DIY Umbrella Stand With Side Table

by Kati @ Houseful of Handmade

$30

1 Day

Easy

I love sitting outside watching the kids play. I found a great outdoor umbrella to make the perfect sitting area for me, but when I went to buy a stand I was shocked at how expensive they were. It was going to cost me over twice as much as I paid for the umbrella to buy a stand. No way! So I figured out an easy way to DIY an umbrella stand and bonus, it's also the perfect side table for my sitting area.

diy umbrella stand with side table, diy, how to, outdoor furniture

To make a proper umbrella stand, you need something sturdy enough to hold all that top weight without tipping over. I always recommend removing your umbrella (or at least closing it) when not in use but sometimes that doesn't happen. So if you can make an umbrella stand sturdy enough to even withstand a decent wind, even better.

I can report from experience that this umbrella stand has stood up to it all. I made this one last spring and we used it all last year. It works better than I could have imagined and has stood up beautifully to the elements (and the kids).

Making this stand was easy and inexpensive. The one thing I would recommend, make it close to where you want it to live. It is very heavy when you are done! My husband was not too happy about moving it from the garage to the backyard.

To make an umbrella stand & side table you will need a large planter (the top needs to be less than 20 wide), about $8 in wood, some screws, a 2 piece of pipe and a bag of cement. Planters can be pretty expensive, but you can find some good ones for cheap if you look around. I would recommend going to the thrift store to see what you could find there. You do want the planter to be plastic or something really light weight (the cement will be heavy enough for you).

Using some masking tape or painters tape, center the 2" piece of pipe in the planter. Make sure it is straight up and down too (I used a level). Then mix up your bag of cement and fill the planter all around the pipe. You want the pipe to remain empty since that is where you will put your umbrella. Let it harden.

Now you can add your umbrella and enjoy the shade, but it doesn't look too pretty. So I designed this simple table top that sits directly down over the planter. It is not attached, which is nice because I can remove it to bring inside for the winter, which I forgot to do so it stayed out all winter but looks great because of the waterproof sealer I used.

The table makes this umbrella stand work perfectly in our seating area. I have a place for my beverage, phone and a book so I can enjoy the outdoors while the kids play.

For step by step instructions and a supply list for creating the table top, make sure to visit my blog. And hopefully the sun will continue to shine and spring will come so we can go outside and enjoy it!

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1 question

Anne f on Feb 26, 2016
Don't have a question, because u did a great job. You're lucky because its sheltered by the house. I have one like this with a screen that goes over the umbrella & zipper close and we got some strong winds lately and the wind went under the umbrella ; pulled it right out from the table and blew 10 ft away. Even the screws in the pipe to hold it weren't enough. Lovely job, good idea.

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2 of 64 comments

Rosemir O.Kalil Fadel on Mar 02, 2016
Eu fiz parecido, mas coloquei rodizios, furei os cantos coloquei as rodas antes de encher de cimento, agora levo onde quiser.

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Joanie on Mar 31, 2018

It works for me...I like the table top.....I'm thinkin' of one using a cement block.....I have 2 umbrellas and I think the 1 would work. Thank you....BTW, I love the chairs too!!!

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