How to Turn Your Broken Refrigerator Into a Cool Outdoor Bar

If you’re like me, you probably haven’t spent too much time in your life wondering how you could repurpose your old refrigerator.

I mean, when my fridge breaks I mostly curse at it, buy a new fridge, then get excited about a new appliance. Because I’m old.

But these days, people are rightfully looking for ways to be less wasteful, to upcycle old and broken things, and to just create less trash in general, so it makes sense that there are fun new ways to use the refrigerator that has finally coughed and sputtered its last.

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And what, I ask you, is more fun than building a cool bar to use during those warm summer night barbecues that I swear are coming. I swear.

The mega cooler and bar is DIY, and it will help you keep enough food and drinks stocked outside to last an entire evening.

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The plans come courtesy of Matt2 Silver and Instructables, and even though it came out looking expensive and super cool, the conversion process is actually easy and should run you less than $40 (as long as you have a standard set of tools in your garage).

The project, which is doable in a weekend, starts with breaking down pallets to reclaim the wood, followed by a partial dismantling of your fridge – removing the screws, shelving, and electronics. You do want to make sure that you don’t cut the Freon lines!

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After that, you can paint your fridge if you want before covering the top and sides with wood, adding a base and. casters, and adding rope catches so you can prop the lids without losing them.

Finishing touches include adding heavy duty handles to both lids, a chalkboard for convenient labeling, and a trip to the store to stock up.

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If you’ve got a mini-fridge still hanging out from a college dorm room, they’ve also got plans for a smaller-sized cooler that’s perfect for a compact patio or deck.