Easiest diy rustic bench you can build and it only takes 3 boards! I’ll be at Haven on Friday with my fellow blogger Jen from House of Wood teaching you how to build this multi-purpose bench.
Loving the chippy rustic finish.
This bench was inspired by Pottery Barn’s Warner bench:
This retail version sells for $299 plus shipping – yikes for such a simple piece!
You can build your own bench for about $35.
I choose to bevel my legs similar to the retail version, this 10 degree bevel may be a bit extreme so if you’re going to do this build I’d go for 5 degrees.
Jen at House of Wood built this bench too, and not only that she built two versions!
Check out her stained version with a 5 degree bevel on the legs, such a beauty.
And get a good look at the finish on this bench – an Indian inlay stencil – so subtle but a great way to personalize.
How to build a rustic bench:
Step 1: Use Ana’s plans here and make your cuts.
(I used a 1×10 for the seat and legs and 2 – 1x8s for the sides.)
I choose to bevel the legs at 10 degrees. When cutting the legs set your circular saw at 10 degrees:
Step 2: Cut out notches in legs:
Step 3: Attach one side to top then legs:
Step 4: Attach second side to top, because I used a 1×10 board for the top it doesn’t give you enough space to fit the drill inside for pocket holes therefore I had to countersink screws on the extrerior:
Step 5: Finish as you like.
I choose the Vaseline method followed by Benjamin Moore Going to the Chapel, Minwax early american stain and 3 coats cleat satin poly.
And for good measure I had my kids jump on it.
Looks beautiful. Have fun at Haven. I hope to go next year. 🙂
Jamie, love the bench AND the finish. Thanks for sharing. Just a bit of FYI…have you ever used a flexible screw driver attachment for hard-to-reach pocket hole joints? I have used mine a lot to reach otherwise unaccessible pocket holes. Here's what I'm talking about:
http://www.amazon.com/12-Inch-Long-Flex-Bit/dp/B00004Z063/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404846960&sr=8-1&keywords=flexible+screwdriver+extension
I enjoy your blog and follow you on Facebook.
I love your finish! Did you use vaseline on the bare wood, or did you stain it first?