20 Spring Projects To Start Planning

Make Your Own “Cornhole” Game

Cornhole boards are tailgating classics, and building your own set this spring will set you up for a summer of fun. The best part is that even though the game might be difficult to master, building the boards to play it on is fairly easy. (Note: The official rules of the American Cornhole Association say the surface must be plywood to be official, but you can make them out of composite decking for a more weather-proof version.) Here are complete instructions for how to build DIY cornhole boards.

Raised Planter

This sturdy, easy-to-build planter is perfect for a vegetable garden or flower bed, and it can go anywhere around your home—in the backyard, on the patio or deck, on the front porch, you name it! Get the full, simple plans here.

Build a Wooden Bench for Less

Need some extra seating for all of the outdoor get-togethers you’ll host once the weather warms up? You can build this super-simple DIY outdoor bench in just a few hours!

Modern-Style Birdhouse

Spring is the peak of bird watching season. If you want to attract as many colorful specimens to your yard as possible, make this minimalist birdhouse on a Saturday morning and learn some tricks to matching tough angles in the process. There’s even a video tutorial to take you through the project, step-by-step!

Space-Saving Garden Closet

Want to build a shed this spring but don’t have room for a bulky addition in your yard? You can still create plenty of space for garden tools with a shed attached to the back or side of the house. With the proper planning in place this garden closet project is easy to build, even for a beginner.

Classic Wooden Cart

If you enjoy gardening but not making multiple trips to collect tools, fertilizer, flats of plants, mulch, a garden hose and a weed bucket, you’ll love this simple cart. It’s lightweight and easy to maneuver, but it works like a heavyweight. Here are the step-by-step plans.

Backyard Boardwalk

Paths built with concrete, stone or pavers are expensive and labor intensive. They require a lot of digging, hauling of tons of materials and the disposal of tons of soil. If you’re looking for an easier path, consider a wooden walkway, especially for wet or sloped sites.

Backyard Privacy Screen

We’ll show you a foolproof technique for laying out this privacy fence to ensure you get perfect post positioning. Get the full step-by-step plans for building this privacy screen in your backyard.

Campfire Bench

This simple, sturdy campfire bench is perfect for the backyard or cabin. You can build it in a weekend and park it next to your fire pit or under a shade tree once everything has thawed.

Patio Planter

This planter is designed to make your patio or deck gardening much easier. Instead of filling it with dirt and planting each flower or plant individually, you simply set pre-potted plants right into the planter. Anyone planning on digging into gardening this spring can build one for their outdoor space with these plans.

Build Your Own Boot Scraper

Here’s a traditional Swedish farm accessory for soles soiled by soggy springtime soil. The dimensions are not critical, but be sure the edges of the slats are fairly sharp, as they’re what makes the boot scraper work. Cut eight slats at the same length, then cut eight triangular openings on the side of a pair of 2x2s. A radial arm saw works well for this, but a table saw or band saw will also make the cut. Trim the 2x2s to length, predrill, and use galvanized screws to attach the slats from underneath.

If you prefer a boot cleaner that has brushes, check out this clever project.

Fix a Storm Door Closer

Strong winds or heavy use can crack the door jamb that holds the storm door closer in place. A jamb reinforcer can repair the cracked jamb, or stop the problem from happening in the first place. Learn how to fix your storm door closer here.

Relocate a Sprinkler Head

Want to make sure that nothing has gone wrong with your sprinkler system over the long winter months? These simple lawn irrigation system fixes will solve 90 percent of common breakdowns. You’ll save on repair bills and keep your lawn lush and green from spring to fall, no special skills needed.

Replace Damaged Vinyl Siding

Vinyl siding is tough, but not indestructible. If a falling branch or a well-hit baseball has cracked a piece of your siding, you can make it as good as new with a $5 zip tool (available at any home center) and a replacement piece. It’s as simple as unzipping the damaged piece and snapping in a new one. Just make sure that you have all of the materials you need to remove (and replace) your siding on hand so that you aren’t leaving a section of your house exposed for too long. Here’s how to replace your damaged siding.

Check Your Air Conditioner Thermostat

Having a broken air conditioner suddenly becomes much more of a problem when winter ends. If your AC won’t come on, the thermostat may be saying no. This is because if you turn your central air conditioner on, off, and then on again in rapid order, chances are you’ll blow a fuse or shut off a circuit breaker or the air conditioner simply won’t respond. The compressor (in the outdoor condensing unit) may have stopped in a high compression mode, making it difficult to start until the compression releases. Learn how to change the air conditioner thermostat here.

Apply Heat Reducing Window Film

If you have room that gets too hot from direct sunlight, consider installing a heat control window film to keep the room cooler. These films reflect the sun’s heat and ultraviolet rays, and reduce glare without obscuring the view. The more direct sunlight coming through the window, the more the film will help (and it may lower your air-conditioning bills!). Learn how to apply the heat reducing window film here.

Protect Outdoor Furniture

If you’d like to preserve the natural wood appearance of your wood entry door or your outdoor furniture, take a lesson from boat builders. Boat builders and restorers use multiple coats of epoxy and spar varnish to protect wood—instead of spar varnish alone—because the combination is much stronger than either finish is separately. Epoxy creates a tough, flexible moisture barrier; spar varnish adds depth and UV protection, which keeps the epoxy from yellowing and eventually disintegrating.

An Outdoor Water Feature

Low maintenance is key with this outdoor water feature. Once it’s built, there’s little to do but sit back and enjoy it! Here’s how to do it.

A Self-Watering Planter

If you love the taste of fresh veggies and have ever lost a crop because you forgot to water, this DIY solution is for you. Add a self-watering planter to your list of outdoor projects this spring and never worry about forgetting to water the plants again. It’s great for flowers too!

Screened-In Patio

For those who love the allure of the outdoors at night, but just can’t handle the bugs, this is the icing on the outdoor projects cake. Our screened-in post and beam patio with removable awning can protect you from the elements while providing ample space to roam. By tackling it in the spring you’ll be able to enjoy even more of those warm summer nights.