Build a Bench

A do-it-yourself bench for your home or garden can be a rewarding project for a beginner or expert woodworker, and anyone in between. There are many types to choose from, ranging from basic planks using logs, to stone and rock benches, to wooden slat benches. You can build a bench from blueprints and plans you buy or find for free, or browse plans that have worked for others and use them as starting points for your own creations. Here are some ideas for building a bench for your own indoor or outdoor use.

Steps

Hacking Ikea

1. Buy a sturdy, narrow bookshelf. Since bookshelves aren’t normally meant to sit on, this one is probably better for kids than adults, but hacking an Ikea shelf actually makes a great place to get little ones ready for school.
   • Try the narrow Expedit shelf (one 5-shelf column), which is handy because the square shelves allow the accompanying storage baskets and bins to work in this orientation as well. This will give you a great place to sit your preschooler down to change shoes, hats, mittens, as well as store backpacks and other items.
2. Turn it on its side. Build the shelf as described in the product’s instructions and then turn it on its side. The side on the floor will eventually become the top or seat of the bench.
3. Add wheels or legs. Go to your local hardware store and pick out some legs for your bench. You can get wheels (like the kind you see on shopping carts) or wooden or metal furniture feet. Whatever you feel matches with your decoration and your needs. Attach the feet at the corners of the bench as described in the instructions for the product you buy.
   • At least four feet are necessary. Six are recommended.
   • Make sure the screw does not interfere with the other pieces holding the shelf together. Be strategic!
4. Turn it right side up. Turn the shelf so that it sits on its new feet. You now have a bench!
5. Add cushions. Either make a custom cushion or buy relatively flat, square cushions to go on top of the bench. Glue strips of velcro to the top of the bench and then attach the other side of the velcro to the underside of your pillows.
   • It is best to put the soft, fluffy side of the velcro on the pillows, as it will make them easier to wash.
6. Add finishing touches. You can add finishing touches by painting the bench a different color, if you want to. You can also buy baskets or other storage items to go in the shelves.

Refurbishing an Old Bed

1. Buy and prepare an old bed frame. You will need a wooden headboard and footboard. If they are attached, detach them. This project works best if there is either a flat skirt on the footboard or two-part skirt with an even edge at the top. Once you have the frame and the boards are detached, sand the wood to remove old paint or varnish, if you want to.
2. Measure and mark the center line on the footboard. Measure a vertical center line on the footboard and mark it with a pencil or other marking tool.
3. Cut the footboard. Use a jigsaw or circular saw to cut the footboard along the center line. The two pieces will become the sides of the bench, while the headboard will be the back of the bench.
4. Create the attachment points on the footboard. Along the edges you just cut, drill evenly space holes for dowels. Find dowels that are an appropriate size and then use the drill bit for that size to drill the holes. Measure the height from the floor to the holes that you cut, as well as the distance between the holes, and then make identical holes in the same location on the front of the headboard posts.
   • The number of holes you drill and where you drill them will depend on the shape and style of the bed.
   • If your bed is of a non-standard shape, you may have to alter how you attach the footboards to the headboard. It may be necessary to attach them at the sides, rather than at the front of the posts.
5. Attach the footboards to the headboard. Insert the dowels, applying wood glue in both holes, and attach the footboards to the headboard. It should now be starting to look like a bench!
6. Attach the seat. Lay the bench on its back and attach 1x6s (cut to the appropriate length) to the footboards using L brackets and wood screws. Attach these at whatever height works for you and that the footboards allow. Use however many boards are needed to create a wide enough seat.
   • Add a 1x3 board to the bottom of the front seat-board to make a skirt, if you want to.
7. Caulk all joints. Caulk all the joints and gaps so that the connections are more sturdy. Upright the bench when necessary during this process.
8. Add finishing touches. Paint the bench (with outdoor paint if you intend to put it outside), if you want to. You may also wish to add seat cushions or upholster the bench.

Building From Scratch

1. Cut the side pieces for your bench. Take a single 2x10 and cut two equally sized pieces to the desired height of your bench using a circular saw or a jigsaw.
2. Attach a brace bar. Attach a 2x2 cut to 8' length to each side piece. This 2x2 should be attached 1 ½” from the top of the side pieces. Attach these with appropriately long wood screws, 2 for each bar, with the screws at least 1 ½” from the ends of the 2x2.
3. Attach the sides to each other. Using two 8’ 1x4s, attach the sides of the bench to each other. The top edge of the 1x4 will be flush with the top of the side pieces. Drill dowel holes into both ends of the 2x2s and the matching location on the 1x4s. Use dowels to attach these and then use wood screws, passing from the outside of the bench sides and into the 1x4s, two screws for each end of the 1x4 boards.
4. Add the seat. Drop in two 8’ 2x4s. There should be space to have a gap between them. Use long wood screws, going through the side boards and into the seat boards, 6 screws across each side.
5. Paint or stain the bench. Paint or stain the bench, as needed.

Tips

• Consider adding additional features depending on the bench's use. For inside seating, you may want cushions or pillows on the seat. For sitting for longer periods of time, you might want to add a backrest. Arm rests can be appealing for both indoor and outdoor benches.
• Visit woodworking websites for bench blueprints for the designs you would like to recreate. Some vendors charge a fee for these plans, but you can also find free ones online and in magazines.

Warnings

• Be careful with all tools involved.

Related Articles

• Build a Simple Workbench
• Build a Roubo Workbench
• Build a Porch Swing
• Build a Park Bench

Sources and Citations

See also

• Reupholster Kitchen Chairs
• Set Up a Mudroom Bench
• Reupholster a Dining Chair Seat
• Make a Hammock Chair
• Repaint a Chair
• Paint Chairs
• Fix a Squeaky Desk Chair
• Reupholster a Chair
• Create Glow in the Dark Log Campfire Stools

What links here

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