Build a Patio Cooler Table with Built-In Ice Boxes
This DIY patio table is the COOLEST, thanks to the built-in ice box drink coolers in the center! Follow the woodworking plans to build this picnic table with cooler and matching benches to make your outdoor dining area the place to be this summer.
You’ll also want to build this simple DIY modern pergola and indoor-outdoor farmhouse coffee table.
DIY Patio Table with Built-In Ice Boxes
designed by Heidi of Kruse’s Workshop
The very talented Heidi and Brent from Kruse’s Workshop designed and built this DIY outdoor table and benches to turn their patio into a dining area for BBQs and summer parties.
We teamed up with Amy from HerToolbelt to draw up the woodworking plans, so you can build your very own ice chest table and matching easy outdoor benches .
Get the printable patio table plans
Building A Patio Cooler Table
Howdy from South Dakota! I’m Heidi, and along with my trusty husband, Brent, we’ve been busy remodeling and building everything from picture frames to doll houses in our upcycled garage aptly nicknamed, Kruse’s Workshop. We are excited to share our detailed plans outlining our process for building an ice chest patio table, which we fondly refer to as “The Patio Party Table.”
Visit Kruse’s Workshop to see Heidi and Brent’s industrial iron pipe photo display and the amazing Barbie house they built!
This post contains affiliate links. Learn more and read our full disclosure policy here.
Dimensions
The finished patio table measures 76 1/8”L x 40 1/2″D x 30”H and features 2 drink coolers with lids.
The finished dining bench measures 64”L x 15”W x 17 1/2″H.
Materials:
- Printable Woodworking Plan (includes both cooler table and benches)
- 5 – 2×8 8′ length (table top)
- 2 – 2×6 8′ length (ice box lids)
- 5 – 2×4 8′ length (framing/skirting)
- 2 – 4×4 8′ length (table legs)
- 3 – 1×4 8′ length (ice box supports)
- 2 – 10″x20″ plastic planter boxes – see photo below
- 2 1/2″ Kreg pocket screws
- 1 1/2″ Kreg pocket screws
- 1 3/4″ Deck screws
- 8 – 5/16″ x 3″ bolts
- 8 – 5/16″ washers
- 8 – 5/16″ wood anchors
- 120 grit sandpaper
- 80 grit sandpaper
To build the matching bench, you’ll also need (per bench):
- 2 – 2″ x 6″ x 8′ boards
- 3 – 2″ x 4″ x 8′ boards
- 1 – 4″ x 4″ x 8′ boards
For finishing the patio table & benches:
- Pre-conditioner
- stain
- exterior spar varnish
- foam brushes
- fine sanding block
Tools:
- Miter saw or circular saw
- Table saw (optional but very helpful)
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- Drill
- Orbital sander
- Kreg Jig pocket hole jig
- Clamps
- 2 1/8″ hole saw
- 1/2 inch drill bit
- T square or L square (optional but helpful)
- face clamps like these
How do you add a drink cooler to a picnic table?
The table design is centered around these specific planter boxes, available in the outdoor/plant department at Home Depot or on their website.
At 20″ x 10″, they are the perfect size for a drink trough to hold plenty of summer time drinks while clocking in at less than $10 each! (It wouldn’t be a bad idea to pick up a few spares, in case you need a replacement down the road.)
If you can’t find these ice boxes or don’t have a Home Depot nearby, you can pick up similar inexpensive planters here or here on Amazon — you’ll just need to plan ahead and adjust the holes and supports to fit the slightly different length and width, so be sure to thoroughly review the sketched woodworking plans before beginning to build.
(And scroll down to see how one clever reader fitted the table to hold chafing dishes for serving food, too!)
Can I add an umbrella to the patio table?
There’s plenty of room in the very center of the table to add a hole to accommodate an umbrella, such as this.
See the reader-built photos here to see how one reader added an umbrella to the patio table with ice boxes.
How long does it take to build? How much does it cost?
With a few tools and plenty of patience, this project can be completed in a weekend, for as little as $150!
What is the best wood for an outdoor table?
Depending on the type of wood species used, materials will run anywhere from $150 – $350.
Cedar, a wonderful choice for outdoor furniture, will cost significantly more than Douglas fir, which is what we’ve chosen for the table you are about to see.
The Home Depot in our region carries Douglas fir, but only in the 2×8 and 2×6 material, so for the 4×4 legs we used Cedar.
How do you weatherproof a wood table?
No matter what type of wood you choose, several coats of a quality sealer are crucial to protecting the table and matching benches, not only from Mother Nature but also from our children, who are bound to spill dinner and dessert on it.
We chose to stain our table in American Walnut and then finish with several coats of water-based spar urethane in semigloss. (Read below for more details).
How to Build an Outdoor Table with Drink Coolers
Get the full instructions and dimensions to build the table and matching benches here in the printable woodworking plan.
Tip #1: Cut As You Go
We had seen similar ideas, but we felt we could improve the design to create a more durable, solid product that could withstand our brutal weather cycles.
For this reason, we do not recommend cutting your lumber to length in advance. We feel it’s best to make the cuts as you work through the plans, which will give you the freedom to make small adjustments as needed, ensuring a durable table.
As with any woodworking plan, be sure to read over all the construction steps in the Cooler Patio Table and Benches Plan before making cuts and beginning to build.
Tip #2: First Cuts
For each material and step, begin by cutting a half inch off one end of the board. Always take this first step when cutting a new board, as it will give you a clean, straight end to measure off of.
Tip #3: Sanding
As you build, sand each section of the patio table, smoothing all of the edges, rough corners and sides. It will be much easier if you sand the individual parts before the table is assembled.
Most of the sanding can be done with an orbital sander loaded with 120 grit sand paper. Rough spots may need 80 grit sandpaper.
Tip #4: Staining
After you’ve sanded each section, we recommend staining that section. It’s much easier to stain in portions than after the entire patio table is assembled.
Staining at intermediate assembly intervals (as noted in the woodworking plans) also helps ensure that the stain does its job to protect and waterproof the wood so your table will be durable in the elements.
Tip #5: Clamping
As you build, pay close attention to your pocket holes and screws. Place a clamp like this over your first hole to hold the boards level with one another. Drive your Kreg screw into place.
Keep moving your clamp with each screw that you put in to ensure the pieces remain flush with one another. This is especially important when building the table top, to keep pieces flush and even for a smooth and level tabletop.
Want a drink cooler table, but smaller? Build this outdoor coffee table!
How to Make Your Own Table Legs from 4×4 Posts
It’s fairly simple to create your own legs using 4×4 posts, a table saw, and wood anchors. Full details are included in the woodworking plans, but we’ve included an overview here because this is a favorite woodworking tip to save money on table legs.
Create the leg, then attach it to the table using a diagonal support and bolts. This system makes it very simple to remove the legs for storage or transport.
To create the flat surface, angle your table saw blade to 45 degrees. Make a pencil mark so you know how far to cut. Set the table saw fence at 2 3/4″.
On the new flat face, measure and mark the locations of the wood anchors. (These should match up with the support brackets built in the next step.) Using a 7/16″ drill bit, drill the holes about 1 1/2″ deep.Insert wood anchors and tighten with a 3/8 allen wrench.
To attach the legs, build diagonal supports that attach to the skirting, cut from 2×4 with 45-degree angles at each end.
In the center of the diagonal piece, mark the same locations as the wood anchors in the legs and drill holes using a 1/2″ drill bit. Attach the support to the skirting using deck screws, then attach the legs to the diagonal support using bolts and washers.
How to Finish and Weatherproof an Outdoor Dining Table
Once everything is assembled, sand once more with 120 grit sandpaper.
Since we were using Douglas fir, which is a softer wood, we chose to use a wood conditioner so that our stain coat would come out more evenly.
About 15 minutes after I applied the wood conditioner and wiped off any excess, I applied a coat of basic interior oil based wood stain with a foam brush.
After the stain was dry, I applied three coats of this water based spar urethane, sanding VERY LIGHTLY with a fine sanding sponge in between coats.
And the finished patio cooler table looks like this:
Reader Photos and Alterations
We love seeing what you’ve built using Remodelaholic plans! Tag us @remodelaholic or #imaremodelaholic or submit a brag post here to show off your work.
Michael’s outdoor table with ice chests in the center
Michael writes: “This was my first-ever wood working project. I started with the benches and then moved on to the table. The benches worked great. I’m glad you mentioned not cutting everything for the table ahead of time. There were a lot of pieces that needed specific measuring towards the end (ice box lids).
“I used pressure treated pine. It made the table insanely heavy but will hopefully be good for a long time. Because of the weight of the table, I added heavy-duty locking casters to the bottom. This allows me to move it without getting the neighbors.
“I had a little bending in the long boards on the top. I added pocket screws going from the ice box frames across to the outside skirting and it pulled everything into alignment. Also, with the weight, I figured adding some screws would help over time.”
Doug’s Patio Table with Serving Dishes
Doug writes: “I was looking for a project I could build to donate to an auction being held by the PTO of my daughter’s elementary school. I decided on this table, but instead of using the planter boxes as ice chests, I made the holes in the table the same size as the opening for steam table trays. The trays come in about 24 different sizes, and they come in stainless steel as well as two types of plastic. They also come with lids and tons of accessories. Beware though, the trays can get expensive if you’re not careful.
“In addition to the rectangular trays, they have adapters so you can drop in different sizes of round buckets. The buckets are great for soups, sauces, chili, and the like, but they are also good for filling with ice and holding a few bottles of wine or a 12-pack of beer.
“I’m currently in the process of using some parts from an old gas bbq grill to create a small fire pit for the table. I am using one of the full size trays and putting the burner tube inside, covered with either broken glass or lava rocks. a small propane bottle will screw into the bottom of the tray and hang securely from the try while in use. I’m not sure how that is going to work out yet, but I think it will be really neat. The kids could roast hot dogs and marshmallows right in the center of the table.”
So very cool! What a great project, and to donate, nonetheless! A great project for a great cause. Thanks, Doug!
Allan’s Cedar Patio Table with Drink Coolers
Allan says: “Everything was according to the plans, except I made my table from cedar. The flower boxes I used were slightly more narrow and longer than the ones in the plans, so my table ended up being about a foot longer, all told. It’s the envy of our neighbourhood and a welcome place to sit down after a long day at work.”
Anita’s Recycled Wood Patio Table with Coolers
Anita says:”Saw the table and had to have one, but built it in my usual style, from recycled wood. You can make old look good again.”
Marielle’s COOL Table
Inspired by this patio table and our patio coffee table with drink trough, Marielle shared with us her “cool” table, as she called it. 🙂 She writes that they used one large board for the table top and cut out a perfectly-sized section to fit the serving tray so that it hangs by the 4 edges. And see the unique legs? Brilliant! Thank you for the photo!
If you’ve built anything following our plans or inspired by something we’ve posted, we’d love to see! Submit a brag post here.
Get the printable drink cooler patio table plans here.
More outdoor patio furniture builds:
- indoor/outdoor farmhouse coffee table
- DIY wedding arch garden arbor
- vegetable garden arbor and trellis (with raised garden beds)
- space-saving DIY deck benches
plus don’t miss the viral DIY fire pit pergola!
First published 04.24.14 // Last updated 02.07/20
Hi there – great build and plans!! I wanted to try to build 2 smaller tables using a 15×8 planter in each table instead of the two 20×10 in one big table. Is this doable?? Then each table is lighter and I can be more flexible to seating people. If doable, any tips you can provide to scale this down?
Another question – it looks like you are using kiln dried wood instead of treated wood. Does the spar varnish protect the table enough to withstand the elements of being outdoors 24/7??
Finally – this question has nothing to do with building the table. But, I see that your table top you used to put on top of the saw horses look strong, stable, and FLAT!!!! I’ve been trying to find the most inexpensive piece that I can use as a “workbench top” for my saw horses that could withstand the elements. I dont have a garage to work on my builds. What are you using for your workbench top? Any tips/help would be most appreciated.
Again – excellent plans and will be working on it this week.
Marie
Marie, I don’t have any specific dimensions to offer you, but I have seen people build smaller tables and even coffee tables with the ice chests in them. It’s just going to take a little time to lay it out, but I’m guessing you could use the same principles we laid out in the tutorial. We have had our table outside since April and it is holding up just fine with the spar varnish. And as for our work surface, that was just a piece of scrap plywood laid across a few sawhorses – makes a great temporary work surface!
Just got done building this for the holiday weekend. I bought a K5 jig. Unless you “lie”, you can’t set up the jig to use 1 1/2″ screws for 1 1/2″ thick lumber. I chose to play it safe and use recommended settings. I used 2 1/2″ Kreg screws for the whole project. Maybe I can find a use for the smaller screws in another project. For a timeline, it took us about 12 solid hours.
Hello,
In the instructions, you list the table saw as optional. How would you make the 45 degree cuts on the table legs if you have one? I don’t see a way to do it easily with a miter saw. That’s the only thing I’m stumped on at the moment.
Thanks,
Justin
My circular saw has a small guide on it. That is what I used to make the 45 degree cuts.
I used a Jig saw to make the 45 degree cuts on the 4×4 legs. I couldn’t find anyone with a table saw and most places wouldn’t do it for me. The table has turned out GREAT, and I hope it lasts! 4 coats of poly 12 hours apart each. 🙂 Should be alright.
On the wood anchors do you happen to know the name of them I can’t seem to find any of them anywhere
Overall, How much do you estimate this project costing? I’m starting out fresh, just moved into my own place, have to purchase all new equipment and tools. This is a brilliant idea for a back deck table. I guess, in terms of just the building materials, how much would this table run you?
I think I spent about $300 using fir for the table and two benches. I did use cedar for the legs as they didn’t carry fir in 4×4.
This is a great idea. I ran with this idea, but took it a step further. I made two openings in the table and I made them the right size to hold steam table pans. Now I can place a variety of pans in the holes to suit my needs. The we take food directly from the fridge/freezer/oven/grill/etc., and place them directly in the center of the table. The pans come in stainless steel as well as plastic, and they come with lids to keep them hot or cold. I’ll be happy to send some pics if you’d like.
Doug, that idea sounds amazing and we would love to see pictures! You can email them to hello@remodelaholic.com or find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Remodelaholic.
Thanks!
What are the dimensions of the final table?
Do you folks have a link for a total material cut sheet and material list?
Love this table and starting build this weekend. What material did you use for 1×4? My local home Depot and lumber yards only stock 2×8 or larger for Douglas fir
Also Would it be OK to use cedar or pine for the 2×6’s?
I just LOVE this idea!
Such talent, love your ideas. There was a time my husband and I would have been able to make this. Unfortunately health and age caught up with us. I will pin this so someone else may be able to make it. Keep the projects coming.
Hi, love your idea!! I was having trouble finding the wood anchors. Can you tell me if this is similar to what you used? Thanks!
https://m.lowes.com/pd/The-Hillman-Group-5/16-in-Brass-Standard-(SAE)-Wood-Insert-Lock-Nut/3012575
That is almost exactly what I used, but I found mine in stainless steel instead of brass at a local Ace Hardware store. However, call ahead to see if they have them, as each Ace has different stock – the one closest to my house did not have these, but another one a couple miles away did.
Also, I used a wide flathead screwdriver to drive these in, as an allan wrench will not work.
Is spar urethane better than polyurethane for outdoor furniture?
I absolutely love this. No need for buckets of ice anymore. I will need to keep this in mind for the future !
I am looking for a tutorial on how to build the benches. I did not see that and was wonder if it is available.
Hi Alvin,
Heidi shared the tutorial for the benches over on her site, Kruse’s Workshop, here: https://krusesworkshop.blogspot.com/2014/04/simple-indooroutdoor-rustic-bench-plan.html
I’ll update the post with the link, too — thanks for the question!
I’m almost finished with this project – just need to make the ice box covers and stain. But, I was curious as to whether anyone took “preventative” measures to stop moisture from entering the planters/ice boxes when not being used – e.g. caulk, sealant, weather-stripping.
Living in Wisconsin, we are a haven for mosquitoes hatching in the shallowest areas of standing water, and I’d like to prevent that as much as possible. My initial thought is to drill some small holes in the bottom of the ice boxes to drain any rainfall, but that poses a leaking problem when they are full of ice and dripping on people’s legs if they are under the table. I know I could take them out when not using them, but are there any thoughts on this?
Thanks.
I’m almost done with my table, however I have the legs left to do.
Does anyone know if there’s a way to notch out the 4 inches on the 4×4 posts where the lag screws are used to attach the legs to the table frame? I don’t have a table saw and I don’t know anyone with a table saw. 🙁
Or maybe even a different way to attach the legs?
Any help at all would be so appreciated!
Beautiful table! And thank you for the tutorial!
If you have a circular saw with an adjustable show, it should go to 45 degrees (that is what I did). You can cut the rest off with either a hand saw or reciprocating saw/sawzall. Or if you have really steady hands, use an angle and mark 45 and just use a sawzall.
Ashley,
I used a jigsaw since I did not have a table saw either. Hope that helps.
is there a way around using the Kreg jig? Going to the hardware store they wanted $125 for a set. I see a Kreg JR for considerably cheaper would that work? Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
If you are only worried about cost, Harbor Freight has their brand of pocket hole jig for $68 https://www.harborfreight.com/portable-pocket-hole-jig-kit-96266.html
Just finished my table today. Came out great. Nice easy to follow directions with the pictures.
I have one lid in, one out for the pic: https://i60.tinypic.com/1zyhiu.jpg
Wife wanted a “midnight” stain to match our black fence. Might do a 2nd coat of stain. Going to add the Spa Urethane tonight.
I used 2in pocked screws to attach the table top. and 2.5 inch everywhere else. I also used 2 inch deck screws, couldn’t find the 1 and 3/4ths. Don’t go larger then 2inch though, as you’ll go through the 1x4s when you need to use them.
I used something similar to this saw to cut the notches in the 4x4s: https://www.lowes.com/pd_525855-79992-PC15TCS_4294607775__?productId=50192341&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=
Overall it was a fun project. Spent probably about 10-12 hours so far. Plus whatever it takes to do the sealing. I’d guess another 2-3 depending on how many coats and sanding we do. My brother helped the majority of the time, but it’s definitely a two person, weekend job.
I bought the cheap Kreg Jig from lowes for $40. It worked ok, but I plan on investing in the better one for my next project. https://www.lowes.com/pd_255535-39450-R3_0__?productId=1072743&Ntt=kreg+jig&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNtt%3Dkreg%2Bjig&facetInfo=
Just a pain moving the clamps around, and never seemed to hold sturdy even with the Kreg clamps, so my brother would have to hold the jig while I drilled it. But if you’re hitting close to your budget, I’d go with that one.
Definitely excited to get this out back and start putting it to use. Now the wife wants the benches as well (at first she thought she wanted to just use the chairs we already have, but she likes the way the table turned out she wants matching benches too). Looks like another trip to lowes in my future.
Thanks again for posting this. Was exactly what I was looking for.
Thanks so much for the feedback and picture, Timothy! Do you mind if I add the photo to the post as well?
Sure of course. I’ll try to add some better pictures once it’s all finished and the stain has finished drying evenly.
Awesome! You can share the link here like you did, or you can upload them here, too: https://www.remodelaholic.com/share-brag-post/