Cinder blocks. Yeah, okay, not exactly the sexiest material. You’re not opening some design book and going, “Wow, stunning use of cinder blocks.” They’re always just kind of… there. Sitting in that weird pale dust that somehow ends up all over you even if you didn’t touch anything. Heavy, rough, kind of depressing, usually part of some half-done garage or a broken-down garden wall nobody’s fixed since 2011.
But, weirdly, they’re kind of great? Like, you can actually make stuff with them. Real stuff. And not just in that ironic, “look what I did with trash” kind of way. No, like—actually useful things. It’s got that same vibe as when you find out someone super boring knits or makes their own cheese or has a falcon. Like—wait, you? Really? That’s what cinder blocks are like. They seem dumb, but they show up.
They’re ugly, sure. And heavy. Which is annoying. But if you’re trying to throw something together without going back to Home Depot for the sixth time in a weekend, they work. They’re weirdly modular too. You just stack them. They hold weight. They don’t crack. You can probably get them for two bucks. Maybe four. Or free, if your cousin has some lying behind the shed. Which they do. Everyone does.
They won’t break if you sit on them. They don’t care about weather. They’ve got that weird, stained, grease-on-the-corner energy that says “I’ve been through things.” Which—honestly—makes them kind of perfect.
Awesome uses for cinder blocks
Anyways, maybe you are some kind of person that has a favorite torque setting on your drill, or you’re just getting tired looking out onto the weird, dead spot in your backyard and want to make… something, anything…without $400 worth of lumber and always secretly regretting it being impulsive— and here is a bunch of stuff people are making with cinder blocks that are pretty geniuses, or at least functional in a way that doesn’t make you roll your eyes.
1. Outdoor Bench
This doesn’t take much—seriously, a few wooden pieces and a handful of cinder blocks and now you have a really nice bench for your outdoor adventures. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but this project is very robust and quite a lot faster than you think.
2. Vertical Planter
How cool is this modern vertical planter? I actually really enjoy the dark paint they used — it just works. But honestly, go with what you like, it truly is very flexible. I showed it to my husband and he was sold. He is clearly on the dark paint team — he said it looks way cooler that way.
3. Fire Pit
So this one—it’s like $40 total, give or take, and it’s an actual fire pit. And I don’t mean one of those flimsy store bought kinds—this is solid. Just a circle of blocks (maybe some gravel) and BOOM—fire. Outside. It feels so much more special than that.
4. Desk
This is kind of an odd idea—just cinder blocks and a board across, and somehow it becomes this really… I don’t know, clean, minimal, kinda industrial desk? It’s very “I built this myself but I also have style”. And it doesn’t shake.
5. Shelves
Honestly—why are shelves so expensive? You could just stack some blocks, lay a board on top, and be done. That is literally all it takes. Shelves. You can change the heights, move them, whatever. It’s like the grown-up version of milk crates, but somehow still acceptable.
6. Bed Frame
A bed frame out of cinder blocks sounds… suspect, initially? But, it is probably more solid than anything you would get off a delivery truck, flat-packed. No creaks, no shakes. Just exists, permanently. You could probably run and jump onto it without making a difference.
7. Barbecue Pit
So if you like grilling, or… I don’t know, even if you don’t but you’ve thought about it—there’s this thing you can do with cinder blocks. You just, like, build a barbecue pit out of them. Nothing complicated. No cement or anything. Just blocks. It’s kinda dumb how easy it is, honestly, but it works.
8. Plant Bench
You love your plants – so why not build them their very own plant bench?!
9. Firewood Rack
I mean–yes, you can make a DIY rack instead of just tossing your firewood in a pile somewhere. This is extremely simple. This is literally just a simple setup to keep the wood off the ground and to not have it laying everywhere. Nothing really fancy, though it works.
10. Compost
You can break up your compost into sections if that’s your thing—just use cinder blocks. Like, literally just set them down to divide the piles. It doesn’t need to be precise or anything, it just… works. Keeps stuff sort of organized without trying too hard.
11. Outdoor Chair
Last thing, and yeah, I know I’m kind of obsessed at this point—but this outdoor chair made out of cinder blocks? Weirdly great. Like, it shouldn’t work, but it totally does. And they went and stuffed flowers into the little gaps, which sounds kinda cheesy, but it actually looks… I don’t know, sort of perfect? Makes the whole thing feel less like construction material and more like someone actually lives there.
Anyway—hopefully at least one of these ideas sparked something. Or gave you a nudge. Or made you think, “Huh, maybe I could do something with those random blocks stacked behind the shed.” Cinder blocks are one of those things that just… exist, until suddenly you realize they’re kind of perfect for the weird little project you didn’t know you had in you. And yeah, they’re cheap—or free, honestly, if you’re patient or know someone mid-demo—and there’s something oddly satisfying about making something that works, that holds up, that looks halfway decent… and barely cost you anything.
So, yeah. If you’re in the mood to build something that doesn’t need a blueprint or a Pinterest mood board, just a couple blocks and a stubborn afternoon—go for it.
