$15 Rustic Bench

by Melissa

5 Materials

$15

2 Hours

Easy

A simple, inexpensive bench that can be completed in just a couple hours.

Preparing the Wood Pieces

I start by cutting a 1x6x6 in half. This will be my bench seat. This works perfectly for the size bench I need but you can cut your seat pieces custom to your preferred size. Then I cut a 2x4x8 into 4 pieces. Two at 17” and two at 8”. These will make up two bench legs.

Sand the wood pieces smooth and stain (or paint) them the color of your choice.

Building the Legs

Predrill four holes, two on either end of one of the 17” wood pieces. Stand two of your 8” pieces on their ends and lay the 17” piece of wood horizontally across. Add some wood glue and 3” wood screws into your predrilled holes to attach. Flip it over and attach another 17” piece to the other ends of the 8” boards the same way. You should have a full rectangle.

Finished Legs

Here is one finished leg! Now you will need to repeat the same steps to build the second leg of your bench.

Time to Assemble the Bench

Lay your two 36” boards “best sides” down and side by side. Stand your assembled legs on either end, allowing for some seat overhang. Use a measuring tape or ruler to ensure the legs will be attached evenly.

Here’s a Close Up!

Predrill to avoid splitting your wood and use eight, 2” wood screws to attach each leg to your bench seat. Make sure to get 4 screws in each piece of your bench seat. This step will also help keep your bench seats next to each other with no gaps.