DIY Modern Pergola Tutorial for under $100

I've wanted a pergola in our side yard for quite a while.  First of all, we've got these hops that grow like mad and I wanted somewhere for them to climb.  Second of all, our side yard is on the south side of our home and it gets real hot over there, so I wanted something to cover the area a bit and provide shade. I saw a lovely, black, modern pergola at Target one day for like $450 and was not about to drop $450 on it, but wanted to create something similar and figured it'd be a pretty simple DIY. Lo and behold, it was!

What you'll need:

Skill Saw
Drill
3 in deck screws
2 10ft 2x4's
2 8ft 2x4s'
4 8ft 4x4's
8 8ft 2x2's
Paint/stain (optional)

01/  Lay your 4x4's down on the ground 10 feet apart and then lay the first 10ft 2x4 across them.  Attach each end of the 2x4 to what will be the top end of the 4x4s using three screws.  I pre-drilled all my screw holes with a bit slightly smaller than my screws just to ensure that I wouldn't split any of my wood.

02/ Once both sides of the 10ft 2x4 are screwed to the 4x4s, tilt it up to standing.  If you have a pal or two helping you (which I recommend), they can hold it up while you build the next side, using the same process.  If you have zero friends willing to help, you can be like me and do it alone, you'll just have to prop your two sides up by lashing them to sawhorses.  

03/ Now that your long sides are up and finished, you can put them together with the two 8ft 2x4s.  Using 3 screws on either end, screw the 8 ft 2x4s into the top end of the 4x4, but make sure the end of the 2x4 goes all the way to the side of your first 10ft 2x4s, otherwise your pergola will be too wide for the top 2x2 slats! 

/04 Now that everything is connected, you can add the top slats.  I just used one screw on each end of the 2x2s and screwed them into the top of the 10ft 2x4s.

05/ if you'd like to add more stabilization, you can put some diagonal 2x4s in each of the top corners.  If you're not too worried about wind, you can leave it as is, as it's pretty heavy, but if you want it to be more anchored, you can either dig holes for the legs to sit in and pour some concrete, or you can buy concrete pier blocks to screw your legs to for a little less permanent of an anchor. 

I also chose to paint mine black to match the exterior of our house, so you could either paint yours or stain it to preserve the wood. 

Rug : Target | Adirondack Chairs : Fred Meyer
Cafe Lights : Costco | Hanging Macrame Chair : Sorbus

---

You might also like

My Happy Camper

It's not entirely true that he's a happy camper, he's been relatively fussy these days, but I think he probably just wants to be running around at a playground most of the time now that it's summer.  We've been getting our yard a little more kid-play friendly, and I'd like to pick up a kiddie pool soon because he's definitely loving all kinds of water play.  It's fun to see him in the garden, a few of our peas are ready for harvest so I gave him a couple to nibble on.  It's nice to be able to teach him (though I'm sure he doesn't have the awareness to make the connections yet) that food is grown from plants.  I remember growing little gardens with my mom when I was a kid and it was fun to eat the strawberries we grew and harvest radishes and such.  He's probably a bit young to really get it, but I like having him barefoot outside with me playing in the dirt.

Hat : Carhartt | Shirt : Carters | Tee : The Bee + The Fox via Satori | Jeans : Thrifted

---

You Might Also Like

Farmer's Market Summer Days

Is it weird that I prefer shooting my own outfit photos?  I suppose after 10 years of doing it with my me, myself, and my tripod, it makes sense that it'd be the most comfortable way for me to do things. I do like having friends or Dan shoot me sometimes, but there's something almost relaxing and comfortable about DIY outfit shoot sessions.  

Summer is in full swing here in the PNW and oh how I love this time of year here.  I'm not joking when I tell people I want to snowbird to southern California during the winter PNW months.  Sorry not sorry I'm not a fan of damp, dreary weather.  Tried it, don't like.  Give me snow and sub-zero temps over that mess any day.  I figure if I don't get a proper (snowy) winter anyway I might as well escape to the desert right?  Now I just have to convince my in-laws to let me live in the Brave in their Joshua Tree, CA driveway all winter.  I think as long as I bring Jack, they'll be down.

And speaking of Joshua Tree, last time I wore this dress was in Joshua Tree!  I guess that's actually the last time I was somewhere warm enough to wear it.  

Shop the Look

Dress : Lou & Grey via Goodwill | Shoes : c/o BC Footwear
Sunglasses : c/o Moorea Seal | Tote : DIY

---

You might also like

Jack's Gender Neutral Nursery

I've been doing some rearranging of Jack's room, and I'm finally liking how his little space has come together.  It can be challenging to place furniture with the angled ceilings, and so one thing I moved out of this room into the adjacent space (which is where our closet is) is his changing table.  Having that out of this space made it a little easier to work with furniture.

The rug, cube shelf (Ikea), rattan shelf, and crib (Babyletto) were all Craigslist finds!  And his little dresser was a cheap Target dresser which I fancied up with some Pretty Pegs legs to give it a little mid-mod flair.

This room is a converted attic space, so the stairs to get up here are very small. Any furniture has to be less than 25 inches wide to fit up there, or able to be built in the space like most Ikea furniture.  Luckily I found that round chartreuse chair at World Market and because of it's weird shape and removable legs, I was able to fit it upstairs!  It's the perfect little chair for bedtime stories.

The floors are actually just the subfloor.  There used to be ugly brown carpet up here and we ripped it out and I liked the wood floors.  But we never put trim back on, so if you're wondering why we have no floor trim in here, that's why!  We're probably going to eventually put *real* flooring in whenever we end up putting this house on the market.

I love having a space that feels uncluttered and natural.  I'm not a fan of bright plastic toys, so I prefer classic wood toys that look nice and are also more eco friendly.  I've found a lot of cool wooden toys on etsy and at thrift stores!

*for those wondering about the plants, Jack is never alone in this room because we're unable to fence off the stairs, so I'm always with him when he's playing in here.  Peace Lilies are toxic to humans and pets, and Snake plants are mildly toxic, so make sure you watch your kids and pets around those plants!*

Kilim rug, rattan shelf, hamper : thrifted/Craigslisted | Cube shelf : Ikea via Craigslist |  Yellow Chair : World Market | Crib : Babyletto via Craigslist | Dresser : Target | Dresser legs : Pretty pegs | Kind + Brave banner : handmade | World is your Oyster Print : Rifle Paper Co. via Moorea Seal |  Floor Pillows : Target via Goodwill

---

You Might Also Like

little poncho gnome

Just wanted to pop in here super quick with some adorable photos I just took of Jack.  I haven't busted out my big camera for a while, mostly because my main lens is on the fritz, but I have all my gear ready to go for a photoshoot that I'm leaving for in mere moments so when I got this little poncho in the mail from my mom, I had to put it on him and snag some shots. My mom got it at a craft fair in Seward AK so unless I can find an etsy shop or something where the maker sells them, I can't help any of ya with finding one of these adorable little things! Also: scroll down for some epic Dusty derp face.

---

You Might Also Like