How to 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 indoor or outdoor use.

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Steps

1. 1
   Build a rustic plank seat bench.
   
   
   
   • Start with a couple 12- to 14-inch-high (30.5 to 35.6 cm) stumps or logs for the bench legs. Lay a rough-sawn or construction-grade 2-inch-by-12-inch (5.1 cm-by-30.5 cm) lumber piece, in the length of your choice, across as the seat, allowing for 6 to 8 inches (15.2 to 20.3 cm) of overhang on the sides. Attach with wood screws.
   • You can also use 2 overturned wooden barrels, cut to 12 or 14 inches (30.5 to 35.6 cm) high , as the legs in the place of stumps.
2. 2
   Build a wooden slat bench.
   
   
   
   • Start with the pre-treated frame which consists of 2 end boards, 2 side boards, and 2 inside support boards, attached 2 inches (5.1 cm) in from the long sides and serve as a surface to attach slats.
   • Attach pre-treated slats so that they overhang the support boards by 1 inch (2.5 cm) (so they are 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the outer side boards). They should overhang the end boards by 3/4 inch (1.9 cm). Leave about 1/4 inch (.6 cm) gap between slats.
   • Screw in pre-treated 1-by-4-inch (2.5 by 10.2 cm) seat side boards on both sides of the slats to fill in the space between the slat ends and the long-side boards. The seat sides will overhang the end boards by about 3/4 inch (1.9 cm) and they'll overhang the side boards by about 1 3/4 inches (4.5 cm).
   • Use 4 1-by-4-inch (2.5 by 10.2 cm) boards as legs, with the 1-inch (2.5 cm) edges attached flush to the front and back sides. Screw the legs into the end boards.
3. 3
   Create a rock bench.
   
   
   
   • Use 4-inch (10.2 cm) thick concrete footings for the foundation. Add mortar and then your first rock, with a flat bottom. Continue layering mortar and rocks to the height you want.
   • You can shape the stones with a masonry tool called a shaper that traces a line in the stone where it is then split.
   • Use the tracer tool, hammered at an angle, on the edges of a long concrete slab to create a more rocky appearance.
   • Add mortar to the tops of the 2 stone legs and place the concrete slab across as the seat. Allow the mortar to dry.

 Tips

• 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.
• 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.