How to Make Outdoor Lounge Chairs

Arrange two of the 20-inch and the two 60-inch lengths of 1-by-4-inch hardwood in a rectangular shape, standing them upright on their longest narrow edges. Sandwich the shorter boards between the ends of the longer boards and align the outside edges.

Secure the frame by driving 2-inch wood screws through the longer boards into the shorter ones. Slide the remaining three 20-inch lengths of 1-by-4-inch hardwood perpendicularly between the longer sides of the frame at 14-inch intervals, measuring from the right edge of the frame.

Attach the three 20-inch boards by driving 2-inch wood screws through the frame into the thickness of the boards. When finished, the rectangular frame should be divided into four sections. Three of the sections should be approximately 14 inches wide and the fourth about 18 inches wide.

Lay the five 42-inch lengths of 1-by-4-inch hardwood flat on top of the rectangular frame you just completed, spacing them 1/4 inch apart. Position these boards -- which are the seat slats -- so the right edges hang over the right edge of the frame by about 1 inch and the left edges rest flat on the left-most 20-inch cross brace. The 18-inch section of the frame should remain uncovered.

Attach the 42-inch boards to the frame by driving 2-inch wood screws through the surface of each board into the frame below. Flip the frame over when finished so the underside of the frame is facing up.

Position the two 18-inch pieces of 1-by-4-inch hardwood upright in each of the corners on the right side of the frame. Stand the boards upright on their shortest, narrow ends so the widest part of the board is flat against the side of the rectangular frame. The bottom of the board should be flush with the underside of the seat slats hanging over the edge of the frame.

Align the outside edges of the chair legs with the edges of the frame in each corner. Attach the legs by driving 2-inch wood screws through the legs into the rectangular frame. Use four screws to attach each leg.

Flip the chair frame onto its side so the two legs you just installed are extended toward you. Position the two 36-inch lengths of 1-by-4-inch hardwood flat against the remaining two corners of the rectangular frame. The widest edge of these two legs should be flat against the short side of the frame, and the outside edges should be aligned.

Adjust the 36-inch chair legs so that 14 inches of each board extends beyond the bottom edge of the rectangular frame. Attach the boards by driving four 2-inch wood screws through each leg into the rectangular frame. When finished, you should have four chair legs of equal length extending from the bottom of the frame.

Stand the chair frame upright on its four legs. Place the 20-inch length of 1-by-2-inch hardwood horizontally on top the two 36-inch boards you just installed. Drive 2-inch wood screws down through the 1-by-2-inch hardwood into the 1-by-4-inch boards to attach it. This structure will serve as the support for your seat back.

Lay the five 30-inch pieces of 1-by-4-inch hardwood side by side, spacing them about 1/4 inch apart. Position the remaining three 20-inch lengths of 1-by-2-inch hardwood perpendicularly across the width of all five boards.

Adjust the 1-by-2-inch boards so there is one about 2 inches from each end of the 1-by-4-inch boards and the third is positioned about halfway between. Drive 2 1/2-inch wood screws through the 1-by-2-inch pieces of hardwood into the 1-by-4-inch boards. This structure will serve as your seat back.

Set the seat back in place above the open end of the rectangular frame. Position the seat back so the 1-by-2-inch hardwood supports are facing down toward the frame. Angle the seat back so the top edge rests against the seat back support and the bottom edge makes contact with the horizontal seat slats.

Attach the seat back by driving 2 1/2-inch wood screws through the seat back into the chair frame. At the top, drive the screws through the seat back into the seat back support. At the bottom, drive the screws at an angle through the back of the seat back slats into the adjacent cross brace inside the rectangular frame.

Paint or stain your completed lounge chair. Once the paint or stain has dried completely, apply at least two coats of clear varnish or polyurethane to protect the finish from the weather.