DIY wood projects for your garden

Get out into the great outdoors this summer for a little bit of garden DIY. One of the easiest, most durable and practical materials you can work with in this space is good old fashioned timber, so take a look at these unique and creative DIY wood projects.

Outdoor coffee table

You may never have considered installing a coffee table outside of your living room, but once you have one it's hard to imagine life without it. This project is for a low-sitting boxy table, perfect for outdoor use with beanbags, crate seats or reclining chairs. Clear a space in a private nook of your garden, lawn or patio and start building.

You'll need four 600mm, four 550mm and four 620mm fence palings, as well as four 320mm fence posts and some 60mm treated pine screws. Gather tools such as a circular saw and screwdriver, plus sandpaper, a paintbrush and stirrer, tape measure and set square. You'll also need a stain or paint of your choice to finish your new table.

Once you've cut your wood to the appropriate lengths with your saw, sand down any rough edges. Create the side walls of the coffee table for screwing in each of the 550mm lengths of wood to a fence post, then create the front and back walls of the table by attaching the 600mm lengths of paling.

The top of the table is formed by screwing in the 620mm lengths of wood to the top of the base you've created. This should form a sturdy table, which can then be coated in a wood stain for a natural look or a bright colour to inject some flair into your garden.

Flower wheelbarrow

If you've got an old wooden wheelbarrow lying around that you never use, put it to work by planting a range of brightly coloured wild flowers in it. This project is particularly effective in low-maintenance gardens with plenty of flora, although you can tend to the plants to ensure they don't grow out of control.

Drill small holes in the bottom of the barrow for drainage, then line it with landscape fabric and potting soil. Then select your flowers. They can be a mix of colours and sizes, but it's a good idea to choose mostly perennials as they live longer than other varieties.

DIY equipment is available to hire at Kennards Hire, making these jobs even easier.