A wandering soul

A shed can be a marvelous way to keep your lawn mower and other equipment protected from rain and the elements. It can also act as a playhouse or as supplemental storage for your home. Regardless of why you want a shed, there are countless ways to build a cheap shed. To inspire you, here are some cheap DIY shed ideas.

1. Stick Fence and Metal Roof

If you live in a heavily wooded area or have access to lots of sticks, you can follow in the footsteps of old pioneers and ancient native populations and make walls out of sticks. Creating a simple stick wall is just like building a stick fence.

Start with a few sturdy posts, and anchor them into the ground at regular intervals. Using wire, run rails made of of thin logs or long planks between the posts. Then, line your sticks along the fence so that they are supported by the rails.

Ideally, the sticks should be just a couple of centimetres in diameter, and they should be as high as you want your walls to be. Grab some sheet metal and pop it on the top to make a roof.

2. Log Shed

If you have logs rather than sticks, you can build a log shed. To make the process easier, do not cut notches into the logs. Instead, build small corner troughs out of planks. to make troughs, simply take two planks and nail them together to create a right angle.

Stand the trough upright so that the open part of the angle faces outward. To make your walls, simply stack logs behind both sides of the trough – the trough is the corner where two walls meet – and nail them into place by pounding nails through the planks into the edges of the logs. Repeat this process until you have four walls in place.

3. Dugout

Dugouts are almost as old as hills, but they can still be effective. If you have a swell or a small hill on your property, simply dig out a cavity, and you have a cheap and well-insulated shed. You can add support internally with beams and posts.

4. PVC Pipe and Tarps

If you don't have a lot of logs or a suitable area for a dugout, you may have to source your shed materials from somewhere else.

You can order PVC pipe and connectors from a hardware or plumbing supply shop. Then, you simply connect the PVC pipe to create the shape of a shed. Finally, grab some waterproof tarps, and cover your frame.

5. Shed Kit

If you prefer not to create your own design, you can order cheap shed kits. These kits come with the pieces you need to erect a shed quickly and easily. You can get everything from metal sheds to canvas to wood.