DIY Garden Bar from a Wooden Shed

In this handy guide, we'll show you an easy way of how to turn a shed into a social, multi-functional garden bar!

What You Will Need

Are you having holiday blues? Wanting to go back to relaxing by a bar every night with no worries in mind? With this DIY Garden Bar from a Wooden Shed, you can bring the bar to your home. Here is a list of what you will need:

> First thing first, the most important part, a shed

> Bar stools/seating

> A table suitable for serving food/drinks

> Shelving for inside the bar

> String lights allowing your bar to come to life in the evenings

> A place to keep drinks cool

The Build

Firstly, choose a shed, we recommend the Forest 4ft x 6ft overlap lean-to shed because of its lean-to design, which is perfect for sheltering the guests as they enjoy your new garden bar, it also offers enough room for a bartender inside.

Now the decision of where to build the shed, either by a patio, the back of the garden or anywhere else suitable, is an important factor to consider, as you want it to be accessible.

To build the Forest lean to shed will take around 2-3 hours, first start by placing the wooden base on a concrete/plastic base and attaching all four sides with screws (supplied in a Fixing Pack). Then attach the corner strips for extra strength, then attach the roof battens, boards and felt with the screws provided. The first stage is now completed!

The Furniture

An important part perhaps overlooked until the end, but we believe it is best to have the furniture ready. Not only will it be important to have furniture outside for the guests to sit on but also inside the bar, where else would the drinks be prepared?

For the outside seating, a small table and chairs for guests to relax and admire your DIY shed into a bar would be best. We recommend something to match the wooden shed like a wooden bar stool, which is a stoutly made, hardwearing and very practical piece of outdoor furniture. Wood has a lovely natural finish and when paired with a bar table will create an elegant furniture set, just the right height to rest drinks and food on while you and your guests are socializing.

The Decoration

Now the hardest part is over, let's move onto the exciting part, decorating the shed.  

The first option you will face is "Do I paint, stain it or keep the natural wood colour?" - That is down to your personal preference and the theme you have in mind. The colours to stain or paint are endless with thousands of variations, so the choice can be difficult if you do not have any thoughts on a colour scheme. Or to keep it easy and simple go with the natural wood colour.

One of the most crucial things to never forget when turning a shed into a garden bar is the lights! They will brighten up your new bar, ideal for late evenings outside with friends. Our favourite lights are the Premier Multi Action String Lights (in Ice White or Warm White) that has eight functions including solid light, fade, slow glow, twinkle, flash or a combination of these. A timer function enables the lights to come on automatically for six hours as the sun is setting, ideal for late nights when you may forget about turning them off. Or if you are in need of a burst of colour may we recommend the Premier 200 LED Supabrights (in Ice White, Warm White, Blue and Multi-Coloured) a superb choice if you are after a bold statement. 

Now you will see your shed finally turning into that garden bar you have always dreamed of, but one thing is missing... A sign! Possibly one of the toughest decisions is what to name your new bar, so start getting creative. Then why not add more signs? Retro bar signs, neon signs or any that will suit your theme! 

How To Keep Your Drinks Cool

If you don't want to splash out a lot of money on a mini fridge, we have the perfect solution for you! All you will need is two planters one medium and one large. Then get some sand and cold water. I bet you're thinking how is this anything to do with a fridge, but we have researched a cheaper alternative rather than spending hundreds of pounds. Here's how to do it:

1) Firstly, make sure there aren't any holes in the bottom, if so fill with concrete.

2) Secondly, fill the bottom of the larger planter with sand and cold water to ensure the smaller planter is at the same height when inside.

3) Then, place the medium sized planter inside the larger planter, you will see an inch or so gap in between both planters.

4) Next, fill this gap with sand, leaving a small gap from the top.

5) Then, slowly pour the cold water around into all of the sand until completely soaked (top up cold water will be required with use).

6) After all of the sand and water is in between the gap, place a cold damp cloth over the top.

7) Finally, when cold, place in any desired drinks and place the cold damp cloth on top to keep the temperature down.

Still Stuck For Ideas?

Take a look at these photographs below, for some inspiration on how you could get started on building your own DIY garden shed bar. This bar was built using our Forest 4ft x 6ft Overlap Lean To Shed. 

Image Credit: The Crazy Kitchen

Ready-Made Garden Bar

We're pleased to announce, new for this season the arrival of the Rowlinson Garden Bar. This is a ready-made functioning bar for your garden or outdoor space, complete with openable front hatches, serving shelf, solid floor and roof and pad-lockable door.

Whether it be to knock up some tasty Summer cocktails for family or playing barkeep during a party with friends, the garden bar opens up a whole host of opportunities to entertain, with plenty of space for serving drinks and snacks.

All-in-all, the Rowlinson garden bar is a great feature and talking-point to have outdoors and will no doubt be loved by both friends and family alike.

See the Rowlinson Garden Shed Bar for sale here.