Bench made from only a footboard

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.

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Bench made from twin bed frame

Here is another bench made from a twin bed. The foot board was cut in half and used as the sides. The headboard is used for the back. This frame didn’t have any rails with it but was in very good shape and very sturdy. The only part that had some damage was 2 small areas around the knobs which I fixed with some wood putty. I also had to cover the metal screws with wood putty. Usually we redo old pieces of furniture; this was probably the newest piece we have done.

This shows the building of the bench.

I purchased material for pillows and a cushion and then picked the paint colors. My sister offered to do the sewing. I first painted the bench with white primer. Then I painted it Halcyon green (Sherwin Williams) same color as Annie Sloan’s Duck Egg Blue. I make my own chalk paint with the Sherwin Williams paint. I put on clear wax (Cee Cee Caldwells) in some of the areas that I knew I would be distressing. Then the next day I painted the next coat -Caen Stone (Sherwin Williams). My next step was to sand lightly to let the blue color show through. I didn’t want the white primer to come through too much.

I then put a coat of clear wax and waited a day and then put Annie Sloan dark wax mixed in with some of the clear wax. It really needed the dark wax. When you have two completely different colors it is too much contrast and the dark wax makes it all come together. The dark wax does have to be wiped off with cheesecloth or a lint free cloth. Both waxes act as a sealer so you do not need to put any varnish unless you are going to place it outside.

This is the bench in my shop with the pillows. The cushion will be ready soon. I love the bird fabric on the pillows and it really brings out the blue color in the bench. Thanks to my husband and sister for their help with this project.

Here it is with the cushion. It is for sale for $300.

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Full size bed made into bench

Here is another bench made from a full size bed that my husband made. This one I decided to leave stained and put 3 coats of oil based poly. The new wood was stained to match the walnut finish. The footboard was cut down the middle and became the side pieces and one of the slats became the front part of the bench. Some side pieces (shaped like boxes) and a long back piece all made out of cypress were added so the cushions would fit. (see picture in collage below) It also works as a great area to put a book or your coffee. The cushions came from Lowe’s and are the kind that can be on a porch or patio. This bench is comfy for stretching out and reading a book. For sitting it would definitely fit a taller person better. I love the way the poly made it look – it even got rid of some water marks that I didn’t like near the headboard circle. It does have a few worn and distressed areas on the bench from age but it is very sturdy and comfortable. I think it is a great piece for a foyer or covered patio. It is for sale for $300. (includes cushions and pillows)

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Bench made from Full size bed

I painted, distressed and dark waxed a full size bed over a year ago for my daughter, who is a professional photographer, to use in a Christmas photo shoot. Recently she gave it back to me so that she could take the full size bed that I showed in a previous post. So my husband decided to take on another project and make the bed frame into a bench. This one he did a little different. He used the footboard in the front of the bench and made the sides for it. Since this footboard was so low to the ground he had to add to the legs to make it a better height for sitting. It seemed like it would be an easy project for me since it was already painted – all I had to do was refinish the new wood to match. It ended up a little bit more of a challenge because I put on the wrong finish – a black antique glaze instead of the brown dark wax which I had used before. I had to paint and wax the new wood twice but it all worked out. I found the perfect pillows and cushions to put on it at Lowes. Then the best part of the whole project was when I realized this bench would have a perfect home – Our patio! It matched perfect with the table and chairs that I had refinished a year ago.

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Sneak Peek of some recent projects

There has been a lot of activity going on in the workshop in “Ginger’s Attic”. I have been getting to all those projects that have been stored in my workshop for a while. I wasn’t allowing myself to buy any new pieces till I got those done. My husband made a bench out of a twin headboard that I had painted and distressed. A cabinet that we use in the dessert room in our restaurant got an update with some fresh paint. An old rocker and chair got a makeover and my newest project is a full size bed (not sure whether it will become a bench or not). I have to get all of these projects out of the way because a workshop has been scheduled for Sat., March 7. Here is a sneak peak of two of the projects. The before and after pictures will be posted on the website soon.