Grow-Up Kids' Outdoor Furniture

Safe and sturdy for even the most rough and tumble kids, these table and chair combos add bold design and rugged construction to kid-friendly outdoor spaces. Repurpose them into plant stands and accent tables when the kids start sitting at the grown-up's table.

We painted our tables and chairs in warm, natural shades to represent the golden sun, earthy browns, grassy greens and sky-hued blues.

Instructions:

Before you begin
The pieces shown here feature various shapes, sizes and heights in order to suit children of different ages. The designs can be amended and scaled differently. Make sure your versions have kid-friendly features, such as rounded corners and good balance.

Table projects
Using a strong, stable material, such as the ¾-inch Arauco plywood featured in these projects, means the joinery can be kept simple and minimal. In fact, a few butt joints and routed dadoes, all secured with glue and screws, were all we needed.

Chair projects
Each of the three table projects has a corresponding chair design, though as our photographs show, you can mix and match these pieces any way you like. The chairs are actually stools, kept backless and simple, so they're easy to build and light enough for smaller children to move them around. Each of the designs incorporates the same materials and methods used for the tables.

Large table and chair set
Use the Large Table and Chair Set Project Diagram as a reference.

A large table involves many of the same techniques and tools required for the other tables.

• All of the part shapes feature tapers or irregular angles, so use a portable circular saw and a straightedge guide to cut them to size. The center support panel (J) requires four routed dadoes, two on each side, to accept the support wings (K).
• Note that the lower edge of the center panel features a 1-inch-high jig-sawn cutout and that two of the dadoes (one on each side) intersect that cutout.
• The two support wings installed in those dadoes need to have a corresponding cutout to align with the center support as shown, while the remaining two wings have a straight lower edge.
• After adding any optional decorative patterns, such as the three-hole-motif shown on part (K), use glue and screws to attach the base assembly parts as shown, and then fit the table top (I) onto the base.
• Align the center support (J) parallel with the long axis of the table top and check that the overhang margin past each of the support wings is consistent for good stability.
• Use screws to secure the top to the upper edges of the base assembly.

A large chair is the tallest and the simplest of these projects. A pair of leg panels with center cutouts (shaped quickly with a jigsaw) support a rectangular seat with dadoes routed on its underside for the legs to nest securely. A router with an edge guide and equipped with a 3/4-inch straight bit will make quick work of the dadoes. As with the dado joints in the tables, use glue and screws to secure the connections.

Medium table and chair set
Use the Medium Table and Chair Set Project Diagram as a reference.

• A medium table is a slightly more ambitious project, with a curved top, base parts and a few more routed dadoes. Refer to the cutting diagram for guidelines on cutting these parts out of the plywood sheets.

• For the tabletop (D), fit a trammel guide to your router base, and use a small finish nail or similar fastener for the pivot point.

• A 1/2-inch straight bit works fine for cutting out this circle shape and also the one you'll need for some of the base parts, but don't try making the cut in one pass.

• Instead, make an initial pass no more than 1/4 of an inch deep, and then adjust the cutter depth for more shallow passes until you're about 2/3 into into the plywood.

• Use a jigsaw to rough-cut the remaining thickness around the circle rim, and then make one final router pass at full-depth around the freed part to trim the rough waste edge left from the jigsaw.

• Use the same router-and-trammel method to cut the arcs from the panel blank that will yield the base supports (E,F). (NOTE: The outer edge of the router arc produces a 7-1/2-inch-radius curve on those parts, and at the same time it will leave a 14-inch-diameter disk in the center, which will be used for the seat (Q) on chair #3).

• Cut the other base parts (G,H) as shown, and rout the dadoes shown with a 3/4-inch straight bit. If you want to use our pattern, drill the rows of 1-inch holes in those parts as shown. These are decorative only, so you can omit them or substitute a pattern of your own. If you design your own cutout pattern, keep any openings smaller than 4 inches wide (the safety standard for deck railings), and don't create sharp edges or pinch points.

• Use glue and screws to attach the base parts together as illustrated, taking care to align all the upper edges flush. The top can be secured with screws as shown. Position it so the straightedge has a 1-inch overhang beyond the edges of the two base uprights (H).

A medium chair boasts very similar construction to the large chair, with some simple changes made to the shapes and proportions. Also, the dadoes on the underside of the seat (N) are located slightly further from the seat ends, to allow enough overhang for the decorative cleats (P) to nest below as shown.

• Note that the screws attaching these cleats are driven from the inside of the assembly through the legs (O) and must be positioned to avoid the pattern holes in the cleats.

• The leg contours can be cut easily with a jigsaw.

Small table and chair set
Use the Small Table and Chair Set Project Diagram as a reference.

A small table, measuring almost 18 inches tall, features a simple triangle-theme top (A) that has shallow-stopped dadoes (grooves) routed in the underside to accept the legs.

• Cut the parts out according to the cutting diagrams and dimensions shown, and then use a router with an edge guide and a 3/4-inch straight bit to machine the dadoes for the legs.
• As shown, two of the 6-inch-wide legs (B) install in the dadoes at the outer corners, secured with glue and screws. For the double-leg assembly (B,C) in the square corner, glue and screw the legs to each other as shown, and then attach them to the tabletop, nested in the L-shaped dado cut.
• We kept our dadoes shallow at just 1/8 of an inch deep. That's plenty to add stability to the joint and make aligning parts easier during assembly.

A small chair uses a scrap piece of plywood created as a byproduct of the medium table, saving you a step in making the part. This 14-inch-diameter disk makes a perfect seat for the smallest stool in this set. Because this chair features three individual legs (R) with relatively small surface area where their ends meet the seat (Q), good-fitting dado joints are especially important here.

• Using the illustration as a guide, mark the underside of the seat with the layout for three stopped dadoes approximately 5 inches long.

• Don't bother to square the rounded ends of the dadoes; they won't show when the chair is in use. Clamp guide boards in place one at a time, and rout the dadoes as shown, leaving a seat overhang of about 3/4 of an inch at each leg location.

Modify the legs by drilling our three-hole pattern or a design of your own, and then attach with glue and screws as shown.

Final touches

• Check that all screw heads are countersunk flush with the surrounding wood surface, and use a sanding block to ease any sharp corners or edges. If you prefer, you can use wood filler or even caulk to fill the driver voids in the screw heads.

• Thoroughly sand all the surfaces and edges of each table and chair.
• If desired, you can also rout a 1/4-inch-radius roundover on all the exposed edges to reduce splintering so they're more comfortable to the touch. Apply an exterior-grade latex primer to all edges and surfaces of each piece, and then sand any raised wood fibers smooth and, if necessary, apply a second coat of primer.
• Then choose the finish colors you want for each piece, and apply two coats of latex gloss exterior enamel, sanding lightly between coats.

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