How to make a DIY patio table with a built-in beer/wine cooler

You want to be able to enjoy your outdoor dinner party, not spend the evening refilling glasses and running to coolers for more drinks. Therefore, Norway-based engineer and DIY blogger Sarah Bowes-Pope just solved your challenge by providing easy steps to placing coolers for chilled beverages at guest's fingertips right inside the table by visiting her blog "Domesticated Engineer."

"Why buy new things for our new house when we can build it for so much less money?" asks the blogger on her post. A mechanical engineer, Bowes-Pope uses her blog to marry her loves of engineering, crafts and photography, resulting in detailed instructions on money-saving hacks that keep you from sinking large sums into projects such as this custom-cooler table.

The self-covering table cost less than $200 in wood and planting boxes, as well as essential items, such as screws, wood glue, filler and sandpaper.

It is helpful to have some woodworking tools such as clamps, sanders and an electronic screwdriver and drill around, but Bowes-Pope provides such extensive instructions and cut lists that weekend warriors can succeed with the project.

The blogger saved time by calling in the wood cuts she needed to the lumber yard prior to picking up the order. From there she assembles the basics table and makes boxes to hold the planter boxes that will serve as coolers.

Bowes-Pope made her table with the planters recessed lower so that she can cover them when not in use, but she gives options for creating the table with the coolers permanently open.

Detailed instructions, including the cut list that you can provide to your lumberyard can be found at "Domesticated Engineer."

As outdoor dining becomes more popular, creative ways to enhance your dinner parties turn ordinary cookouts into  dinner parties to remember. Helpful accents like this cooler, outdoor kitchen enhancements and table-side meal preparation keep guests in awe and you from constantly running back inside to the kitchen.

Know a fabulous outdoor host or hostess that would love to chill around this table with built-in coolers? Be sure to SHARE!