How to Make a Bench for the End of the Bed

The convenience of having a bench at the end of the bed is well worth the effort it takes to make one. You can easily make your own bench with a few basic tools and some recycled materials. There's no reason to start from scratch when you can likely find an old wooden coffee table or a garden bench that has seen better days and repurpose it as a bench at the end of your bed. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Find an old wooden coffee table at your local thrift shop or yard sale. You are looking for at least a 2-inch-thick top, but the condition is irrelevant; you will be refinishing the wood to suit your bedroom dcor. Buy four sturdy legs at your local home improvement store. You may also be able to salvage legs from some other unwanted piece of furniture. If you're using an old garden bench, you can use the legs already in place, as long as they're sturdy.

2

Remove the existing legs from your coffee table by removing the screws that attach them. Save the legs for a future project.

3

Sand the table top, first with medium sandpaper and then with light sandpaper to remove most of the sanding scratches. Remove any sanding debris with a damp cloth.

4

Attach the new legs to your end-of-the-bed bench with wood screws. Angle the screws in from the sides of the leg into the bottom of the bench. Make sure your screws are not so long that they pierce the top of the bench.

5

Attach the 2x4 wooden brace down the middle of the underside of your new bed bench. This will provide extra support. You can have the wood cut to length at your local home improvement store when you purchase it. The brace should run almost end to end of your bench.

6

Prime and paint or stain your bed bench to match the other decorations in your bedroom. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for the finishing product that you selected.

7

Add pillows or a cushion to make the bench more comfortable.