To wrap up our Turning Tables DIY 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! 😉
First up, our personal favorite: 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 tutorial, 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 DIY (and we have 20 more ideas for you to hack 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 amazing patio coffee table by Shades of Blue Interiors — you need to! (Rachel’s entire patio and home are amazing, so go pay her a visit and say hello!) It combines a beautiful style with the built-in drink cooler for a perfect 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 hack — turn a cheap 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, check out 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 perfect for a patio party, too.
