DIY Covered Patio

Rake the area smooth. If the patio will be where there is now lawn, you must kill the grass. Lay black plastic -- garbage bags will do -- over the area. Wait a week. The plastic retains heat, which will kill the grass. Leave the plastic in place. If you're in a hurry, dig out the grass.

Outline the patio with rocks about the size of a grapefruit ranging up to a small watermelon.

Fill in the center with pea gravel to a depth of 2 inches. Spread the gravel so it's level. Tamp the gravel down with the flat, broad side of a rake. Check it with a carpenter's level.

Lay the stepping stones on the gravel about 1 inch apart. Any farther apart and the footing gets to be unsteady.

Fill in between the stepping stones with additional pea gravel. Tamp down the pea gravel.

Dig a hole that's 18 inches deep and 10 inches in diameter at each corner of the patio or, if the patio is free-form, at four places equidistant around it.

Fill the holes with 6 inches of pea gravel. Tamp down the pea gravel.

Hammer a 6-inch nail 1 inch deep into each of the sides of the post, 4 inches from the bottom. The nail will protrude about 5 inches out and help anchor the post in the cement.

Mix the cement. You'll need a total of 6 cubic feet of cement. Place a wood post in the first hole. Fill the hole with cement. Have a helper keep the wood post upright and level by propping it up with stakes. The pointed end of the stake goes into the ground next to the cement-filled hole. The other end is angled toward the post to hold it upright. The stakes will be removed later. Set up the other posts with cement, too.

Check to see that the posts remain level and don't start to lean.

Wait for the cement to cure, at least 48 hours.

Tie a rope crosswise from one post to the other. Tie another rope crosswise from the other two posts, forming an "X." The "X" helps keep the tarp from dipping in the middle.

Tie a rope to each corner of the tarp as if you were tying a ribbon around a ponytail. Leave a length of rope on each side of the "ponytail" hanging free. Lift the tarp up and over the rope forming the "X." Tie each corner of the tarp to one of the beams using the two lengths of rope on each corner of the tarp.