This was our first attempt ever at making a piece of furniture. We rented the miter saw and bought a kreg jig. My husband did the research after we discovered how grossly expensive attractive patio furniture is. We bought inexpensive white pine and used stain and I sewed the cushions myself. We are hitting a snag there as we've discovered that the high density foam for the inside is super expensive too! Right now I have it stuffed with a combo of some foam padding and batting. I figure if we stuff it enough it will last a while. Overall I am very happy and proud to say we made this!