DIY Outdoor Loveseat

In this post, I’m sharing how to make this super comfy DIY outdoor loveseat with basic materials and minimal tools!

This two seater outdoor couch is perfect for lounging with a friend or a couple of spoiled pets. And even better? You can easily start, finish, and enjoy it before the weekend is over.

In case you missed it, I recently shared a chunky style outdoor chair and a matching 3 seater outdoor sofa that I built for my parents. But I loved this design so much, I decided to build a matching DIY outdoor loveseat to keep for myself.

As expected, this loveseat build is very similar to the matching chair and sofa I’ve already shared (after all, it is a MATCHING set haha). But this loveseat design is modified to fit two standard 24×24 cushions (see notes below).

This is my absolute favorite outdoor seating design because it’s super comfortable for lounging with the sloped back and angled seat. Plus, it’s sturdy, stylish, and easy to build.

I’ll be sharing the matching coffee and side tables soon, too so be sure to follow along!

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If you’re ready to see how to build this DIY outdoor loveseat, I’m sharing the details below.

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What to consider before building a DIY Outdoor Loveseat

I was able to build this loveseat in a couple of hours, so it’s a really great weekend woodworking project. You can opt to seal (with an outdoor finish) the pieces prior to assembly or after.

Here are a few things to consider before building an outdoor loveseat.

SEAT CUSHION OPTIONS & SIZING

I built this loveseat to fit standard size 24″ x 24″ seat cushions. If you saw the outdoor sofa build, I used the exact same cushions here for the loveseat (just a different color).

It’s always easier to build the project to fit the cushion than to build the project and try to find cushions that fit!

The cushion sets I used came with both a seat cushion and a matching back pillow. You can find the cushions sets I used for this loveseat here.

Note that the seat cushions I used are advertised as 24″ x 24″ but when I got them and actually measured, they were 23 ½″ x 23 ½″. So I built the opening of the loveseat a little undersized at 47″ so they’d fit snug and not have gaps between them.

If your seat cushions are actually 24″ x 24″, they will still work fine. Pillows and cushions can “squish” a little to fit. Better to be snug than to have gaps.

WHAT WOOD SHOULD YOU BUILD AN OUTDOOR CHAIR WITH?

When building outdoor projects, always consider the type of wood you use. There are several options, and like most things, there are pros and cons to each one.

You can certainly use untreated pine for outdoor builds, but keep in mind that it doesn’t hold up great in the elements long term. This is the most budget friendly option, but will likely only last you a few seasons outdoors depending on how it’s finished and how much exposure to rain, snow, and sun it gets.

Pressure treated wood is intended for use outdoors and will last a long while. However, it’s not always the nicest to work with, it’s heavy, and it’s treated with special chemicals to prevent it from deteriorating so quickly. It’s a good low budget option for outdoor furniture that you want to last a while.

Cedar, red wood, and teak are all naturally decay and insect resistant wood options that look really nice. But, that comes with a price tag. These wood types can be quite expensive and sometimes hard to find depending on where you live.

TIP: Don’t forget when building project for outdoors, make sure to use outdoor rated hardware (screws), and outdoor rated finishes!

APPROXIMATE COST TO BUILD the OUTDOOR Loveseat

For this loveseat (and the matching chairs and sofa), I opted for cedar. As of July 2023 when this was built, the lumber cost to build this loveseat with cedar (where I live) was approximately $170.

The cost to build it from pressure treated wood would have been approximately $60.

HOW TO BUILD AN OUTDOOR LOVESEAT

Prefer to watch? Since the matching chair and loveseat are assembled the same way, the outdoor chair video details the assembly process for this loveseat as well.

The only change is that the seat and back slats are longer in this case to accommodate two seats instead of just one. These measurements are detailed in the plans below.

Are videos your thing? Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for more project and how to videos!

I’m sharing the step by step process to build this DIY outdoor loveseat below. But if you prefer to print out and take the plans to the shop with you, I’ve got you covered! Grab the outdoor loveseat printable building plans here.

TOOLS & MATERIALS

Step 1: Assemble Outdoor Loveseat Side Frames

The side frames are built from 4x4s for the front, back and top and a 2×4 for the seat frame. You can find all the details and dimensions in the printable building plans here.

For more details on building these side frames, check out step 1 of the DIY outdoor chair as these are identical.

I assembled these side frames together using pocket holes and screws. BUT, take note that standard size pocket hole jigs aren’t designed to use with 4x4s since they’re so thick.

So to drill the pocket holes in the 4×4s, I used a Kreg XL Pocket Hole Jig. This XL jig has settings for 3 ½″ material, which is what a 4×4 is.

Confused about lumber sizing? Don’t worry. Check out this post on how to understand lumber sizing.

So I drilled 3 ½″ pocket holes on the bottom side of the top 4×4 and attached it between the two legs using 4″ XL pocket hole screws.

This seat support is angled 4 degrees so the seat slopes back just slightly.

I cut and installed another 4×4 for the back post using 4 ½″ timber screws. This post is installed on the INSIDE of the side frame and will help support the back slats when added later.

I repeated this process to make two side frames that mirror each other like shown below. One will be the left side of the loveseat and one will be the right side.

Step 2: Install Back Slat Supports

The back slats of this loveseat will run between the two inside 4×4 posts. However, I didn’t want to use pocket holes to secure these slats to the posts because no matter whether you put them on the front or back side, they’ll be visible in the finished project.

And I didn’t want to bother trying to fill them. So instead, I added some “braces” to these posts that will allow me to screw the slats onto in a later step.

So I cut and installed 2x2s to run along the inside of each of the side frames along the back 4×4. You can see below that I used a scrap 1×2 and a clamp to help me space this 1 ½″ from the front edge as I screwed it in.

Step 3: Secure Seat Slats Between Sides

I cut five 2×4 seat slats and drilled 1 ½″ pocket holes into the ends of each. I cut these long enough to accommodate two of my seat cushions. Dimensions and details can be found in the printable plans here.

If you’d like to go ahead and finish the side frames and slats before attaching them together, feel free. Check out the notes on the sofa build for more tips and information on weatherproofing your outdoor loveseat.

I secured one of the 2×4 slats running vertically between the side frames at the front using 2 ½″ exterior pocket hole screws. Then, I secured another running horizontally at the back of the side frames into the seat support.

Once the front and back slats were secured between the two sides of the loveseat, I evenly spaced the other three slats between them and secured with 2 ½″ pocket hole screws.

Step 4: Add Loveseat Back Slats

The final part was adding the back slats to wrap this loveseat build up. I cut 3 more 2x4s to run between the side frames along the back posts.

Again, feel free to seal and finish these before attaching if you’d like. I secured these into the braces from step 2 using 2 ½″ screws making sure they were evenly spaced.

Step 5: Finish & Install Foot Levelers

At this point, if you didn’t go ahead and finish the pieces as you built it, it’s time to apply an outdoor finish to seal your project.

NOTE: If you’re using pressure treated wood, you may need to wait for it to dry before finishing. If water beads up on the surface, it’s not ready for finish yet.

I waited until I was finished building before I stained and sealed this loveseat. I applied Cabot Australian Timber Oil in Honey Teak to all surfaces.

Once finished, if you notice that your loveseat doesn’t sit flat, or the surface you’re putting it on isn’t totally flat, don’t worry!

To help with this, I installed some foot levelers on each foot of the loveseat. These are the levelers I used and I simply drilled a 5/16″ hole into the center of each foot, tapped the insert into the hole and screwed the foot in.

This will also help protect from potential water damage by raising the legs off the ground slightly as well.

You can twist the foot clockwise or counterclockwise as needed to raise or lower each leg as needed once you get it to where it’s going.

Once the levelers are in, flip it back over, adjust as needed, toss in your cushions and enjoy your new DIY outdoor loveseat!

I’m not going to lie–this is one of the most comfortable outdoor seats I’ve sat in. The seat angle is slight so it’s easy to get in and out of and the cushions are a perfect fit.

Adding optional supports

This loveseat spans 47″ wide without a middle support and can hold at least 275 pounds evenly distributed across the seat without significant sagging.

(I wouldn’t hesitate to add more weight, but it held my husband and I and I just know that’s what we both weigh together.) So, I did not add any additional bracing here on my loveseat build.

However, if you notice your slats sagging more than you’d like them to, you can add a middle brace to provide additional support at the center.

The dimensions of these pieces are detailed in the printable plans, but this is similar to the 2×4 bracing I added to the outdoor sofa build.

These two 2x4s connect together, then can be attached at the center underneath the seat slats and behind the back slats. Adding this will allow the back slats to help support the seat slats to prevent potential sagging.

Looking for more outdoor project ideas?

I’ve got outdoor projects for all year round! Check out a list of all of our outdoor projects here. But below I’ve shared a few favorites!

If you’d like to save this project for later, don’t forget to pin it or share it to your favorite social channel!

Until next time, friends, happy building!