A few weeks ago my sister-in-law sent me a picture of a bench made from a headboard. The request was simple, “Can you make something like this?” Of course I answered “absolutely”. I mean, I have never done one but it seemed simple enough at the time plus I was pretty sure that it would be awhile before I was called upon for my services. Well low and behold about a week later, I had a headboard and footboard sitting in my garage ready to go!
This looked simple enough. Cut the footboard in half, attach it to the headboard and then find something for a seat. Well when I first cut the footboard in half and mocked it to the headboard, I noticed that it caused the bench to be too deep. If I had continued on, it would have looked more like a daybed than a bench.
So I concurred with my “customer” and we agreed to knock another 12′ off of each side of the footboard. Now we had something that more closely resembled bench dimensions!
Now that the footboard was cut to the right size and I was able to dry fit it to the headboard, I noticed that it was too tall to make a solid connection to the headboard. At current height, I would have had to attach the footboard to the curved portion of the headboard. This just wouldn’t do. The only logical choice was to cut a few inches off of the bottom of the footboard posts.
The purpose of this bench is to be used as a prop for my sister-in-law and her husband to use in their photography business. With that in mind, I wanted to build it sturdy and capable of holding up to any customer regardless of size or sitting position. So I added three wooden dowels to each side to help reinforce the weight that could be placed on it.
I then drilled pilot holes from the back, and used three wood screws to draw it all together. This bench is not going to fall apart!
With the footboard securely attached to the headboard, I now needed a seat. I thought about purchasing some wood from Home Depot to use but I didnt think it would blend well with the weight and design of the rest of the bench. So I headed out to my local Habitat Restore in search of something that could be used for the seat. That is where I ran across a sweet (and heavy) table that was missing legs. It was perfect…and cheap!
I brought it home and cut it to the proper dimensions. I used an old bunk bed ladder to assist with my straight cuts. 🙂
The new bench top was attached to the rest of the bench using wood screws. I continued to drill pilot holes to help avoid the wood splitting and countersunk all screw heads below the surface in order to later come in and cover with wood putty. After I had it all attached, I sent pics to my sister-in-law and her husband and although they loved it, they felt that something should be below the seat to help “fill-in” the empty space. I agreed completely. As it currently stood, it looked a little “long” legged.
Back to the tabletop I went! I cut a section off and attached it vertically right below the seat. A quick sanding, some holes filled and joints caulked and we now have a bench! All that is left is a paint job. Once that is complete, I will be sure to post updated pics.
I love having a plan for projects but sometimes things just come together as you go. That was the case for this bench. I started with an idea of how I wanted it to look and I ended up with something that I am truly proud of. Best of all, my sister-in-law loved it!
Hey Ashley and Tyson,, you are doing a great job. I love your show and lately your website has been a real help for me. I’m a homeowner with a house constructed in the 90s.I appreciate your guidelines. It’s nice information for us.Jody
Thanks!