bench made from footboard | Ginger's Attic

Finished Project – Bench made from Bed frame

My husband loves to make these benches out of a Headboard and Footboard. This one has such a nice design on the back and the blue color worked so well with it. I haven’t done one in blue before and wasn’t sure I would like it.

This is the beginning of constructing it. He cut the footboard in half to use for the sides.

The bench seat was made out of plywood.

I stained the new wood with a dark stain. It didn’t matter if it matched the other wood since I’m painting it. We filled in gaps and holes from screws with putty.

New Phototastic Collage

I bought the cushions from Lowe’s. I painted the first coat green which did go with the cushions but I just didn’t like that for the final color.

waxing and painting instructions Collage

I put a light coat of the CeCe Caldwell’s clear wax, let it soak in and dry some and then painted the blue chalk paint. Then I distressed it lightly with 150 grit sandpaper and then went over it with a fine sandpaper block to smooth it out. Then I put a few coats of varnish to seal it.

I had it on my patio for a day or two and now it is for sale in my shop. $250 (includes long pillow and cushions)

This bench was a challenge for my husband. Some friends had a full size footboard that they weren’t using and asked us if we could use it to make something. It was in great shape and beautiful wood so we wanted to leave it the way it was and not paint it. My husband decided to use the footboard for the sides of the bench and to make the bench smaller he did not use the entire footboard. He also had to figure out how to do the back since he didn’t have a headboard like he usually does. It was also a challenge for me to stain the new parts to match the footboard. I haven’t had as much experience with staining as I have had with painting but I am getting to where I enjoy it every now and then. I had to put on 2 coats of stain and I varnished it with polyurethane. It is very sturdy and comfortable and would be great to have in a foyer or study. It is for sale in “Ginger’s Attic.”

This shows the footboard being cut in half.

The staining of the bench.