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When you think of clear plastic storage boxes, you probably do not think of furniture. But maybe you should. After all, a lot of outdoor furniture for your lawn or patio is made of plastic anyway. Plastic is not the most sturdy material for furniture, but it is affordable and versatile, and it can stand up nicely to the elements. After all, it will not rot like wood or rust like metal.

If you have been looking for an easy way to create some outdoor patio benches, and you happen to have some extra large plastic storage containers with lids sitting around, you may be able to rig up some new benches on your own pretty easily through a simple DIY Project.

To do this, you need to start by putting down some matting to add some traction so that your bins do not slide around on your deck or patio. You can then set down the plastic totes for storage on top of that.

At that point, you will need to measure the bins and cut some pieces of plywood which can fit across the tops of them. You should seal the plywood so that it is protected from weather damage. The plywood will add support so that you can sit on the bins without the lids indenting beneath you.

Next, you need to conceal the sides. Two ideas for doing this are to use either reed fencing or lattice. But you may come up with another idea for this that would work just as well. Some corner molding will help add structural integrity to the sides, and will also create a look which is more “finished.”

Once you have your sides in place along with the top pieces of plywood, you can then add some comfy cushions, pillows, and so on. This will help to further disguise the true nature of the benches, and it will make them more pleasant to sit and relax on. At a glance, nobody will be able to guess what they really are.

One nice thing about using plastic bins for storage to create outdoor benches is that they can continue to function as storage containers. You should not use them to store anything you will need to access frequently (since you will have to pull the plywood off the top to access them), but they may be excellent for long-term or seasonal storage.

For example, during the winter months, you could use them to store summer deck supplies and décor and clear up some space. During the summer months, you could use them to store items you only use in the wintertime. Twice a year, you could simply switch out the items in the bins.

Now you have a cool DIY project for creating more usable space in your outdoor living area. You can of course also use this idea indoors to create benches. It might for example work out well in a child’s play area. Once you get to work on the project, you will find that there are numerous possibilities!