TikTok Gives New Life To A Rundown Shed With This DIY Patio Idea

When moving into a new house or after living on your current property for some time, you may find yourself with an unused shed that has seen better days. Lying vacant and abandoned in the back corners of so many yards, many of these sheds eventually find their way into the landfill. However, one clever TikToker, Brad Walsh, showed how he gave his rundown storage shed a new life rather than tossing it — by repurposing it as a covered outdoor seating area on his patio.

To prep your shed for this DIY, begin by clearing out any belongings and do a thorough clean of both the interior and exterior. If you have a metal shed with rust stains, try some top-rated cleaning products to banish rust or common kitchen ingredients to tackle rust naturally if you prefer that approach. You will also need to plan for relocating the structure, so if it is a lightweight metal or plastic type that can be moved by hand, that keeps things simple. However, if you have a larger wood shed or one with a heavy bottom, you may have to hire someone or rent equipment to relocate it, obviously making this a much bigger undertaking (however, this has its advantages too — keep reading!). You can rent large equipment and tools from Lowe's to get the job done as needed. Once you have a clean shed and a way to relocate it, DIYing this outdoor lounge is a piece of cake.

Once your shed is prepped, begin the DIY by determining its final location. The area should be a concrete patio or other flat surface, such as dirt or gravel. Grass is fine too but will likely not survive under the shed, especially if you plan to use a rug. Using a couple friends or equipment, move the shed to the desired location. Once in place, it's time to add furnishings. Based on the size of his shed, the TikToker added an outdoor rug, loveseats, tables, string lighting and even a piece of art. Since it was a metal shed, he was able to secure everything with strong magnets, making it easily removable come winter. A later TikTok video showed how he also used magnets to line the walls with a beautiful outdoor fabric like wallpaper in his new outdoor lounge.

If you are tempted to DIY something like this in your yard, there are a few words of caution to address. The TikToker revealed that only four months after setting up his repurposed shed seating area, a windstorm completely picked up the structure, destroying everything. So if you are using a lightweight shed, be sure to find a way to properly secure it to the concrete, house, or other surface to avoid a weather-related mishap. This is where having a heavy wood shed comes in handy, because even if it is more challenging to relocate, at least it's not going anywhere!