DIY Network

Grass Chair, Part 1 Build a chair from living grass. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-156

Make the ultimate lawn furniture!

It can be difficult to find outdoor furniture that's comfortable but still stands up to the rigors of nature. So, Michele Beschen decided to make some outdoor furniture that fits perfectly in the great outdoors: a chair made out of living grass.

The B. Original host shows how to create a grass chair, complete with back. In this first part of the project, she shows how to build the chair's inner structure; in Part 2, she walks through turning an artful arrangement of soil into a comfy grass chair.

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plywood or MDF (medium-density fiberboard), at least ½" thick
1x4 furring strips
garden stakes
drill
screws and screwdriver bit
shovel
tamping tool
wheelbarrow (if needed to haul dirt)

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

• Determine the design and size of your grass chair. Michele Beschen's project chair measured 31" tall at the back and 32" wide. The seat was 17" up from the ground and 18" deep; the back was 10" deep and 14" high. Sketch out the dimensions for your chair so you can refer to them as you work.

  Note: Don't build the back of your chair too high, or it will collapse once you remove the form.

• Use plywood or MDF at least ½" thick to build your form: It will be filled with dirt, and it needs to be strong. Use screws and furring strips to hold the form together.

• Using your design sketch as a reference, cut your plywood or MDF and start building the form (figure A). Use 1x2 furring strips to reinforce corners or hold pieces of material together as needed. Assemble the front, sides and back of the form; don't frame out the inside back of the chair yet.

• Make sure the form is level and plumb (figure B).

• Now comes the fun part: Grab a shovel and fill the form with dirt (figure C), packing the dirt down with a tamping tool every few inches. Michele Beschen recommends watering the fresh dirt to make it easier to pack down. Make sure you pack and tamp down tightly, especially in the corners. The final success of the project is directly related to how tightly you pack the soil.

• This also is a good time to soup up your soil to grow the lushest grass chair possible. Mix some compost, manure, fertilizer and even a little lime into the dirt.

• When the base is about halfway full, reinforce the form by pounding a couple of garden stakes into the tallest part of the chair's back (figure D).

• When the tamped-down dirt gets up to seat level, add the panel for the inside back of the chair. Continue filling with dirt and tamping it down until the form is full.

Once the form is completely filled with dirt, tamp it down a final time and take a break. Let the project set for an hour or two—or even overnight—before proceeding to Part 2.