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Creative Backyard Bar Projects To Do With Dad

Backyard bars are the new trend for Father's Day gifts. After all, what's not to love about having a drink right out your back door? It's the perfect way to entertain on a summer day, or simply relax after a long day at work.

Help Dad get the bar he's always dreamed of by not only gifting him the bar, but building it with him. While some of these ideas are 'build-from-scratch,' others are about refurbishing old furniture. Whichever you pick, it'll make a great place to stock some drinks and add to the backyard.

Related: 6 Gifts To Help Dad Organize His Mancave Or Garage

Create A Fold-Down Bar Shelf

Building A Bar Father\'s Day

Don't have much space for a bar? All you need is a wall to put together a fold down shelf! This is the smallest bar option there is, but it serves its purpose well. It's there when you need it, and put away when you don't! Assembly is easy. This blog goes into building details, but basically you use a few pieces of pine wood, reinforce it with brackets, and mount the frame. As for the fold-down part, you could use rope, or chains—depending on the look you're going for—and don't forget the hooks to put the shelf up when you're done drinking.

Wine Barrel Bar

Barrel Bar Father\'s Day

If your dad loves a glass of Merlot or Cabernet, a wine barrel bar might be right up his alley. These can be bought already made in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and it'll feel like a piece of Italy or France is in your backyard. A more affordable option would be to make the bar yourself. In fact, to do so is rather easy; buy a couple wine barrels online (even eBay sells them) to act as your base, and then choose what kind of counter top you want to affix to them. This bar can take your backyard barbecue game to a whole new, elegant level.

Convert An Old Hutch

Hutch Bar Father\'s Day

Up for a bit of refurbishing? Head to a resale shop or flea market and grab an old hutch to convert into a bar and rustic cooler. You can take off the top of the hutch and put a hinge on the top, and then store an insulated cooler inside the hutch. You can also refinish the outside, especially the front if you don't want any front doors to open. Spiff it up in any fun way you want.

Wooden Bars

Wooden Bar Father\'s Day

For a simple but refined bar that works well with your other outdoor decor, go for a bar made out of wood pallets. This upcycled piece uses pallets as both the front side view, as well as the top of the bar. You may need to remove some planks of wood to give it the shape you want, but the simple design means you can do just about anything you want with it, just make sure to finish the wood to protect it from the outdoor elements.

Brick Bar

Backyard Brick Bar Father\'s Day

For those who know their way around a tool shed, a brick bar can be a beautiful thing. You can either convert an old unused brick oven, or build it from scratch. Either way, you'll need bricks—a lot of them—as well as tools like a tile saw to create the correct openings for things like a permanent cooler. Install some tiles to the top of the brick structure, and you'll also have a smooth and finished counter top for which to pour and mix drinks.

Elizabeth SanFilippo is a freelance writer, who enjoys trying new foods from all over the world. But her favorite city for culinary treats will always be Chicago. When not blogging about food, she's working part-time at a culinary vacation company, The International Kitchen, based in the Windy City, as well as repping Younique cosmetics and skincare products. Some of her writing can be found at Examiner.com.

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