If you’re looking for a fun-filled outdoor summer activity for your family, friends, and members of the community, why not host a backyard talent show?
Talent shows are a great way to learn more about the people around you, from what they like to do in their spare time and the hidden talents you didn’t know they had. Plus, it’s a perfect excuse to throw an outdoor party!
Today, we’ll walk you through how to build a low platform outdoor stage for a backyard talent show so you can call up your friends, family, and neighbors to join you for a summer of unforgettable nights, right in your own backyard!
How to Build an Outdoor Stage
This tutorial on how to build an outdoor stage is a fast and easy way to create a stage in any sized backyard. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll walk you through how to build an outdoor stage that is 4’x8’ in size. From there, you can calculate how many pallets, mending plates, 4’x8’ plywood sheets, and interlocking floor tiles you’ll need to create a bigger stage to fit your needs.
For a 4’x8’ Stage, You’ll Need:
- Two Pallets (you can find these for free)
- Two Mending plates
- Two 4’x8’ plywood sheets
- Orbital sander & 80, 120, and 220 grit sandpaper
- 3” Exterior Screws
- Power Drill
- 8-10 Interlocking floor tiles
How to Build Your Outdoor Stage in Seven Easy Steps
- Begin by choosing a flat, solid surface from which to build your outdoor backyard stage.
- Arrange pallets together and ensure they are flush against the ground.
- Carefully secure pallets together on either side using your mending plates and screws.
- Lay the 4’x8’ plywood sheets on top of the secured pallets so there are no gaps or cracks present in the middle.
- Screw plywood sheets into place.
- Sand the plywood sheets for a smoother finish, starting with the 80 grit and moving your way up to the finer grits, cleaning off the plywood in between grits.
- Clean off your plywood and lay down interlocking foam mats before showtime!
Other Outdoor Staging Options & Add-Ons
You can also swap the pallets for pressure-treated lumber or simply cover the plywood sheets with some gorgeous wood grain floor mats, which will give talent show contestants a forgiving surface to perform on. You can then go on to add lights, a canopy over the top, a gorgeous DIY backdrop, or a stage surround with light and breezy fabrics, decorations, and flowers to match your backyard aesthetic. The choice is yours, and the possibilities are endless!
Other Uses for Your Backyard Stage
With all the hard work you put into learning how to build an outdoor stage, be sure you get plenty of use out of it with a list of other fun activities you, the kids, and your family and friends can benefit from all summer long.
For instance, you could use your backyard stage as a yoga or meditation center complete with easy to assemble and disassemble fitness mats and yoga mats, or host an at-home Zumba class with friends. Don’t be afraid to let the kids snuggle up and watch outdoor movies, using your new backyard stage as the “drive-in” theater or as a space to practice their gymnastics moves on their balance beams and tumbling mats!
You could also simply use your new backyard stage as a small floating deck, complete with seating, a grill, and a patio umbrella for a picture-perfect summertime space designed to serve so many purposes.
Regardless of whether you use your newly built outdoor stage for talent shows, band practice, at-home workouts, or for relaxing on the weekends, We Sell Mats™ has comfortable and supportive mats for every activity, so you can relax, play, or show off your skills in comfort and style. Shop today to discover the many mats waiting for you at We Sell Mats™!