A patio umbrella shades a wooden table set up beside a pool, with a wooden fence and trees in the background.A blue inflatable pool is set up in a backyard with a wooden table and striped umbrella beside it.An inflatable pool with a wooden deck beside it is set up in a grassy backyard enclosed by a wooden fence.

Our pool isn’t anything special (and is very temporary), but we’ve always talked about setting up a poolside table/bar. Some pressure-treated lumber, post spikes, an umbrella, and one Sunday afternoon made it a reality. For making it up as I went, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.