10 DIY outdoor furniture and garden ideasBy the Gumtree team

We love this time of year, when the days are longer and the sun tries to make an appearance. It’s a great time to sit outside and relax, or enjoy a BBQ with friends and family. You may also be thinking about ways to beautify your garden after the winter. But, instead of going out and buying new furniture and accessories, consider giving upcycling a try. To get inspired, take a look at these 10 upcycling suggestions for your garden:

1.Quirky patio table

For a unique and quirky patio table, use an upturned cable wheel. Leave it rustic, or sand it down and give it a coat of weatherproof paint. Have fun with colours and enjoy.

2.Simple pallet bench

If you’ve always wanted a bench in your garden, why not make one for a fraction of the cost from old wooden pallets? Keep it bare, stain it or paint it a colour of your choice. It will look perfect in a sunny spot in the garden, amongst the flowers.

3.Foldaway chairs

If you’ve built the bench and have some leftover pallets, you could make some foldaway chairs too. It may need some more DIY skills, but it will be worth it. They’re perfect as extra seating for when you have visitors.

4.Quick and easy planter

There are so many different uses for pallets. As well as to create benches and folding chairs, you could turn them on their ends and transform them into beautiful planters. They might not be much to look at initially, but once your flowers start to grow, they’ll be a wonderful addition to your garden.

5.Unique tyre planter

Have an old tyre lying around? Do something unique and transform it into a planter. You could even add a rope or chain and use it as a hanging basket.

6.Funky barrel chairs

We love these upcycled chairs, which have been created from two oil drums, with some wood added for seating.

7.Washing machine planter

If you’ve got an old washing machine you’re about to get rid of, keep the drum. There are lots of uses for it in the garden, such as fire pit and BBQ, or even a plant pot.

8.Cable reel planter

Instead of adding another plant pot to your garden, add something a little different. There are lots of weird and wonderful things people use, from wellies and bicycle baskets to sinks and even whole baths. But if you’re looking for something more natural looking, a cable reel can look simple yet effective.

9.Children’s tea party

When you’re updating your garden, don’t forget the kids. Use plastic crates for chairs and an upturned cable drum for a table. You could make these fun and cheerful with decoupage. Not only are they perfect for a tea party, they’re stackable and you could make the chair seats removable so they can be used to store garden toys.

10.Herby bookshelf

If you’ve got an old bookshelf you want to get rid of, move it outside and turn it into an enviable herb garden. Sand it down, use a suitable outdoor paint, personalise it how you like and then get growing.

What upcycling have you done in your garden? We’d love to know. Tweet us a picture of your upcycling projects to @Gumtree with #UpcycleRevolution.

For even more ideas, visit our upcycling listings.