This one has a metal back the was originally a daybed frame With a few pops of red, and a "drawer" it adds a little class to the backyard.

Details in the blog post

#spring #springdecor

Utilizing the scrap we had on hand – our total cost was under $13. But even if one had to purchase the couple of 2x boards needed for the project, you would still be under $25 to build.

How We Built It: (you can see a complete picture tutorial on our blog post)

Like most of our projects – we started by cutting out all of the pieces and setting them out. (You can find a complete materials and tool list at the end of this post)

Beginning with a couple of scrap pieces of 2 x 10″ lumber left over from another building project – we made the base and two ends. The base we cut at 22″ long to make the rectangle needed for the mailbox to sit on. We then cut two more pieces from the 2×10 stock at 18″ high for the end pieces. We drew a 45 degree angle line from the top of the end pieces – and used the jigsaw to cut the roof lines for each piece. For the front of the mailbox – we took the mailbox we would be using and traced the outline of the door. We then cut that out with the jigsaw as well.

Next, we assembled the 2 ends with glue and a few screws to the 22″ long base.

Once the main base was assembled – we cut 6 of the pallet slat boards to 22″ long. We used those to build the sides – gluing and nailing them to the two end pieces.

We then cut four more slat boards at 26″ long for the roof top – and again attached them with glue and nails – leaving each end with about a 2″ overhang.

At this point we decided to add some trim to the mailbox house to dress it up a little bit. Using some more pallet boards – we cut 1″ wide trim strips with the jigsaw. and then cut them down as needed to trim out the corners and bottom of the mailbox. Using the pallet wood and wanting a rough look – the jigsaw was more than okay to use for the cuts.

A quick coat of paint and stain we had left over from the barn – and we were ready to install!

The hardest part of the project turned out to be digging the hole for the post at the road! We have dug quite a few holes for a lot of different projects around the farm – and I can say without a doubt – the dirt near the road bed is the hardest anywhere on the farm! After scraping and clawing with the post hole diggers for over an hour – we finally had the hole dug to the proper depth (28″ for us).

Beyond the hole digging issues..putting it up was as simple as attaching two 40″ 2 x 4′s cut from the scrap to the post. This created the stand for the mailbox to sit on. We then attached the mailbox house to the 2×4 ledge with four screws. We added an angle brace cut from scrap at 45 degrees to the bottom, attaching it from the post to the 2×4 ledge. All that was left was to slide in the metal mailbox – and we can get mail at the farm!

One final note: we ended up cutting off the back-end of the 2×4′s from the post. We had originally thought about attaching a sign to it – but decided we liked it better without. To receive our DIY and Gardening Tip Posts each Tuesday – sign up to follow the blog via email or hit the "Like" button on the Facebook tab on the left side of the page.

Materials List

10 ea.) Slat wood pallet pieces (easily obtained from 1 pallet)

3 ea.) Small pieces of scrap 2 x 10 lumber : Lengths : 22″ 12″ and 12″ – a four-foot scrap board will work.

1 ea.) 4 x 6 x 6′ treated post – $9.75

2 ea. 2x4x8′s – we used scrap – (could purchase for $5)

1 ea.) #80 bag of all-purpose concrete – $3.25

Wood Glue or Construction Adhesive

2″ nails or screws

Tools Used:

Jigsaw

Measuring Tape

Hammer and Nails

I used 5 pallets and some wood scraps to make these two and that part was free. If you want to paint or add cushions (recommended!) that will be extra but all in all this cost me $10 for the red paint and that's it!

The basic idea of how to make these is to take two pallets of the same rectangular shape and stack them on top of each other, do the same with the second lounge chair. Then take the last pallet, divide it in half and add some wood scraps to construct two backrests that you attach to the stacked pallets with two screws. Minimal sanding and some paint and you're done.

I must warn you that the idea is simple but deconstructing the 5th pallet is pretty hard physical work but can be made easier if you have the proper tools and/or a muscular guy to help :)

Check out my blog for more photos and detailed instructions on how I went about it:

http://shoestringpavilion.blogspot.com/2010/...