Alright, let me tell you about this little project I got myself into. Had some pine timber lying around in the garage, leftovers from fixing the fence last fall. Good solid stuff, felt like a waste just letting it sit there gathering dust. The wife kept saying we needed more seating out on the deck, especially when the neighbors come over or we’re watching the kids shoot hoops down the driveway. You know how it is.
So, I got this idea. Why not build a simple bench? Nothing fancy, just something sturdy using that pine. And gotta have cushions, right? Nobody wants to sit on hard wood for too long, especially me. Comfort is key.
Getting Started – The Plan (Sort Of)
First thing, I measured the space we had. Didn’t want anything too massive. Just a basic two-seater. I sketched something out on a piece of scrap paper. Looked more like a kid’s drawing, honestly, but it gave me the dimensions. Four legs, a top, some bracing underneath. Simple.
Next up, the timber. Hauled those pine planks out. Had to check ’em for knots and splits. Some pieces were better than others, typical leftover situation. Picked the best ones for the top and legs. Took out my old circular saw. Made the cuts. Let me tell you, getting perfectly straight cuts with my setup isn’t always easy. Had to re-do one of the leg pieces ’cause it was wonky.
Putting it Together
Assembly was pretty straightforward. Used deck screws, nice long ones, to put the frame together. Lots of measuring again, making sure things were square. Nothing worse than a wobbly bench. Put the top boards on. Left tiny gaps between them, figured it might help with rain drainage, plus it looked okay.
Then came the part I really don’t enjoy: sanding. God, I hate sanding. But you gotta do it, right? Smoothed down all the edges, got rid of any potential splinters. Used an orbital sander, which helps, but it’s still dusty, boring work. Took a couple of hours, spread over an afternoon because my back started complaining.
I slapped on a couple of coats of clear varnish I had leftover too. Wanted to protect that pine from the weather a bit, even though it’ll live mostly under the porch roof. Let it dry properly for a day or two.
Now, the Cushions…
This was the tricky part. I’m no sewing expert. Not even close. I looked online for ready-made outdoor cushions that would fit. Found some, but they were either crazy expensive or the wrong size or just plain ugly.
So, plan B. Went down to the fabric store. Found some decent outdoor fabric, plain blue, nothing too wild. Also got some thick foam cut to size right there in the store, which saved me some hassle. My wife knows her way around a sewing machine, thankfully. I explained what I needed – basically two big boxy cushions. She took over that part. Said my job was done after the woodwork. Fair enough.
- Measured foam
- Cut fabric (her job)
- Sewed the covers (definitely her job)
- Stuffed the foam into the covers
She did a great job, gotta admit. Much better than I could have managed. They fit perfectly on the bench.
The Final Result
So now we’ve got this sturdy pine bench out back. Looks decent, does the job. The cushions make it comfortable enough to actually sit on for a while, watch the kids play basketball without getting a sore backside. It wasn’t anything groundbreaking, just using up some materials I had. Cost next to nothing apart from the foam and fabric. Feels good to make something useful with your own hands, even if it’s simple. Beats paying a fortune for something flimsy from a big store, anyway.