How to Build a Farmhouse Bench

We got started by purchasing the product needed for the benches. We tossed around the idea of making chairs, but went with benches since this is an outdoor table. (I am still thinking about making chairs…I am in the mood to build!)Make sure you have all of the supplies you will need: screwdriver, drill, 2″ and 2 1/2″ screws, Kreg Jig, sander, stain and finish. (If you are building, I am a firm believer in the Kreg. This is a product you WANT to have. Note: I don’t get paid to say that or have any sponsorship for this post, I am just a firm believer in this product!)

Following the plans, we began by making our fancy X support legs. As we did with the table, we created plugs with a drill bit to fill all of our pocket holes we made with the Kreg Jig.

We made two benches, so we had to make 6 of these legs.

Once you have all of your support legs finished and braces cut, it is time to start piecing this bench together! Things go a lot faster once you have the steps above finished.

After getting this step complete, the next step is creating the pocket holes with the Kreg for the seat of the bench.
Believe it or not, this step actually goes really fast.

Once you have your seat together, its time to sand, and sand, and sand, and sand!
I have arrows in the picture below explaining an issue we had with this build that is probably common. There were uneven spots when we sat on the bench, making one area rise up when you placed weight on the other end. This was because of the bowing of the wood we used for the seat, which in turn made the middle support leg uneven. We were able to correct the wood for the seat a ton by using the pocket holes from the Kreg, but we were unable to completely correct it. We tackled this problem by sanding the feet to make them all even again and the bench perfectly steady.
(Remember to always grab your protective eyewear before using any equipment. You only have two eyes!)

We also created plugs for the seat and every other area, just like we did for the table. We didn’t want screw holes showing, and we really like the look of one uniform piece.

After completing the benches, it was time to stain! Once again, I used 2 coats of the Minwax Dark Walnut, and also the Helmsman Spar Urethane. I LOVE these products from Minwax, and the stains they have to choose from are beautiful. I chose a dark stain for our table and benches, but I am looking forward to trying their different selections for future projects.

I will admit that staining these benches was harder than the table. There were a ton of little angles, nooks, and small spaces to have to get into. I did the benches in steps, and with dry time it took a couple of days.

The time it took was well worth it. We are now completely finished with our outdoor patio project, and are in love with our new table and benches.

I am looking forward to many meals with friends and family on our new table.

Now that we are finished, I am trying to decide on what my new big project should be….
(but don’t tell my husband!)