Modular Outdoor Sectional from 2x4s and Cedar Fence Pickets

Attach legs to sides with two 2-1/2" screws per joint. For the ottoman, everything is flush — top of leg to top of side, outside of leg to outside of side.

For the chair, the front legs are flush top and outside like the ottoman, but the back leg sits lower on the side board so the SIDE's top edge measures 12" off the floor at the back too — the same height the front legs give it. Hold a front leg up against the back leg as a story stick to mark that point; it's faster than measuring and can't drift. Build the two chair frames as mirror images of each other, checking the diagram before you commit to screws.

Screw the three middle supports across each leg-and-side pair, two 2-1/2" screws per joint. These are what keep the frame from racking side to side once someone sits down, and they set the spacing the deck slats land on next.

Space the cedar picket slats across the top of each frame — even gaps for drainage and airflow — and fasten with two 1-5/8" screws per joint into the frame below.

Sand every edge and corner the slats present to skin, then push the finished pieces together into whatever arrangement the patio calls for this week. Add more chairs or ottomans from the same cut list as the sectional grows.