“This is one of those woodworking projects that started as one thing—a raised garden planter—then took on a new life as the cooler deck cooler.” 

Source: myfixituplife.com

Grab Some Boards and Go

Not everyone can look at a few boards of lumber and see a project. But some folks do. Mark from My Fix It Up Life is one of them. We talked to him about making some projects out of Southern Yellow Pine with the simple directive: grab some boards and go.

What we like about building with SYP is that even if you were to replicate Mark’s designs or any of the plans listed on our site, your project would look completely different than what’s shown in these pictures. And that’s because each piece of Southern Yellow Pine is unique. Each board has its own distinct grain pattern, a grain pattern that is more pronounced than on other wood species. If you use a stain or a sealant, it can only enhance the natural beauty of the wood.

A Cooler Cooler

One of the other things we like about this ‘dream it and build it’ mentality that Mark has is he knows Southern Yellow Pine is not only beautiful, it’s also a workhorse. This species is strong – strong enough to hold up houses, roofs, or a full bucket of ice and drinks (in the case of this project).

Take a look at this idea, one that started as a raised garden bed and eventually morphed into a cool wood cooler, or as we call it, “The Cooler Cooler.”

Do you ever pick up a few boards and try something new? Let us know. Another bit of good news is that SYP is also a super affordable option for trying new things.