How to Build a DIY Farmhouse Bench


My neighbor was throwing out an old futon bed...




He couldn't imagine why I wanted it, he even offered me the screws so I could put it back together. 

Imagine...
He thought I was going to use it as a futon! LOL

I've been wanting to make a bench for a long time to go with my big farmhouse table and this was my chance to make one for FREE.

I cut the futon boards to the size I needed. There were spaces between the boards on the original futon so I added boards into the spaces between the existing futon boards. 

Next I added a board to each of the sides.


Perfect length.... 6 feet long!


I bought cedar 4x4's for the legs.

The man in Home Depot was even nice enough to cut all 4 of them to the right size for me.

The legs are fitted into the corners and screwed in using long screws from the outside. 


It was just what I wanted!

I made black home-made chalk paint with 2 tsp. of unsanded grout.  

The grout made the paint much thicker, the bench only needed one coat and it filled in most of the the imperfections.


I gave the bench a quick sanding to distress it, then a coat of wax for protection.


I put anti-skid discs on the bottom of the legs so they wouldn't damage my floors.


The table is a very heavy, sturdy bench and it fits perfectly next to my table. 



It makes a much better bench then futon!

I added affiliate links so you can find the products I use to create my projects. Click on the bold links to find the products at no extra cost to you. 

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Homeroad
Homeroad

I am Susan, the author and creator at Homeroad. I am a wife, mother of 4 daughters, and a grandmother of 5 and counting. I am a retired teacher, a DIY blogger and an artist at heart. .

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Comments

  1. ANNEApril 9, 2012 at 9:20 PM

    Fantastic Susan! I love this & especially the black paint. It dresses the bench up perfectly!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Korrie@RedHenHomeApril 9, 2012 at 9:23 PM

    You are SO amazing! Great repurposing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Suzy-QApril 9, 2012 at 9:33 PM

    Where oh where did you get your table? By the way....I love the bench! What a great idea!

    ReplyDelete
  4. BlissApril 9, 2012 at 9:49 PM

    What a silly man. You send him a picture of your futon bench and I'll send my neighbor a photo of their old yellow dresser. But then we'd want to be flies on their walls so we could see their mouth's drop open.

    ~Bliss~

    ReplyDelete
  5. Shanon at Vintage Sparkle ChicApril 9, 2012 at 10:06 PM

    Great job! I love what you did to this, how perfect to turn an unwanted futon into a bench for your table. I love that you distressed it.

    ~Shanon

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownApril 9, 2012 at 11:16 PM

    LOVE THE BENCH, youd di a great job and i love that you used it at the table i've always wanted to do this but my table is round!

    ReplyDelete
  7. TriciaApril 9, 2012 at 11:39 PM

    Job well done...that turned out great! It looks so good with your table :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Kathy @ Creative Home ExpressionsApril 10, 2012 at 7:11 AM

    Great make over of that futon, Susan! You should have your neighbor over to see it now! LOL! He wouldn't believe it. Love it black and it works great at your table.

    ReplyDelete
  9. coastal femmeApril 10, 2012 at 10:14 AM

    Susan,

    I just love the bench. You looked at the old futon and saw the possibiliites it held. Most people can't do that...great job.

    ReplyDelete
  10. BarbaraApril 10, 2012 at 11:15 AM

    Such creativity! So glad I found your blog yesterday. Now I need to get busy doing something instead of looking at what everyone else is accomplishing!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Okio B DesignsApril 10, 2012 at 6:46 PM

    Love, love, love! I have my eye on a bench at Ikea but yours is much more fun!

    Jeanine

    ReplyDelete
  12. Cassie BustamanteApril 10, 2012 at 6:51 PM

    that is so perfect with your table- i really love those chunky legs! (how often do ya hear someone say that?)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Rosemary@villabarnesApril 10, 2012 at 7:36 PM

    Love it. Love the choice of black. It's a nice statement piece.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Comeca JonesApril 10, 2012 at 9:16 PM

    The bench looks great and the legs on the table are fabulous!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Vicki TownsendApril 14, 2012 at 9:40 AM

    Love this! I'm all about recycling. I pull things off the side of the road and people think your crazy! Wish they could see this!!!! Very could job!

    ReplyDelete
  16. AnonymousApril 14, 2012 at 2:57 PM

    Did you buy the paint or make it?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Tanis MarbleApril 14, 2012 at 2:57 PM

    Did you buy the paint or make it?

    ReplyDelete
  18. Randi~Dukes and DuchessesApril 20, 2012 at 7:33 PM

    That's beautiful ... and you're so talented and creative! I'm far behind on my blog reading and I'm scrolling through a pile of your posts with my mouth open ... your projects are so great!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Holly LefevreApril 22, 2012 at 3:09 AM

    This is awesome...I have always wanted farmhouse benches to go with my dining room table! This looks so cool!

    ReplyDelete
  20. AmberApril 29, 2012 at 12:55 PM

    Susan,
    I love so many of your ideas! I am definitely a new fan. Yhank you for sharing them with us :)
    amber

    ReplyDelete
  21. breida @ breidawithab.comMay 11, 2012 at 2:58 AM

    Hi Susan! A bench is the ext thing on my list (list of things to make from scratch, anyway). I just finished another project today- and I'm thinking I'm ready to tackle a bench - want it for my front porch. Your bench turned out great - I love how it looks with the rest of your table/chairs. Good work!
    -breida

    ReplyDelete
  22. BlissJanuary 9, 2013 at 9:48 PM

    If you knew how many times I said to my garage sale buddy last year, "I should buy that old futon", you would laugh. I would always see them when the car was full. Maybe this season.

    Bliss

    ReplyDelete
  23. Sandi @ The Primitive SkateFebruary 1, 2016 at 6:35 PM

    Love, Love, Love your bench Susan!
    You did an awesome job! Your so creative!

    Sandi

    ReplyDelete

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Susan