Memory Bench

Jody Harris
by Jody Harris
12 Materials
$60
3 Days
Medium

My friend asked me if I would make her a bench out of an old bed frame that has been in her family for many generations. Of course I jumped at the chance to do this for her. After getting a few details, like what color she wanted it, I went to work!

What I started with!

Here is the bedframe. The headboard just needed cleaning. The footboard, on the other hand, needed to be taken apart.

Footboard transformation

My husband, who helped me with this project, took the vertical sides off. We then flipped the front board so we would have a straight surface to attach the bench frame to.

He took those vertical sides and cut them down so they would look the appropriate height for the front of the bench.

Good old Gorilla Glue

We added Gorilla Glue to the insets where we would reattach the footboard.

Making the bench base!

We measured the headboard to decide how long we would make the base. This is totally a personal preference. The one guideline I did go by was the height and depth of the bench. I simply measured a kitchen chair and went off of those measurements.

Base complete

We both glued and screwed this base.

Painting

My friend wanted the bench to be bright red.

Paint I used.

Don’t you just love the name!

Sealer I used.

She is setting it outside so I used this exterior sealer.

Connecting it all together

We added corner braces to help keep the base square. Then we predrilled and screwed the base to the bed frame.

Pine boards for the seat

For the bench width, I decide to Have the boards go from edge to edge. In order for the corners to fit, they needed to be notched. I used a jigsaw to cut these out.

Dry fit

We dry fit the pine boards to make sure they looked ok.

Securing the boards

In order for the seat to look nice, I used a square and EZ Mark Line Cords so the screws would line up. The line cords come in handy when you want to place screws evenly on something. They are made of elastic and have metal fasteners at the ends. I would highly recommend them. It makes life easier!

This was a metal piece that was on the original frame. It just adds so much to the bench I think. I also distressed the entire piece before I sealed it.

What do you think?

I really like the way it turned out but better yet, my friend did too. It’s always so scary to to something for a friend. But even scarier when it’s a family heirloom.

Added bonus!

After I stepped back and looked at it when it was all said and done, I saw this heart shape. It was not done intentionally when I was sanding, but it was done with Love!

Resources for this project:
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Frequently asked questions
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  2 questions
  • Donna Donna on Jul 26, 2020

    Did you strip the headboard before you painted it?

  • Jacqueline McDowell Jacqueline McDowell on Jul 27, 2021

    I don't quite understand how the ez mark line cords work? Do you place them between the spaces of the boards and then use them as a guide for drilling?

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