7 DIY Swimming Pool Ideas and Designs: From Big Builds to Weekend Projects

Some people can make building things look so easy. This is good, since it let’s the rest of us have the guts to try something like building a swimming.

But if you take a look at some of the DIY swimming pools people have made below, it does show you that anyone can build one in their own backyard oasis.

There are three types of DIY swimming pool designs to choose from:

There is the permanent swimming pool construction
The natural swimming pool
The temporary pool – which can be a weekend build

The Permanent Pool

1. The dumpster pool – DIY above ground swimming pool

Stefan Beese is one of those who makes building a own pool look easy. He took an old dumpster and used that as the main container. It was padded out with insulation, covered with a liner, and then cladded with pine slats – showcased here.

2. The shipping container swimming pool

Using a premade metal container seems to be a pretty straightforward and simple way of starting a swimming pool build – by Ian Starz.

3. A more traditional DIY concrete swimming pool build

Build Your Own DIY Natural Swimming Pool / Swimming Pond / Organic Pool

Not only do they look great and blend into natural surroundings, natural pools are chemical free and are lower maintenance than normal swimming pools. Also when the pool is not in use, it is still full of life.

4. A natural swimming pond

Build plans by David Pagan

5. Another natural inground swimming pool pond, this time in a more urban backyard

Built by VonBubenberg

Temporary Weekend Swimming Pool Ideas

For a temporary swimming pool all you really need is way to make a large box, and a way to hold in water (which is usually in the form of a large waterproof tarp – get one here). Some ideas to make the container include: shipping containers, hay bales, or a wooden frame.

6. 9 pallets were used to build the frame for the pool