Read the sequence from the top before cutting, painting, or moving pieces.
20+ Cooler Tables for Your Patio
To wrap up our Turning Tables Handmade week and celebrate the 4th of July weekend, we gathered up over 20 COOL tables… I mean, cooler tables that you should build for your patio to party all summer long! There never seems to be enough ice at a party, but these patio tables have built-in coolers, sinks, and ice boxes to help keep drinks or other treats cool all night long — as long as someone remembers the ice first!
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Patio Cooler Tables to Build or Upcycle
First up, our personal go-to: this brilliant patio table that Heidi and Brent shared here, which uses inexpensive planter boxes to create two iceboxes for drinks. One enterprising reader even modified the table to fit serving dishes, so you can keep chips and salsa or another party food close at hand! (See those photos at the bottom of the post here.) Get the full detailed photo walkthrough, or if you prefer written building plans, get those here — and don’t forget to build the matching benches with the instructions at Kruse’s Workshop!
PS: As nice as it is to Handmade (and we have 20 more options for you to method or build!) — sometimes it’s nice to just click and wait for patio furniture to arrive! Try these cooler tables from Amazon and you could have a new patio cooler in as little as 2 days (thanks to Prime shipping!) without breaking a sweat! (affiliate links, see our full disclosure policy here).
And now back to our regularly scheduled DIYing…
If you haven’t seen this memorable patio coffee table by Shades of Blue Interiors — you need to! (Rachel’s entire patio and home are memorable, so go pay her a visit and say hello!) It combines a striking style with the built-in drink cooler for a well fitted summer patio!
You don’t always have to build a cooler table from scratch — The Heathered Nest hacked an existing potting table by swapping in a plastic container and adding ice, for a great outdoor bar.
The COOLEST Tarva method — turn a low-cost dresser into a drink cooler for the patio! via IKEA Hackers. Mine would have to say MORE DIET COKE! As an added bonus, you can maintain the storage in the lower drawer — just be careful that it’s anchored to a wall since the built-in cooler will make it top-heavy.
Grab a large planter and a few other supplies to make this cool drink table with cooler base by Hallmark Channel.
Got an old sewing table? This sewing table into a drink cooler that Karen from The Weekend Country Girl shared with us here is a great way to turn not just one but two pieces of “trash” into a treasure, by adding a sink to create a drink station.
Turn an old barrel into a double-decker drink station and cocktail table! (original image source unknown)
If you entertain often, dress up your plain plastic cooler with a pretty wooden built-in cooler stand, by Birds and Soap.
If you need a full party cart, look at this built-in cooler table with a slide-away top! Get the plans at Build Something.
Every patio can use an extra side table — this one by Saws on Skates has a nice deep ice box (made from a planter) inside!
This side table, spotted on Bower Power, would be well fitted for a patio party, too.
Smart Built-In Cooler Tables for Your Next Patio Party
Entertaining can be stressful, so make it easier on yourself by knowing that your guests’ drinks will be nice and cold with one of these solid Handmade built-in cooler tables!
For an extra large party, just put together a quick wood box and add cinder blocks! via Michaela Rae
This hexagon bench by Addicted2DIY makes a great seat — and Katie suggested building a round cooler into the middle, instead of building it around a tree. Brilliant!
I haven’t tried it, but several readers have suggested that this bucket coffee table we featured could be modified to have a removable top, with storage for drinks or other things in the bottom…
Personally, I think you could keep it direct, too! Any bucket can be added to any table you can build — we spotted this one on Instagram by @rustic_customs.
Or why not add it to a large wooden spool? (original image source unknown) This is just a 5 gallon bucket, straightforward to switch out or dump melted ice.
I’m not sure how Handmade-able it is to carve limestone like this cooler table via Better Homes and Gardens — but I bet you could get a similar feel with concrete and some creativity!
Speaking of concrete… It’s a planter… or a drink cooler! This concrete number by Homemade Modern is versatile and so cool! I bet you could add a wood lid to make it a storage bench, too.
well fitted for a small party, this old chair upcycled into a drink stand by Oh My Creative is just too cute. Imagine a set of mismatched old chairs turned into drink coolers, lined up at a party!
Liz Marie’s husband build this oversized drink TROUGH to go with her solid popcorn stand at Liz Marie Blog. So well fitted for a neighborhood block party!
If you’re short on old chairs, you can also build an straightforward beverage station, like this one at Fox Hollow Cottage — room for drinks, plus napkins or other paper goods.
No walkthrough, but this wood built-in cooler table via Upcycle Art is memorable! Just look at all the storage in the dresser-style table!
Or, if you just need plenty of drinks without any particular, uh, finesse to the presentation — this stacked kiddie pool cooler is kinda cool! (original image source unknown) It could be a fun addition to a beach themed party or a child’s birthday party as well. Maybe I’ll fill one full of Diet Coke for my next blogger get-together, haha!
Couldn’t pass up that beat-up table marked “free”? Turn it into something striking like Anita from Unique Creations by Anita.
