How to Build an Adirondack Chair: Step-by-Step Guide

The Adirondack chair is one of the most recognizable pieces of outdoor furniture ever designed. Its wide armrests, raked back, and contoured seat are both iconic and famously comfortable. It's also the best-selling outdoor woodworking project — a well-built pair sells for $300–$700 at markets, on Facebook Marketplace, and through local networks.

The good news: despite its distinctive look, you don't need steam bending or exotic joinery. Every curve comes from a jigsaw, and every joint is a screwed butt joint. What you do need is a good pattern and patience with the curved parts. This guide walks through both.

Materials and Wood Choice

Cedar is the traditional and best choice. It's naturally rot-resistant (no finish required), lightweight, easy to work with tools, and weathers to a beautiful silver-grey over time. Redwood is equally good where available. White pine with a quality exterior paint or primer also works well and keeps costs low.

Avoid pressure-treated lumber for a chair that contacts skin — it's overkill for this application and the chemicals aren't pleasant against bare arms and legs.

What You'll Need

• Jigsaw — essential for the curved parts

• Circular saw or miter saw for the straight cuts

• Drill and driver, countersink bit

• Sander

• Clamps

• Tape measure, pencil, compass or a string for laying out arcs

• Cardboard or hardboard for making templates

• Safety glasses

The Lumber List (per chair)

• 5 boards: 1x6 cedar x 8ft — seat slats, back slats, and arms

• 1 board: 2x4 cedar x 8ft — stringers and legs

• 1 board: 1x4 cedar x 8ft — back support and cleats

• 1 box exterior screws: 1.25" and 2.5" (stainless or coated deck screws)

• Waterproof exterior glue (optional at joints)

• Exterior UV stain or paint if desired

Make Templates First — Always

Before cutting any cedar, draw the two most important curves on cardboard: the seat stringer (the long curved side piece that gives you the raked seat angle) and the arm shape (wide with a rounded or shaped front). Cut these cardboard templates, trace them onto your lumber, and jigsaw to the line. Save the templates — they're what makes your second chair take half the time.

The seat stringer has a gentle S-curve: it kicks back near the rear legs and rises slightly at the front. This curve is what makes the chair comfortable. Clamp both stringers together and sand them to identical shape so the seat sits perfectly flat.

Step-by-Step Assembly

1. Cut and jigsaw both seat stringers. Clamp and sand them identical.

2. Screw the front legs to the front of the stringers and add the lower back support across the rear.

3. Install the six 1x6 seat slats across the stringers front to back, leaving 3/8" gaps between each for drainage. Round the front slat's edge — it sits behind your knees.

4. Build the fan back: cut five back slats to graduated lengths that fan outward at the top. Attach them to the lower back support at the bottom and the arched upper brace at the top.

5. Mount the arm supports to the front legs. Attach the wide arms level, front-to-back, resting on the supports and notching around the back slats.

6. Sand everything thoroughly — round every edge and corner. Outdoor furniture lives against bare skin.

7. Apply your finish of choice (or leave cedar bare).

Pro Tips

• Use ONLY exterior or stainless screws — regular screws rust and bleed black stains down the wood within a season.

• Pre-drill every screw hole near a board end — end grain splits without a pilot hole.

• The wide armrests are a signature feature. Make them wide enough to hold a cup — buyers notice.

• Build a matching side table and footrest ottoman from your offcuts — sell as a 3-piece set for a much higher ticket.

• Build two chairs at once. The second one takes about 60% of the time once your setup is dialed in.

Finishing Options

• Bare cedar: leave it alone. Weathers to a silver-grey in 1–2 seasons. Low maintenance, very popular.

• Exterior oil with UV blockers: preserves the warm cedar color, reapply yearly.

• Exterior acrylic paint: most durable option for long-term color. Prime all surfaces including undersides.

• Add stick-on rubber glides to the feet to keep the end grain off wet ground.

Get the Full Plan

Our Classic Adirondack Chair PDF plan includes the complete cut list with all curved part dimensions, a template guide, the full step-by-step assembly instructions, tips for building matching side tables and ottomans, and the outdoor finishing guide. Available as an instant digital download at scottswoodcraftsllc.com.