Design & DIY

Create a built-in cooler for your picnic table

Overhead view of a cooler with beer bottles on a picnic table. Photo by Steve Cukrov/Shutterstock

Apparently, the uses for gutters at the cottage are endless, stretching well beyond merely collecting or redirecting rainwater. Recently, we did a post on how you can turn PVC gutter into an attractive planter. This time, we have a great cottage alternative for aluminum gutter. Soon enough, you’ll have no excuse for building scraps piling up behind the cottage.

An inexpensive project, this creative idea won’t only impress your guests, it will also allow you to keep them better company. When everyone’s gathered ‘round the table, deep in conversation, it can be a pain to always be going back and forth between guests and fridge in order to keep everyone’s drinks topped up. And while you could plop a portable cooler next to the picnic table, this DIY built-in is way more fun, and definitely something to show off.

Made with 10” aluminum rain gutter and a few other small materials, such as angled brackets and screws, the biggest challenge may be convincing your husband that it’s a good idea to rip out the centre plank of your picnic table. (Perhaps this project is best for tables that have already undergone a little wear and tear.) As for tools, you’ll only need the basics—hammer, drill, saw—that most cottages are equipped with.

 

For all the details on the materials you’ll need, how to build the table, and the best way to clean up once the party is over, check out this article by design website Redesign Revolution.

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