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    Home » DIY » Home + Garden DIY

    How to Make Outdoor Easel

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    How to build an easel
    How to make an Easel
    Outdoor Easel
    DIY Easel

    Making an outdoor DIY easel is such a great activity to do when the weather has finally made the switch to summer - you won't regret it!

    Make an outdoor easel to get your kids playing outside all day long! | Summer Activities for Kids | Outdoor fun | www.madewithHAPPY.com

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    Summer in the backyard has been made so much more fun with this outdoor easel.

    We highlighted this Summer DIY along with some other fun Home DIY Projects in our Outdoor DIY Projects.

    Make an outdoor easel to get your kids playing outside all day long! | Summer Activities for Kids | Outdoor fun | www.madewithHAPPY.com

    Outdoor DIYs

    AHHH SUMMER! I LOVE SUMMER! I love everything about Summer...wait,  with the exception of the humidity and frizzy hair 🙂

    We've been spending most our days outside as I'm hoping all you are. The beach, the park, and most definitely our backyard. Swimming, reading, coloring, singing, dancing, climbing, and exploring. All more fun in the sun (in my opinion) 🙂

    In any case, recently we were hanging out in the treehouse when Made with HAPPY Girl asked if we could hang up paper on the walls of the treehouse for her to color. Which of course then got my juices flowing in setting up an area for her and her brother to color or paint or whatever they want in the backyard that doesn't involve hanging paper.

    Make an outdoor easel to get your kids playing outside all day long! | Summer Activities for Kids | Outdoor fun | www.madewithHAPPY.com

    Outdoor Easel

    This was a super fun project that doesn't take a whole lot of time and the kids are having an absolute blast with! Here's how to do it!

    What You Need For A DIY Easel

    Make an outdoor easel to get your kids playing outside all day long! | Summer Activities for Kids | Outdoor fun | www.madewithHAPPY.comMake an outdoor easel to get your kids playing outside all day long! | Summer Activities for Kids | Outdoor fun | www.madewithHAPPY.com

    • 30" x 36" Piece of Plexiglass
    • 8.5 feet of 1 x 3 lumber
    • 2.5 feet of 1 x 4 lumber
    • 11.5 feet of ½ inch quarter round molding
    • 4 large Command™ Strips
    • 2 mini Command™ Strips
    • Small finishing nails
    • 1 inch outdoor nails
    • spacer (optional)
    • Saw
    • Hammer
    • Drill
    • Screwdriver
    Make an outdoor easel to get your kids playing outside all day long! | Summer Activities for Kids | Outdoor fun | www.madewithHAPPY.com

    You can find these command strips at your art supply store or home depot - hardware store.

    How to Make an Easel

    Make an outdoor easel to get your kids playing outside all day long! | Summer Activities for Kids | Outdoor fun | www.madewithHAPPY.com

    We first started by measuring and cutting all our wood to size for our outdoor easel. Try for straight cuts on this project to keep it simple. Used 1 x 3-inch wood for the top and the two sides and then used the larger 1 x 4 piece of wood for the bottom, which gave the kids a little more room to set down their pens or paintbrush.

    Make an outdoor easel to get your kids playing outside all day long! | Summer Activities for Kids | Outdoor fun | www.madewithHAPPY.com

    The first to attach is by the bottom to the sides. We lined both sides up with the back of the bottom piece of wood. Do not attach the top piece.

    Make an outdoor easel to get your kids playing outside all day long! | Summer Activities for Kids | Outdoor fun | www.madewithHAPPY.com

    Next we attached the quarter-round molding to the inside of the frame using small finishing nails.

    Make an outdoor easel to get your kids playing outside all day long! | Summer Activities for Kids | Outdoor fun | www.madewithHAPPY.com

    We used the spacer as a guide to making sure there was enough space for the Plexiglas on the outdoor easel. The trickiest part of the whole project is to make sure to leave room for the rounds on the sides once the frame is put together.

    We attempted to cut the rounds at a 45-degree angel to make the frame pretty inside, but they came out kind of wonky, so plan B, straight cut.

    Make an outdoor easel to get your kids playing outside all day long! | Summer Activities for Kids | Outdoor fun | www.madewithHAPPY.com
    Make an outdoor easel to get your kids playing outside all day long! | Summer Activities for Kids | Outdoor fun | www.madewithHAPPY.com

    We will not be attaching the top with screws, but rather the mini command strips. This would allow us to remove the top and slide the Plexiglas out and hose it off if needed.

    Make an outdoor easel to get your kids playing outside all day long! | Summer Activities for Kids | Outdoor fun | www.madewithHAPPY.com

    Lastly, attach the large Command™ Strips to the back of the frame and attach the frame to the fence. Make sure the frame is in place before adding the Plexiglas. We love the Command™ Brand strips because they hold on strongly and hang without damage to the fence. I puffy heart that!

    Make an outdoor easel to get your kids playing outside all day long! | Summer Activities for Kids | Outdoor fun | www.madewithHAPPY.com

    Viola! You have the BESTEST SUMMER EVER outdoor easel.

    Make an outdoor easel to get your kids playing outside all day long! | Summer Activities for Kids | Outdoor fun | www.madewithHAPPY.com
    Make an outdoor easel to get your kids playing outside all day long! | Summer Activities for Kids | Outdoor fun | www.madewithHAPPY.com

    Other DIY Projects You Might Enjoy:

    • DIY HERB GARDEN – This is a beautifully colorful take on your herb garden. It can be located indoors or outdoors and just what you have been looking for at your home.
    • MADE WITH HAPPY TREEHOUSE – The most popular DIY project on Made with HAPPY is our Treehouse/Playhouse. It shares all the steps needed to create a fun and functional space for kids in your background.
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    Make an outdoor easel to get your kids playing outside all day long! | Summer Activities for Kids | Outdoor fun | www.madewithHAPPY.com
    Print

    DIY Easel

    Making an outdoor DIY easel is such a great activity to do when the weather has finally made the switch to summer - you won't regret it!
    Course Home + Garden DIY
    Keyword DIY Easel, DIY Painting Easel., How to build an easel, How to make an easel, Outdoor Easel. Homemade easel
    Cook Time 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes minutes
    Author Alli Ward

    Equipment

    • Drill
    • Hammer
    • Saw
    • Screwdriver

    Ingredients

    • 30 " x 36" Piece of Plexiglass
    • 8.5 feet of 1 x 3 lumber
    • 2.5 feet of 1 x 4 lumber
    • 11.5 feet of ½ inch quarter round molding
    • 4 large Command™ Strips
    • 2 mini Command™ Strips
    • Small finishing nails
    • 1 inch outdoor nails
    • spacer optional
    • Paint optional
    • Dry Erase Markers

    Instructions

    • We first started by measuring and cutting all our wood to size for our outdoor easel. Try for straight cuts on this project to keep it simple. Used 1 x 3-inch wood for the top and the two sides and then used the larger 1 x 4 piece of wood for the bottom, which gave the kids a little more room to set down their pens or paintbrush.
      Miter Saw Cut
    • The first to attach is by the bottom to the sides. We lined both sides up with the back of the bottom piece of wood. Do not attach the top piece.
      screw sides
    • Next, we attached the quarter-round molding to the inside of the frame using small finishing nails.
      Easer Frame
    • We used the spacer as a guide to making sure there was enough space for the Plexiglas on the outdoor easel. The trickiest part of the whole project is to make sure to leave room for the rounds on the sides once the frame is put together. We attempted to cut the rounds at a 45-degree angle to make the frame pretty inside, but they came out kind of wonky, so plan B, straight cut.
      nailing on rounds
    • We will not be attaching the top with screws, but rather the mini command strips. This would allow us to remove the top and slide the Plexiglas out and hose it off if needed.
      easel lid small command strips
    • x-large command strips
    • Lastly, attach the large Command™ Strips to the back of the frame and attach the frame to the fence. Make sure the frame is in place before adding the Plexiglas. We love the Command™ Brand strips because they hold on strongly and hang without damage to the fence. I puffy heart that!
      make an easel

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    DIY EASEL

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    Make an outdoor easel to get your kids playing outside all day long! | Summer Activities for Kids | Outdoor fun | www.madewithHAPPY.com

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    About Alli

    Discover a world of creativity and joy with Alli Ward, the creative mind behind Made with Happy. From DIY crafts to delicious recipes, Alli brings happiness to every project!

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    Hi, I'm Alli Ward, the Maker behind Made with Happy. I'm a color-obsessed creative mom of two sharing easy crafts, printables, and home DIY projects that the whole family will love! 

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