Till Then Smile Often

Well it has been just under a week and I am still in love with my bench. It really just adds to the overall feel of the room. I’ll just say it wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be. There was a lot of starting and stopping to allow for the stain to dry, and the wood glue to dry but really this didn’t require a lot of material, money or effort.  The stain smell does linger though to make sure you have good ventilation.

1 – 2x10x10 Oak or White Fir Board cut into 3 pieces (Mine was 1 – 60″ board and 2 – 23″ boards) NOTE: Lowe’s and Home Depot do this for FREE ~

Measuring Tape ~ Wood Glue ~ Stain of choice with Polyurethane (I used MinWax in Mission Oak Satin finish) ~ natural bristle paintbrush ~ level ~ #220 grit sandpaper ~ Hammer and/or scraper ~ 8 – #6×1-1/4″ wood screws ~ (Electric) Screwdriver ~ Chalk or white pencil

Purchase your board and have them cut them down for you with one board for the bench piece and 2 for the legs. Using a hammer and scraper age and cut the wood. I used the hammer to smash all sides of the wood.

I used the scraper to rough up the sides and held at a 45 degree angle to cut slices into the wood.

Once dry determine if you want another coat and repeat until you reach the desired color. I ended up with just two coats.

TIP: To remove the stain from your hands rub some baby oil all over your hands, rinse and then wash with soap. The stain should come right off.

Once completely dry you are now ready to assemble the bench. Gather supplies needed.

I wanted a Pagoda style feel so I measured 12″ from the ends and marked with chalk, using a level to make sure you get a straight line. Apply wood glue to one end of the leg and place on the line.

Once dry I placed 4 screws in each leg at a downward angle, 2 on each side. Two on the outside, two in the inside.

Turn it over and you are done. You can add an optional 2×4 board between the legs under the bench for added support to the legs. Since this is more decorative I chose not to add it but may add it in later.

So to break it down it really is just a few steps…prep the boards, paint, assembly, enjoy! The drying time is the time consuming part but it really is worth it. Now to make a few more projects.

Next week I will outline how to make the side tables and where I got all the accessories. What do you think, will you make your own bench?

I’ve also joined some amazing ladies to bring you a giveaway worth winning. These are all girls on my daily reading list, so check them out if you don’t already follow them.