you’re planning to spend more time outdoors once the weather is nice enough you’re not the only one. After being cooked up in the house for so long it’s very refreshing to enjoy the beautiful sunshine and fresh air.

Having a backyard or a little outdoor space where you can hang out is wonderful and gives you plenty of opportunities to improve it by adding furniture and decorations. Something simple to start with can be an outdoor table. Make your own and hone your DIY skills while creating something unique. Here’s a few designs and plans to inspire you.

20 DIY outdoor table ideas to spruce the backyard

A Pottery Barn-inspired outdoor table

Farmhouse-inspired furniture usually fits really nicely into outdoor settings which is great because it’s pretty easy to build as well. If you follow a simple tutorial you can make a nice and sturdy dining table similar to the one featured on thehappierhomemaker and with a little bit of added care and attention you can give it more character. This one has a Pottery Barn-inspired design and what helps it stand out is actually the hardware like the rectangular washers on the outside of the frame and the turnbucklers with hooks at the bottom.

DIY Outdoor table with a herringbone top

Whenever you’re doing a DIY project or crafting something it’s nice to add your own twist to the design or to make it special in some way. In the case of an outdoor table there’s plenty of ways to do so, like giving the top a cool design. This table has a beautiful herringbone top created using a multitude of wood pieces cut at an angle and arranged in this pattern. You can find the details and instructions on cherishedbliss in case you want to make something similar.

Herringbone side table

Some of the designs and building strategies you find in various tutorials can actually be adapted and adjusted to work with different types of furniture. For example, this side is fairly similar to the dining table we checked out earlier, featuring a herringbone pattern on the top. The difference of course is the size. This is a small side table, something that you can add as a companion to the comfortable lounge chairs out on the patio or on the deck. The tutorial from simplydesigning.porch explains all you need to know about building this sort of table from scratch or coming up with your own unique design.

2-in-1 outdoor bar and table

It might be practical to have not just a regular table but one that also has some sort of built-in storage and can also be used as a bar. Something like this would be great if you plan on entertaining outside and you want to be able to prep and mix drinks, snacks and various other things right there without having to constantly go inside the house. You can actually build your own outdoor bar pretty easily and there’s a cool tutorial on themerrythought that guides you through the entire process.

Farmhouse dining table with umbrella

The thick wooden legs and overall design make it clear this is a farmhouse-style table but there’s also something modern about it visible in the overall simplicity and pureness of the design. What’s also super attractive about this outdoor dining table is the low cost. You can build it out of basic lumber or if you prefer out can use reclaimed wood for a more authentic vibe. The hole in the middle is for attaching a large umbrella so you can enjoy shade throughout the day. You can find out more about this table and how it was made in the tutorial available on designingvibes.

Outdoor side table with a square top

Side tables are potentially some of the most fun and easy-to-build furniture pieces. Their reduced dimensions make them very manageable and less overwhelming than a dining table for example which is something to consider if you’re a beginner at these types of things. You can get pretty creative with the design and structure of a side table. This one has a simple design and a square top and the fresh blue color makes up for the lack of details. Check out the complete description of how you can build this table on girljustdiy.

A table with a built-in planter

Although this is not strictly an outdoor table it definitely fits perfectly on a covered porch, next to a comfy sofa or a casual swing. It’s designed fairly similarly to a lot of modern coffee tables, featuring a rectangular top and four simple legs to lift it off the ground for a more lightweight appearance. What makes it stand out is the built-in planter at the center. It’s a nice little accessory, something to add a bit of greenery to your sitting area in a fun and interesting manner. Head over to abeautifulmess to find out more about this beautiful DIY table.

Outdoor pallet table

Wooden pallets, as you know, are often used for various types of DIY projects, including to make furniture. You can quite easily use several pallets to build a large outdoor table, one that you can gather around with the whole family and friends. This table which you can check out on kleinworthco has a top made out of reclaimed pallets and a base built out of regular lumber. It has plenty of character and the pallets give it a nice sense of history even though it’s a brand new addition to the backyard.

Mosaic tile coffee table

You can also use something other than wood to make your outdoor table look special and to make it unique. Tiles are a pretty interesting option. You can basically put tiles on top of any regular table to completely change the way it looks and feels. This outdoor coffee table from centsationalstyle has a really cool mosaic tile top with these nice shades of blue, green and turquoise on it. Check out the tutorial to see how the table was built and how the tiles were then added all over the top surface and along the edges.

Outdoor barbecue table

This outdoor table was built around a grill and it has wheels on one side so it can easily be moved around and used as a cart. It adds a convenient storage shelf at the bottom for various things like plates, barbecue supplies and so on and it also leaves space on the top for prepping everything before using the grill. There’s also space to hang utensils and towels on the sides of the table which is very practical and convenient. You can find the plans and details on instructables.

Outdoor table with built-in cooler

This table has its own very convenient attachment and in this case it’s an icebox cooler. It’s placed at the center of the table where there’s a rectangular cut-out and it’s big enough for a few refreshment bottles to fit inside and to stay cool as you entertain a few guests. It’s great to have something like this outside especially it’s super hot and sunny. Integrating the ice box into the table is actually fairly simple. You can this for one of your existing tables or build one from scratch with this in mind from the very beginning. Check out instructables for more details.

Simple outdoor coffee table

If you want just a very simple coffee table, something that you can place at the center of a casual outdoor sitting area, something like this might be just right. This design from instructables is super simple. The table has just a flat, rectangular top and two side panels and the design overall is minimalistic. It can be stained or painted and the proportions can be adjusted based on your own needs and the space available.

Outdoor table with storage shelf

Having a shelf attached to a table is very practical and convenient, regardless of whether it’s an indoor piece of furniture. This table is small enough to be considered an accessory piece, something to use in combination with a comfortable chair for example. It is however also big enough to give you a storage shelf to keep a few things on. You can build it from scratch by following the instructions in this tutorial available on instructables.

A cooler table

Having a cooler built right into the outdoor dining table is really nice but if you want something smaller and with a bit more portability then perhaps you’d prefer an end table instead. This is is pretty small and compact but still big enough to hold several bottles of beer on ice. It’s a perfect companion for a lounge chair and when you’re not using the space in the center as a cooler you can easily convert it into a little planter for herbs and flowers. Check out this project on instructables for more information.

Multi-level coffee table with planter

This outdoor coffee table from remodelandolacasa is unlike anything we’ve seen before. At the core, it’s a rather simple coffee table with an X-shaped base support and a flat rectangular top. However, the top has an interesting and eye-catching design and a few accessories attached to it. One of the accessories is a planter which sits at the center of the table and there’s two raised little platforms sort of like mini tables attached to it on opposite corners.

Pallet coffee table with a gabion base

Another cool and interesting idea is to incorporate various different materials into the design of your DIY outdoor table. You can start by using some pallet wood for the top and central support structure but from there you can get creative and create a base that’s unlike anything else you’ve come across in stores. We’re talking about a gabion base, sort of like a metal cage which you can fill with stones and pebbles. The central support pillar of the table would fit into the center and the pebbles will give the table a heavy, stable and sturdy base to sit on. This unusual idea comes apieceofrainbow.

Medium-sized outdoor table

Most times what people need for their outdoor deck, porch or backyard is not a super big dining table but one that’s more medium-sized, perfect for small groups to gather around in a cozy setting. The design featured on ana-white is exactly perfect in this sense. The table is not too big but not too small either and it has a fairly slender frame but at the same time it’s also strong and sturdy. The wooden top has an interesting pattern which gives you lots of opportunities to play with different colors when choosing the finish.

Outdoor coffee table with an octagon-shaped top

Rectangular tables are the most common and tend to also be the easiest ones to build. If you’re up for a challenge however you might want to go with a crazier shape like an octagon for example. That would really make the table stand out and would give it a cool and eye-catching aesthetic. The table featured on remodelaholic actually has an octagon top and also a base that mimics the same shape but has this interesting lattice-inspired pattern as well.

Pallet coffee table with with an inset drink cooler

We mentioned several times that a cooler is a very convenient addition to a regular outdoor table so here’s another project based on that very idea. This outdoor coffee table is made out of pallet wood for the most part and has a rather interesting geometric design with an asymmetrical structure. At the center there’s an inset container which can be filled with ice and used as a cooler but that can also be filled with soil and used as a planter if you ever want to change things up and try something different. You can find the tutorial for it on remodelaholic complete with instructions and some great tips and ideas that you can use when building your own version of the table.