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Monday, April 2, 2012

Twin Size - Headboard / Footboard Bench

Oy vey!!  I first started this post JANUARY 2nd!  Nothing like taking 3 full months to complete a post!!!  Gee-Ma-Nish! (Of course, I've been sick twice.  I've taken 2 or was it 3 trips, I've planted my Poinsettias outside, created a healthy Super Bowl Lunch, had a giveaway... ... ...)  I apologize in advance as there are a LOT of photos in this post.





My friends Jen and Jim (and their friend Tom) have spoiled me!!  Quite awhile back I purchased a headboard and footboard set for $12 to make into a bench. 


I then got busy with beading and didn't have time to get to it.  They then offered to "help"... their version of "helping" is doing it for me!!!  I dropped the set off in early December, told them I'd be back next week to help them do the work... by then it was nearly complete!  Now... that's a special set of friends!!  These are the same friends that made the Headboard Garden Bench.

Here's the twin sized headboard.

Preparing foot board to be sides of the bench:
Remove center dowel
Cut Footboard in half

Do you see that hump there circled in the red?  My wonderful set of friends decided that it would be in the way when you went to put your arm on the railing...

So they cut if off!!  :) 

Mark placement lines by aligning sides to back
It's hard to see in this picture but there are horizontal lines marking where to line up the boards.


Mark center for line for biscuit slot

Mark center of biscuit slot on center line of the cut in half footboard or "arm rest"


Double check center marks and alignment

Use biscuit saw to make biscuit slots


Check biscuit slot (this one had to be redone because slightly off center mark)

Glue in biscuits into slots of back of bench (headboard)

Attach sides to back of bench

Clamp Sides to bench and allow glue to dry

~

Back on January 28, 2012 I posted a picture of myself "Stylin'!"  I was busy sanding down the new bench...

Do you notice the front legs?  The feet of them are actually different because they were added on.  I purchased them from Home Depot and Jim attached them for me.  Doing this we were able to keep the spindles at the same level all the way around.



Up until now I was able to sit on the bench and sand.  (Yes, I'm a lazy sander.)  But when it came to the back of the bench I needed some weight to keep the bench from moving... so... I piled on my stockpile of cat litter.  (I have to buy it while it's on sale.)

Sorry for the shadow on this one... but it was getting to be evening time.

Jim and company put in extra supports.  My husband is a big guy and they wanted to be sure that he would feel secure in sitting on this bench.


Another look at the feet that were added on.


Nearly complete on sanding!  Yes!

~

While I was thinking about (Stalling...) what I wanted to do (paint or stain... and then which color of either of those options) I went ahead and created some words on my Silhouette.



The font is French Script MT

I used contact paper to cut it out so I could paint the words on.

I decided to stain the bench.  A friend of mine offered to let me use her can of stain. 
Thank you Linda!


After staining, I used the stencils I made above and painted on the words.
My timing to do this was not good, as I was getting ready to leave on one of my trips.  I was impatient, and in a hurry, and didn't do a good job. (sorry, no pictures)  I had to sand it down again and re-stain and put the words on again.  This time I made the font larger than I did for the stencil above.  I also decided to use vinyl instead.

Ugh... do you see the stain on the sidewalk?? :(

Here is the back with the vinyl on it.  
Doesn't that look nice?  Personally I *love* it!

(I'll tell you a little secret... but shhhh... Please don't tell anyone else ok? OK.  I grabbed the wrong vinyl.  :S  I tried and tried to rub it to adhere to the wood... it finally dawned on me that I used the iron-on t-shirt vinyl. DOH!  So... I went and got my iron and I ironed it onto the wood!  :)

Here in Southern Arizona the sun is intense and quickly ruins most anything.  So, to protect my new bench I covered it with UV protection



I have material to cover a cushion for it.
I just haven't found a cushion to cover (yet) so I've folded up the material so you'll get an idea as to what it will look like with the cushion on it.




EDIT:  Check here to see how I made the cushion!

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10 comments:

  1. I love your bench. I thought you made it. :0 lol

    it looks so nice and sturdy.
    too funny that you ironed the vinyl on. :) whatever works, right?
    gail

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  2. That is so pretty! Loved reading about the process and seeing the finished object!

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  3. This turned out so cute. Love the words on it...so fun! Would be delighted for you to share this with us at Mop It Up Mondays (going on all week): http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/2012/04/mop-it-up-mondays-10.html

    {HUGS},
    kristi

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  4. I love benches made from beds! The words looks very nice on the back and the bed you used is very pretty!

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  5. Oh my goodness! I wish we could go junking together ...you come up with the greatest ideas! Of course my husband gets tired of my junk and throws it out before I get the projects done! LOL! Especially if it is in his garage!

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  6. This is so neat. And you give fantastic instructions. Thank you for all the photos. The material you've chosen for the cushion is very pretty. It will probably look so comfortable when you finish. Wow, you are very ambitious!

    And thank you for visiting and commenting on my blog, that means a lot to me :)

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  7. It turned out really beautiful! And the iron on vinyl looks great! ;)

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