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May
3
By Ben Uyeda
This DIY Outdoor Sofa was made out of Cumaru deck boards and uses pre-made cushions from Target. If you want to make less expensive version you could alter the design for 2x6s instead of using a tropical hardwood. We used 1” thick tropical hardwood deck boards from Advantage Lumber. The boards are about 5.5” wide and can be ordered in different lengths. Any tropical hardwood like Ipe will work but we selected Cumaru since it was cheaper and had a nice color. We used stainless steel screws for the fasters that are exposed and coated deck screws for the ones that are hidden. Titebond 3 is waterproof wood glue and is our go-to glue for outdoor projects like this.
TOOLS:
RYOBI Circular SawAvailable at
RYOBI Orbital SanderAvailable at
RYOBI Jig SawAvailable at
MATERIALS:
Cumaru DeckingAvailable at Advantage Lumber
I bought 8-foot long 1" x 5 1/2" boards for $25.52 each.
Seat CushionsAvailable at Target
Paste wax for sealing the endsAvailable at Target
Teak OilAvailable at Target
Waterproof Wood GlueAvailable at Target
RZ MasksAvailable at Target
INSTRUCTIONS:
CushionsWe bought these cushions from Target. They are 19.5” by 17.5” and about 3” thick. This design can be adjusted to work with cushions of different sizes.
BackrestThe backrest slides into the slot cut in the back deck board and rests on the glued together beam between the legs. We split one of the deck boards the long way and then screwed it to the vertical back supports.
Seat BoardsSeven feet long seemed like a good length but this design could be made longer or shorter. We used a jigsaw to cut a notch in the back seat board to accommodate the backrest. The gaps between the boards should be about 1/4” to 3/8”.
Support BeamThe legs are made out of stacked pieces of the deck board. Two of the layers are cut to fit around the support beam.
Sofa LegsWe used a circular saw to rip one of the deck boards the long way and then glued these pieces together to create a beam with a 1” wide ledge to support the backrest.
Good luck making your own DIY plywood shelves and please email or tweet photos to @benuyeda or ben@homemade-modern.com If you want to see what we're working on next, follow us on Instagram: @benjaminuyeda and @ijessup. Also check out our book for additional projects, DIY tips and guides.
