How to Build a Backyard Tiki Hut

A summer vacation on a sunny beach, complete with cool drinks and engaging conversation, is the perfect way to relax and relieve stress. Building a tiki hut allows you to have that pleasant tropical experience in your own backyard. Tiki huts are typically made with bamboo or wood and a thatch-covered roof. Once you construct your backyard tiki hut, add a personal touch to it with decorations such as seashells, candles and tropical plants.

Four 4-by-4, 12-foot-tall bamboo poles or wood posts
Four large buckets
Sand
10-foot-round satellite dish
5-inch bolts
4-foot ladder
Drill
12-foot thatch roof cover
Nylon zip ties
Small table and chairs
Tiki-style decorations
Thick rope or tropical potted plants (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Place one wood or bamboo post in each large bucket. Fill the four large buckets with sand. These sand-filled buckets help secure the bamboo or wood posts.
- 2
  Set each bucket about 6 feet apart on a flat surface, such as a deck or patio. Using a ladder, set the 10-foot satellite dish on top of the posts to form the roof.
- 3
  Stand on the ladder to see the top of the roof. Drill one 5-inch hole straight down through the roof and into each post. Bolt the roof to the posts for a semi-permanent tiki hut.
- 4
  Cover the roof with a 12-foot thatch sheet. Attach the thatch sheet to the roof with nylon zip ties if you think it will blow away.
- 5
  Place a small table and chairs in the tiki hut to create a gathering space for friends and family. Add decorations, such as light strands or tropical flowers, if desired. If you want to hide the buckets, wrap thick rope around them for a nautical look. Alternatively, set large tropical plants in front of each bucket to block them from view.

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