Backyard Pergola Fix-Up - Weekend Yard Work Series

I have another backyard project to share. A friend and I knocked it out last weekend!


When I bought my house (almost 2 years ago! Wow, how time flies!) there was this strange little structure right in the middle of the backyard, along the fence line. Here is the view (back then) out of the dining room sliding glass doors.


There was a wood stove in the house so I can only surmise that this little structure was used to store wood. It is a sturdy, nicely built little structure but I had the wood stove removed so didn't need it for storing wood.


It was in my way in the location where it sat so my dad and I moved it last year! I called it The Great Pergola Move! Check out that link for an easy way just two people can move a small structure like this with a car jack and round poles!


So there it sat until this year when I finally decided what I wanted to do with it!

When I had my fence replaced a couple of months ago I had them leave the old boards... here is the pile!


I wanted to use these boards to enclose the little pergola on three sides so we got to work taking the boards off the 2 x 4's. It was very strange but every section you see in this stack alternated between nails and screws. So on one section the fence boards were screwed to the 2 x 4's, the next section they were all nailed, then screwed, then nailed, etc.!! Strange... like many things I've found in this little fixer-upper house!!

This is me taking out nails... omg I am so white!



We picked out the best boards and had to cut some so they were all the same height for our project.


We used the existing 4 x 4's and 2 x 4's on the structure to attach the boards to.


And we beefed up those 4 x 4's with more fence boards. Looking good!


You can see we barely made a dent in the fence board pile! I still have plenty for signs and other projects!


The next day we painted. I picked a buttery yellow color that is pretty close to my current house color and a light grey that will be close to what I want to paint the trim on my house (another project on the list)!


I wanted to have some hanging planters on the sides of my cute little pergola now so we headed to Lowe's and shopped their clearance section... LOVE that clearance section... I got ALL of this for CHEAP!!

Some are for other projects, the little grasses were only $1 each! I bought all of them!


I used potato vines and petunias to make my baskets. Potato vines are a trailing plant so they will hang down over the sides of the planter soon. I was able to make two of these for about the same price as one pre-made one at the store!


I added an old bench that I found at the dump a few years ago, a little side table, and the "flowers" bucket to make a cute little sitting area.


I put that other pot of flowers that you saw above in front of the pergola and hid the basic store pot and the concrete blocks that hold the pergola up with all these rocks that were in my yard!


I love the way that looks and it was a GREAT way to find a use for all these rocks... they aren't very attractive rocks but they look great here don't you think?


I created the little step/deck in the front with a pallet that was given to me, It just slid perfectly underneath the front of the pergola... like it was meant to be! (It still has to be painted) I used another fence board and screwed it to the front of the pallet so it matches the front of the pergola.


I didn't have to do anything to this pallet (except the board across the front), it worked great just as it was because the boards are closer together than most pallets, it matches the boards on the pergola floor!


So now I have this adorable little sitting area in the corner of my yard!


Where once there was just this (see all those rocks lining the fence? The gaps under that old fence were so large my dogs could have fit through in spots!)


Please excuse the weeds and bare dirt all around this area. I'll be working on that soon!I can't wait to see the rest of my plans for the back yard come together!


Once I saw this picture I realized that I should paint the peak sections grey as well... I'll be doing that this weekend.


There, that's better!


And there's a bonus to this project too! It created a perfect little hidden corner behind the structure to hide my project wood (fence boards, etc.)!


This is what I have to clean up this weekend!


I may cut a hole in the side and add a little vintage window once I find one. I thought I had one but I don't.


What do you think?