DIY Outdoor Sectional

I am so incredibly pleased with the way this outdoor sectional turned out! My husband was my second-hand on this project and helped me immensely. We could not see the point in spending $500-$800 on an outdoor sectional. Plus, most outdoor furniture only lasts for a few seasons before it needs to be replaced. This wooden sectional is HEAVY, sturdy, and will last more than just a few seasons when appropriately treated. 

The Plans

We got this outdoor sectional plan from the Ana-White website. Everything we have done (aside from the pergola) has been from here. Click on the following links for these sectional plans!

One Arm 2x4 Outdoor Sectional

2x4 Outdoor Sofa

Y'all...you need BOTH plans. It is a bit misleading because each one shows pictures of a sectional. I realized this AFTER I only had one plan worth of wood and cuts before realizing that I was only building half of the sectional. 

The Process

• Take your plans to Home Depot (I honestly think Home Depot's customer service is always better)
• Get the wood that you need and give your cut list to one of the employees. They will cut all of it FOR YOU!
• I recommend labeling the wood as it gets cut, and also measuring just to double check.
• Follow the online plans for putting everything together and ensure you get everything on the list that is called for. 
• Put it all together and put those cushions on!

We did change ONE thing that was not in the plans. We added an additional piece of wood in the back support area because we noticed that every time we sat down the back cushions were sliding out from behind us. This seems to be working well and keeping the cushions from slipping. 

The Cushions

The cushions we used were purchased at Wal-Mart. These will be the most expensive part of the project. We got the Mainstays brand of cushion/backpillow sets, however, I strongly recommend getting the Better Homes and Gardens ones. I know they are more expensive, but they are thicker and better quality. 

Your sofa is going to require you to purchase 8 sets, because you will need that extra back pillow, but not the extra seats. I know...it is a bit funky. I recommend maybe shopping around for separates. I would have done that but we didn't think ahead and realized what we needed after we had purchased the bulk of the cushions.