How to build your own outdoor couch

Our tubetinker Marie-Claude decided to build an outdoor couch with pipes and fittings. Because outdoor living is becoming increasingly popular and because the results were so great, we thought we’d share the plans with you so you can try it out and customize it as you like!

Use the color of tubes that will best fit your outdoor set-up
Make the couch bigger or smaller, depending on the space you have
Choose the cushions yourself

1. The parts you’ll need

Here’s the list of the parts you’ll need to build the outdoor couch. Adjust the tubes and fittings depending on how you want to customize it!

What you’ll need:

Qty.	Part	SKU	Link
9	1-1/16" x 92" Jet black steel pipe	PT-92-BK	Buy now
60	Standard joint set bolt black	M6-25B	Buy now
2	Plastic Pipe End Cap	AP-ICAP	Buy now
4	4" Swivel caster kit	W-4PSB-KIT	Buy now
4	3 way cross joint bk	H-4	Buy now
40	T-connector single joint bk	H-1	Buy now
6	Upper clamp joint bk	H-15	Buy now
6	HJ-15 joint set bolt black	M6-12B	Buy now
16	90° Elbow joint bk	H-90	Buy now
66	Joint set nut black	M6-N	Buy now
1	1/2" Screw for accessories zinc-box of 100	FA-S81/2	Buy now
16	lntersection joint bk	H-7	Buy now
2	Inner corner joint bk	H-2	Buy now
2	Outer corner joint bk	H-3K	Buy now
6	Lower clamp joint bk	H-16	Buy now

Outdoor cushions of your choice (buy on ikea.com)

2. The cut list

Now that you have gathered all the parts, you’ll need to cut the pipes. Here is the cut list to build a 51 1/2” X 37 1/4” outdoor couch:

Qty.	Length (inch)	Length (centimeter)
2	47 3/8”	120.33 cm
2	44 ¼”	112.4 cm
2	40 7/8”	103.82 cm
2	24 3/16”	61.44 cm
4	21 7/8”	55.56 cm
4	20 ¾”	52.71 cm
4	18 7/8”	47.94 cm
4	16 ½”	41.91 cm
3	11 13/16”	30 cm
2	2 5/16”	5.87

If you don’t already have a pipe cutter, get one from our shop here. You’ll need it to cut the pipes and for your next DIY projects.

3. The build (the fun part)

Now that all the pipes are cut, it’s time to start building your outdoor couch!

The tinktube joint sets are assembled with bolts that require one of the following tools -you might already have this at home-:

Tool name	Number	Link
Hex drill bit set (x5)	T-BIT	Buy now
T handle wrench	T-HANDLE	Buy now

4. Place the outdoor cushions of your choice

The beauty of tinktube is that you can customize your projects according to your own preferences! To complete your outdoor couch, you’ll need to choose outdoor cushions to cover the structure. Marie-Claude bought hers at Ikea: