It doesn't always have to be expensive: Building your own beach chairs

If you want to buy a beach chair, you should expect to spend at least a few hundred euros. Moreover, the traditionally woven wicker beach chair may not fit into every garden setting. However, no one needs to miss out on such a cozy seating option, neither for budget reasons nor for aesthetic purposes. Passionate DIY enthusiasts can quickly build their own beach chair using fruit crates and euro pallets. The necessary tools are already likely in the hobby basement of any DIY fan. What may take a bit more effort is sourcing the required "building materials." We've got some tips for that.

Stones, rainwater tanks, and similar items are usually delivered on euro pallets, which are sometimes not taken back by shipping companies. As a result, they end up unused in the garden. If you haven’t received such a delivery recently, you can check with a building materials supplier or a hardware store, or look online. Sometimes, packaging specialists are the right contacts for euro pallets, especially if a plastic lightweight pallet is desired. This can be used as the bottom pallet, providing protection against rising moisture, which is especially beneficial if the beach chair will later be placed on the grass. The dimensions of euro pallets are standardized, measuring 1200 x 800 x 144 millimeters in length, width, and height.

Large fruit crates can potentially be sourced from fruit farmers or from manufacturers of such crates. The dimensions may vary slightly depending on the specific wood supplier and the type of fruit being transported. As a standard, large apple crates measure 1000 x 1200 x 750 millimeters, while pear crates at the fruit farm have external dimensions of 1000 × 1200 × 640 millimeters.

• Tools needed:**

- Cordless angle drill driver
- Stapler or (cordless) electric nailer
- Paintbrush
- Hand, belt, multi, or delta sander

• Materials needed:**

- Three Euro pallets (possibly one of them as a plastic light pallet)
- One large fruit crate
- Screws
- Appropriate staples for the stapler / nailer
- Weatherproof paint or wood stain (as desired)
- Beach chair fabric or awning fabric
- Seat cushions or chair pads for garden chairs

• Step 1: Assembly**

The plastic pallet, if available, forms the base. The next pallet is placed on top of it. To ensure nothing slips later, the two pallets are fixed together with screws. To ensure a secure screw connection, it’s best to pre-drill the holes beforehand. The third pallet is then attached, followed by the large fruit crate. The crate is placed with the opening facing forward on the top pallet.
To avoid injuries later, all rough edges should be smoothed with the sander.

• Step 2: Coloring**

Before painting, carefully remove the wood dust. The best way to do this is with a slightly damp cloth. Then, the wooden beach chair can be painted with waterproof paint according to your taste. If you prefer a natural look, it can also be treated with a transparent wood preservative.

• Step 3: Decoration**

To make the beach chair truly cozy, it needs a cover. The large fruit crate is wrapped with weatherproof fabric on the outside. This can be done quickly with the stapler or electric nailer. To prevent the fabric from tearing, fold the edges like a hem. This cover creates a shaded and wind-protected seating area in the beach chair. For the interior, seat cushions or garden furniture pads can be used.