DIY Patio Side Table

Build a simple and stylish DIY patio side table in minutes with the easy step-by-step tutorial. Perfect for summer and small outdoor spaces!

Thank you to DAP for sponsoring this DIY patio side table! All opinions are entirely my own. This post also contains affiliate links, but nothing that I wouldn’t recommend wholeheartedly. Read my full disclosure here.

It’s almost summer time! I can’t wait for long evenings in the backyard, complete with s’mores, a roaring fire, and a warm cup of decaf coffee. Anyone else with me?

If you’re anything like us and spend a lot of time outside, it can be helpful to have an array of outdoor side tables for holding drinks, plates, plants, and more.

This outdoor patio side table is a super-easy project that you can whip out in just a few minutes!

One of our favorite DIY brands, DAP, recently announced that they are now carrying smaller on-the-go versions of their popular products, like caulk, adhesives, and more. This is so helpful when you’re working on small DIY projects or repairing things around your home!

The small on-to-go container of the Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive came in handy for this project. It was so nice not having to open a full-size tube of the adhesive when I just needed a small amount for this DIY patio side table.

Photo of an outdoor patio side table paired with two chairs.

How To Make A DIY Patio Side Table: Step-by-Step Tutorial

Supplies and materials you’ll need

Photo of two patio areas with heavy-duty adhesive.

You don’t need much construction adhesive, so grab one of these smaller versions so you don’t have to open a full-size tube!

Note: Before beginning, I’d recommend that you put the planters in place where you plan to have the patio table and glue them in the right spot. Once the planters are glued together, there’s no great way to pick the table up (and it’s pretty heavy).

Step 1. Glue planters together

Photo of a patio surface being applied with adhesive glue.

Add construction adhesive to the bottoms of both planters and stack them on top of each other end to end.

Step 2. Let dry

Let dry for 24 hours to give the construction adhesive a chance to dry.

Step 3. Place the saucer on top

Two patio stones joined together with a saucer placed on top.

We decided to leave the saucer unglued on the top so that we can use the top for storage. Right now I have our lighter and charcoal firestarters in there.

It’s a great place to keep them so they are dry and ready to use when we need to light up our new charcoal grill on the back deck.

Photo of a patio side table positioned between two chairs outside the house.

I just love how this easy patio side table turned out! You always need an extra place for drinks out in the backyard, right?

Close-up photo of a patio side table placed between two outdoor chairs, highlighting the table's surface and details.

And I always love it when DIY projects literally only take a few minutes to complete, don’t you?

Close-up angle of a DIY patio side table on a porch, styled for outdoor relaxation.

The one thing I will note is that you’ll need to use concrete or ceramic planters, like we did, to make the construction adhesive work for the job. One of the surfaces needs to be porous so plastic or resin planters won’t work.