Squirrel Picnic Table DIY

Maybe it’s the Hungarian in me but when I come across something that tickles my fancy I have to figure out how to make it myself. Sometimes my can do attitude is more ambitious than my skill set and it bites me in the butt. I will look at something and think to myself, how hard can that possibly be? Well my poor husband has come to my rescue more times than I care to admit.

When I came across a post on Facebook about a California man making squirrel picnic tables, I knew immediately that I had to make one of my own! We are so blessed to have an amazing parade of animals in our backyard, deer, coyotes, Jack rabbits, wild Turkeys, and more birds than I could ever list that pay us visits here at Nature Way.

I’ve always felt just a bit sorry for Larry, our resident squirrel. He’s constantly up in our oak trees trying to figure out a way to get into the bird feeders. Sorry Larry, those feeders are for our feathered friends!

Larry, this project is taylor made just for you buddy! ☺️

I have to confess that this project tested my carpentry skills, but I was determined to do this on my own, without my husbands help. To be honest, if he had made it for me it would be squared and rock solid. He would get an A++, I give myself a respectable B+. Not bad for a novice that gets intimidated from the loud noises that power tools make, LOL.

The best part? This project didn’t cost me a dime! I had everything I needed in my garage and I’m betting you probably do to. I used scrap wood that we had leftover from other projects, plus I used up some 1/2 empty cans of spray paint, some nails and screws. I was able to complete this little project in an afternoon. Honestly, the part that took the longest? Waiting for the paint to dry. I kid you not!

Supplies needed for this project:

• Scrap pieces of wood
• Saw
• Sandpaper, optional
• Spray paint, optional
• Wood screws
• Drill
• Nails
• Hammer
• Wood glue
• Small flowerpot or pail, optional

To start you will need to cut your wood to length. Below is the cut list I used for the table I made. I am happy with the size of the overall piece. It’s not to big or to small. You can make your table a little larger or smaller, there is no exact science to making one. It really depends on the scrap pieces of wood you have on hand. Use this as a guide.

Cut list:

Part	Quantity	Lengths
Tabletop	2	10″ long x 3 1/2″ wide x 3/4″ thick
Seats	2	10″ long x 2″ wide x 3/4″ thick
Legs	4	6″ long x 2″wide x 3/4″ thick Cut ends at a 30 degree angle.
Long braces	2	10 1/2″ long
Short braces	2	6 1/4 ” long
Hanger	1	6 3/4″ long x 3 1/2″ wide x 3/4″ thick

TIP: Since this will be outdoors, be sure to use real wood scraps and not MDF. MDF will warp if it gets wet and will not hold up well when exposed to weather.

Once you have cut your pieces of scrap wood to length, it’s time to spray paint it. This step is completely optional. You can leave the wood raw and let it weather naturally outdoors if you prefer. Since my wood pieces were all different colors I elected to paint mine before assembling the table.

Set up a paint station. I like to lay out a tarp on the lawn in the backyard for my spray painting projects. That way if there is any overspray, its gone the next time the lawn gets a trim.

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Once the paint has dried it’s time to assemble the picnic table.

Start by attaching the short braces to the underside of the tabletop. I used two pieces of wood for the top and the braces hold them together. I secured them about a 1/2 inch from the end of the tabletop edge. I applied a little wood glue and nailed them in place. You could also screw the braces to the underside of the tabletop, just be sure to pre-drill holes first, to prevent spitting the wood.

Next assemble the legs. Form an “A” shape with the legs and place the long braces at about the 1/2 way point. You want the braces to stick out far enough so that the bench seats can rest on them. Secure with glue and nails or screws.

Next attach the legs to the table top by nailing them to the sides of the short braces that you attached to the underside of the table.

Next attach the bench seats to the top of the long braces and attach the hanger to one end of the tabletop.

We are almost done. The final step is to drill a hole through the center of the table and then drill a long 3 inch screw through the hole from the bottom up through the top of the table. The screw allows you to twist on dried corn cobs or secure a pail or clay pot to the tabletop. This will keep those squirrel treats on the table where you can enjoy watching your furry friends gobble up the treats you set out for them instead of all over the ground.

Then all that is left to do is to hang your squirrel picnic table. Drill 3 inch screws through the hanger and then attach your squirrel picnic table to the side of a tree or to a fence.

Confession: I am no carpenter! You can probably tell from the photos 😂 I have limited wood working skills. So if I can do this project on my own, anybody can do it! Remember it doesn’t have to be perfect! I don’t think Larry will give a hoot that his table isn’t perfect, he is going to be much more interested in the snacks waiting for him.

I’m really happy with how my Squirrel Picnic table turned out! It was such a fun project to put together! Let me know if you give this fun weekend project a try. I am loving the parade of wildlife that is visiting my backyard. It makes the time I spend outside so much more enjoyable!

Did You Make This?

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