Summer wouldn’t be complete without another fun project to add to the mix, right? This year we really wanted to slow down and enjoy our home, especially after a whirlwind summer season last year. I mean, planning and hosting your own wedding in your yard isn’t a small task!
Enjoying a BBQ on the deck, an evening fire, or just sitting by the lake requires comfortable seating, so I teamed up with Home Hardware to create my own DIY Adirondack Chairs. I’ve had the plastic style before and unfortunately with the smaller price tag, you also get a shorter time span to enjoy them.
We went with a durable 2x4 frame style, which also gives a modern flair.
If you want to give this chair build a try, here is what you will need:
Adirondack Chair Material List for Two Chairs:
6 - 2’ x 4’ x 8’ Pressure Treated
2 - 2’ x 2’ x 8’ Pressure Treated
9- 1’ x 4’ x 8’ Pressure Treated
2 ½” Wood Screws
2” Wood Screws
1 ¼” Wood Screws
Wood Glue
Stain (Optional)
Since there were a variety of cuts required for the lumber in each chair, we decided to make all of the cuts first, and organize the wood into piles for each chair, making for easy assembly.
Cut List - Yields 2 Chairs
For the Legs:
4 - 2x4 at 20 ¾” long with both ends cut parallel at 15 degrees off square. Long point to short point measurement. (Back Legs)
4 - 2x4 at 20” (Front Legs)
Arm Supports:
4 - 2x2 at 26 ½” long (longest point measurement) with one end cut at 15 degrees off square.
Stretchers:
4 - 2x4 at 31 7/8” long, one end cut at 35 degrees off square to longest point, the other end cut at 20 degrees off square to shortest point.
Front Aprons & Back Supports:
4 - 2x4 at 22 ½”
Seat Slats:
10 - 1x4 at 22 ½”
Back Slats:
10 - 1x4 at 36”
Seat Back Top Support:
2 - 1x4 at 19 ½”
Seat Back Base Supports:
2 - 2x4 at 19 ½”
Arm Rests:
4 - 1x4 at 27”
Once these cuts were complete, we started to assemble the chairs, starting with the legs. The 2x2 arm supports were attached between a back leg and a front leg. Attach the support to the legs with 2 ½” wood screws ensuring that the top and outside edges of the support are flush with the legs. Next you will flip these over so that the 2x2 support is on the outside, and attach the stretchers.
Mirror the opposite side so that the arm supports are on the outside. Once they match up, you can
attach the front apron to the front of the stretchers with 2 ½” wood screws.
Now that you have the legs built and the front apron on, it is going to start looking like a chair!
To ensure that the chair was spaced correctly, prior to attaching the 1x4’s for the seat we secured our back support first in between the back legs. Measure 4 ½” down from the inner part of the back leg on each side, and 5” down from the back portion of the legs and use 2 ½” screws to fasten the back support.
Attach your seat slats to the stretchers (5 total for each chair), starting at the front of the seat and
working your way back leaving a half inch for spacing between each slat. We used 2” wood screws to secure the boards.
To build the back, use the 5 1x4’s and attach them to the 2x4 supports. The base support is a 2x4 and the top support is a 1x4. We left about a ½” spacing between each board and attached them with 1 ¼” wood screws.
To make the next part simple for us, we left the top of the back squared off instead of rounding it or
cutting a design to look like a more classic version of an Adirondack chair. This is completely up to you and your style!
We slid the back into the frame and secured it to the back support and through the legs with 2 ½”
screws.
The final part of the build is to attach the armrests. These will sit flush to the back of the arms and leave a slight overhang at the front of the chair. Use 2” screws to secure the armrests.
Because the cut ends didn’t create a cohesive look to the rest of the pressure-treated lumber, I chose to stain my chairs in Home Hardware's 2022 Exterior Colour of The Year - Ebony
I am so happy with how these chairs turned out! They are spacious, sturdy, and I know they will be a hit for summer entertaining!