Turn An Old Cooler Into Rustic Porch Décor With This Thrifty DIY

The best way to find stylish furniture pieces to fit the rest of your décor (and that won't break the bank) is to make them yourself. Such is the case with this DIY outdoor furniture project. Instead of relying on a cooler that works well but looks garish on your porch, it's actually easier to just make it yourself. Though building furniture may sound daunting, this one is pretty easy to construct and have it look nice. It's also not a terribly expensive DIY — especially for the sturdy end result you get. Sometimes, creating your own furniture or decorations ends up costing more than it would to just buy it from a store, but there are some, like budget-friendly DIY fire pits, which fit your yard nicely, let you reuse old materials, and are low cost. 

The best part of this project is that you don't need to go and buy a new cooler, unless you just want one. Since you won't see the cooler, you can use any old one you have lying around. The first step is to separate your lid from the body. Then, measure the dimensions of both parts so you can cut your frame to size. Connect the boards together with screws and wood glue. Then, attach the legs to the bottom. Using hinges, you can add a lid to the cooler as well with the original lid covered by wood. Adding an additional shelf or some cabinets can also be an easy way to get more function from the décor. Pine or cedar work well for this design.

Before you start on this design, you want to make sure your cooler is nice and clean. Of course, soap and water work the best, but if you've got some tough stains and grime to get rid of and don't feel like scrubbing for hours, Alka-Seltzer can help make cleaning your cooler an easy process.

For those who are feeling a little extra handy, adding a drain on the cooler stand is helpful. It prevents the wood from rotting due to any condensation or water that gets built up, and also makes it easy to empty it when you're done with your party. Remove the spigot on the cooler, or add a hole depending on the type you're using, and connect a tube to the bottom. Then, push the hose through and attach it to the outside of the wood frame. You can just keep it like that so it free drips, or add a spigot to the outside so you can drain it as needed. A bottle opener on the side may also be useful. 

Putting it on wheels isn't necessary, but it can be helpful, especially if you're planning on moving the cooler around your yard, or you need to be able to store it and your other patio furniture during the winter. Another tip is that if you don't happen to have a lot of these tools hanging around, or someone you can borrow them from, consider renting the equipment. Places like Home Depot often let you rent tools so you can knock out this DIY without having to invest in a bunch of equipment you will likely never use again.