Mom-of-3 Saves 'Thousands' by DIYing Garden Furniture for $500

Looking to give your patio a chic upgrade without breaking the bank? One mom-of-three in Boston has "saved thousands" building DIY furniture for her home.

TikToker Alexis Sullivan (@builtbylex), a 28-year-old part-time administrative assistant who co-owns the Premier Trucking and Transportation company with her husband, told Newsweek: " I have literally saved thousands of dollars doing these projects myself instead of paying someone else to do them."

Among Sullivan's latest works is a three-piece couch set and "faux concrete" table for her patio.

A message overlaid on a recent viral TikTok video posted by Sullivan, which had over 450,000 views at the time of writing, read: "Don't spend thousands on patio furniture. DIY [for] under $500."

According to a survey of 46,118 U.S. homeowners aged 18 and older conducted by Houzz, a home design website, the median spend for home renovations in 2022 was $22,000 and home decor purchases saw an "unprecedented" surge in popularity last year.

Large furniture (such as lounge sets, dining sets and dressers) and small furniture (such as shelves, benches and ottomans) were among the top home decor-related items purchased by homeowners who renovated their homes in 2022, the survey found.

The footage in the latest viral video included snippets of Sullivan building the DIY couch set, the materials for which cost less than $500.

In a later comment, the poster explained the $500 is the price for "strictly all materials needed to build" the set and doesn't include the cost of the cushions, which varies by cushion type and location. The cushions for her couch set cost $400, according to her later comment.

According to another video, the patio table cost less than $100 to build.

Sullivan has been doing DIY projects since 2018 when the couple purchased their first home. "We were living on one income and didn't have the money to pay someone so I picked up the tools and decided I would figure it out myself while my husband was at work."

The mom likes to source the materials for her DIY work from local sawmills and mill the lumber herself. "Some projects I can get away with going to Home Depot or Lowe's for lumber but when making furniture it is best to go straight to the sawmill."

The TikToker said: "Everything is self-taught. My grandfather is also a major inspiration. He builds incredible things and has always amazed me with his builds. I only hope to be just as good as him some day."

Sullivan is currently working on a DIY outdoor daybed swing, pictures of which would be shared later on Thursday, she said.

Several users on TikTok were impressed by Sullivan's DIY projects.

User @deondreajordann said "Love the concrete and wood," while Tracey wrote "love the table!"

User @smd1288 said "Looks beautiful, great job!," and Cole4522 wrote "Looks great mama."

Others were a bit more skeptical, pointing out some additional costs.

User lexie said "nahhhh that is easily $560 in cushions alone....not including wood and labor."

Simon Guertin said "Missing the $2000 in tools," and Jordan Coe wrote "not to mention the 100s of dollars of tools and equipment."

User tipsylegend7 said "see were I live the cushions would be 500$." The original poster replied "$400 here! I didn't include those in the price [because] the $ varies by cushion type & by location! Under $500 is strictly all materials needed to build!"

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