How to Build Furniture Out of Cedar Fence Slats

Tables

• A rustic dining table can be made with a collection of reclaimed cedar fence slats. One idea is to build a frame for the table out of new cedar planks and top the table with visually appealing reclaimed slats. Either leave the slats as-is or sand them and paint or stain them to blend with existing decor. Another idea is to paint the base of the table in a bright hue such as cherry red and lime green and top it with rustic slats. Side tables for the living room and bedroom can be made in the same fashion.

Beds

• A headboard with an original design is another possibility for cedar fence slats. Whether you choose to design the headboard with the slats horizontal or vertical depends largely on your personal taste, or sidestep the obvious design choices and opt for a diagonal application. Using slats cut different lengths creates a geometric look. Designing a frame and cutting the cedar diagonally to fill the frame is another alternative. If you happen to have cedar log posts, you could use them to make a bed complete with a headboard and footboard. Design your own plan, or look for one online or at hardware stores.

Chairs

• Chairs for indoors or outdoors can be made with the fence slats. Whether you choose to build eclectic, woodsy dining room chairs or Adirondack chairs for your garden, many options are available. Depending on how many cedar slats you have on hand, you can build one feature chair or several chairs for a kitchen or dining room table. Soften the look of the chairs with colorful upholstered seats, or make chair cushions in modern prints such as damask, honeycomb, oversize floral patterns or retro geometric designs.

Benches

• Benches made of cedar slats work well in a garden. Cedar slats could be the material of a bench's seat and frame, and twigs and branches could form its arms and back. Another idea is to build a bench out of new cedar slats to place on one side on your dining room table. Dress up the seat with a few throw pillows in fabrics and patterns that enhance the room's decor, or use neutrally colored pillows with a range of textures and paint the bench instead.