Finally, an Adirondack Chair that is easy to build and stylish and comfortable! This do it yourself project plan to build a DIY adirondack chair is simple, and easy. Inspired by polywood furniture, build your own affordable adirondack chair. Special thanks to Amy for sharing her photos.
Preparation
1 – 1×8, 8′ Long
4 – 1×4, 8′ Long
1 – 2×2, 8′ Long
1 – 1×3 8′ Long
1 1/4″ Screws (I would get pretty self tapping outdoor deck screws so that you don’t have to refinish your chair after you put it together)
2″ Screws
Wood Glue
2 – 1×8 @ 32 3/4″ (Stringers)
1 – 1×8 @ 21″ (Front)
5 – 1×4 @ 21″ (Seat Slats)
2 – 1×4 @ 20 3/4″ (Front Legs)
2 – 1×3 @ 24″ (Arm Supports)
5 – 1×4 @ 30 1/2″ (Back Slats)
1 – 1×3 @ 19 1/2″ (Top Back Trim)
1 – 1×4 @ 19 1/2″ (Bottom Apron Back)
1 – 2×2 @ 22 1/2” (Center Back Support)
2 – 1×4 @ 25 1/2″ (Arm Rests)
2 – 1×3 @ 6″ (Decorative Front Arm Supports)
Work on a clean, level surface. Use good, straight boards. On outdoor projects such as this one, it’s a good idea to paint your boards first (or invest in a tiny paint brush to get in between the cracks) so, sand and give your boards a nice paint job first. Remember, you can click diagrams for larger views. Pre-drill and countersink all of your screws. I would use a screw pattern so that your screws look nice and even (and you don’t have to finish the chair again after it’s assembled) Be safe and have fun!
Instructions
Step 1
CUT YOUR STRINGERS
From the 1×8 stringers listed in the cut list, cut your stringers as shown above. You may wish to create a pattern and then copy the pattern for both sides. This is the trickiest step. If you can do this, you’ve got it made!
Step 2
FRONT APRON
Attach your front apron with 2″ screws and glue as shown above.
Step 3
SEAT SLATS
Lay your seat slats as shown above, starting with the first flat seat slat. Leave a 1/2″ gap between the slats. Screw down with 2″ screws and glue.
Step 4
FRONT LEGS
Use 1 1/4″ screws and glue to attach the front legs as shown above.
Step 5
Step 6
BACK
Build the back as shown above.
Step 7
ATTACHING THE BACK
Attach the back as shown above. This isn’t an exact science, I purposely choose to use a 1×3 for the arm supports and a 2×2 for the back support so that it would be super easy for
you to get the back to line up just right with the seat and arm supports. You may want to enlist your neighbors assistance.
Step 8
ARMS & SUPPORTS
Attach your arms with 2″ screws and glue. Then attach the arm supports.
Comments
carie (not verified)
Fri, 05/21/2010 - 17:28
Hi Ana, I just bought cut and
Hi Ana, I just bought cut and painted my wood today! I'm super excited to put it all together tomorrow :) I had a little problem with the shopping list but I am wondering if it is my mistake because I doubled the list (except for the 2x2) to make 2 chairs. I ended up being short about 106 inches of 1x4, I ran out just before I cut the arm rests at 25 1/2". I'm thinking that maybe this happened because I cut all my boards of the same length at the same time so my scrap amount was different, I don't know. I just ran back to Home Depot and bought a 10 footer - no biggie but I thought you'd like to know.
msk171 (not verified)
Sat, 06/02/2012 - 19:02
To save some math and rearranging
The 1x4's had me a little confused when I came up short so I did the math...here are the cuts so they fit on each board. Yes, you still only need 4 --1x4, 8' long:
Board 1: 21",21",30 1/2",19 1/2"
Board 2: 21", 21", 25 1/2 ", 25 1/2"
Board 3: 21", 20 3/4", 20 3/4", 30 1/2"
Board 4: 30 1/2", 30 1/2", 30 1/2"
Drama Queens (not verified)
Sun, 05/23/2010 - 12:24
I am new to your site and
I am new to your site and LOVE this plan! I have all my boards cut and they are finishing drying after painting and priming as I speak! I can't wait to put it all together! I have never built anything really--besides helping my dad when I was a kid. I used my hubby's radial arm saw for all of the cuts--worked but not the best I'm sure--and only spent $1.50 as we had most of the wood and paint. Thanks so much for a fun project, can't wait to do more!
Drama Queens (not verified)
Mon, 05/24/2010 - 09:11
OK--so my question is--I was
OK--so my question is--I was screwing the 2x2 back support on using the 2" screws-predrilled my holes--and SOMEHOW I went all the way through the back slats! The 1 5/8 screws I have are too short, the 2" screws are too long--what do I DO???
Ana White (not verified)
Mon, 05/24/2010 - 10:28
It sounds like you may have a
It sounds like you may have a deep countersink bit. What I would do is fasten from the front face of the back slats into the 2x2, instead of from the back.
Drama Queens (not verified)
Tue, 05/25/2010 - 06:05
thanks--I actually wound up
thanks--I actually wound up improvising and cut 1/2" slats into small squares and put them between the 2x2 and the back slats and then filling the holes in the back slats. it worked for now--it was still an awesome 1st project and i learned A LOT!
Claiming Our Space (not verified)
Thu, 05/27/2010 - 11:44
I have been wanting a pair of
I have been wanting a pair of Adirondack chairs for our front yard. However the only versions in my price range have the rounded tops. The straight lines on your version will look great and echo the strong horizontal lines of our house.
Brooke (not verified)
Sat, 05/29/2010 - 02:39
Wow! This is great! Thank you
Wow! This is great! Thank you for all your hard work put into these plans. Your amazing! I will have to try these plans and about 100 other ones. I will be linking. Thanks!
Jodi@homegrown… (not verified)
Sat, 06/05/2010 - 09:51
I was able to assemble 2
I was able to assemble 2 chairs in one day. I had already cut and painted all the pieces previously. They went together well, although I did have to do some math since the widths on my boards were slightly smaller than the dimensions in the plans. No biggie, though! I'm very happy with them. I need to put on another coat of paint and find some cushions and they're done!
Loni (not verified)
Sat, 09/04/2010 - 15:07
I'm making a "big man"
I'm making a "big man" adirondack for my dad, so I'm modifying your plans a bit, I'm widening it and adding some extra stringers and legs for bottom support.
My problem I'm having now is how to beef up the back to hold more pressure. I was thinking maybe extra "legs" going from the middle back support straight down to the ground? But I'm not sure if that would really add support unless I angle them back?
Thank you in advance!