DIY Firewood Rack | Free Plans

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This easy DIY firewood rack is incredibly simple to put together! Check out the tutorial below or the step-by-step video, and make your own with my free build plans.

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When my boyfriend “K” and I took the trip to visit his childhood home, we helped his parents cut down a few trees that had fallen over from storm damage. Not to let them go to waste (even if they had a little wood rot), we brought back almost an entire tree in my SUV to use as firewood this winter.

After unloading it all, I realized that I didn’t have anything built to keep my pile of wood off the ground (dry & away from wicking up water) and ready for use. As it happens, all it took were three cedar 2x4s to create a sturdy little wood rack to keep it all in check. And, bonus: it makes me one step closer on the front porch makeover project, too!

Outdoor Firewood Rack

I still can’t believe we actually got all of the firewood to fit. This thing can really provide storage despite its size!

I’ll keep this post short, mainly because we can easily jump right into the easy step by step tutorial below, and I have lots of holiday decorating to finish before the big reveal for Christmas (there’s another monthly cross stitch pattern coming on the 1st, too!). For beginners or those that need extra visual examples, I’ve also got a speed video for ya. It’s mainly some entertaining assembly shots of K and I trying to finish before the sun set (spoiler: we finished, but we needed some extra help from the light pole planters). Just imagine all of the moving around is us bickering in the cold, and it’s like you were there! 

my YouTube channel

(A more at-length version with voice-over instruction will go on my YouTube channel when the dogs aren’t barking, which of course is why I’m putting sound-reducing drywall in the office and garage, ha!) More notes:

• You’ll see me being a little lazy here, because I didn’t bother to come up with a way to duplicate my cuts. The end result is that I measured out each piece separately, making the whole measuring + cutting process take longer. Funny how I immediately pay for that laziness, right?
• Another lazy move is that I didn’t adjust my bevel (side to side angle) when I needed a bevel cut from my plans; instead, I chopped down on the side of the 2×4 as a miter cut. While it worked out fine since I was cutting only 6°, I still recommend not doing it this way if you want things to line up perfectly; my miters are never perfect!

For full downloadable plans and dimensions, click here to grab them from my Woodworking Plans Library. Let’s get on to the tutorial!

Woodworking Plans Library

My Front Porch Firewood Storage Rack: Step by Step

Materials Needed

• 2×4 lumber (I used cedar)
• wood glue*
• miter saw
• wood screws
• drill/driver (currently $50 off!)

*I didn’t use wood glue, but I recommend it because it makes the build stronger and less likely to wiggle as much (with only screws/hardware, there’s definitely some flex if moving the rack, but not that big of a deal to me so I’m not worrying about it).

Cut List

• 4 – 36″ (top & bottom shelves)
• 4 – 28-1/4″ with 6° bevel (vertical sides)
• 2 – 10-1/8″ with 6° bevel (caps)
• 2 – 13″ with 6° miter (bottom connectors)
• 2 – 9-1/2″ with 6° miter (middle bracing)

Step 1: Connect the vertical uprights to the bottom piece with screws.

Step 2: Add the middle support 16-1/4″ from the bottom (or if it’s easier to measure, 12-3/4″ from the top of the bottom piece).

Repeat steps 1 & 2 for the second side.

Step 3: Screw the 2 pieces that serve as the bottom rack on top of the bottom brackets.

Step 4: Repeat the same with the top rack pieces.

Step 5: Screw the caps onto the top of both ends.

Paint or stain the frame as desired and load it up with kindling. Remember that if you’re keeping the rack outside, it’s better to use exterior grade paint/stain for longer-term protection from the elements. I haven’t actually gotten around to doing this part yet myself, but it will happen once I get a few more things crossed off my to-do list first!

A note about short vs. long-term storage for a front porch firewood rack:

I know I might also get questions about where to store firewood, but the general recommendation is to have long-term storage away from the house and to only keep firewood near the house if it’s going to be used up soon. Since we’ll wind up going through this stack pretty quickly, my goal was short-term storage, thus why only a smaller rack seemed reasonable. We’ll probably eventually build a bigger wood rack that’s closer to the backyard fire pit, and the final spot for this little rack will go against the stone wall (once the Christmas decor is moved). I’ve also been careful to treat the house and porch for insects as part of overall home upkeep (it’s not recommended to spray the wood itself for the sake of fumes when burning). It also helps to eliminate ground contact if you can, such as putting a firewood holder on the end of a concrete slab (like a patio).

Related: If you’re curious about wood-boring insects, check out this informative post on what it’s like to get a termite inspection and how to prevent them around your home.

Enjoy, and don’t forget to pin!