From Recycled Twin Bed.....To Sweet Little Bench in Shades of White

If you know me or have followed me at all, you know that I'm more "shabby" than "chic" and although I can appreciate the look of pretty cottage whites it's not something you see and say, "Oh, that looks like something Sherri did"!  Since I like to challenge myself, when I saw this little twin bed I decided it wanted to be shades of white.  It didn't hurt that I was mentally multi-tasking.  My niece is getting married and I'm in charge of "wedding decor".  With this in mind, and the fact that my niece is this tiny little thing and will be nesting a new home, I decide she would probably love this little bench with an upholstered seat and lots of vintage lace and cushy pillow; and who knows, if it doesn't sell, it could make a nice house-warming gift.  So, join me on this journey as I recycle a twin bed frame with my mind on a wedding!

Step 1:  Pull the old 70's maple twin bed out of storage, dust it off and cut the footboard exactly in half.

Step 2:  Sand everything.  It's easier to do it at this point than wait until the whole thing is assembled.  (No photo, but let's face it....it's a sanded bed...not that interesting).

Step 3:  Figure out where the sides will attach to the back and pre drill holes.  Okay, so I didn't get the best pictures of step three.  My brain was a little busy trying to figure out where exactly the footboard halves (my bench sides) were going to attach to the headboard (my bench back).  And then there's the table centerpieces for the wedding.  My niece likes vintage, shabby chic, eclectic, bird cages, nests, vintage stuff, lace, no flowers, and she doesn't really want them to match.  No worries, I've been collecting "stuff" for years knowing that it will come in handing one day; thank God!

Okay, back to the bench.  Here was my approach/thought process:  Keeping in mind that an average seat height is 18", I laid out the sides against the back to see where I might be able to make an attachment.  I made pencil marks where I would pre drill my "Kreg Jig" holes.  Then I trimmed the legs to where my seat would actually be about 18" high.

For more information about one of my favorite tools, the Kreg Jig, please refer to my post "I Built My First Piece Of New Furniture".  Here you'll see exactly how it works.

Step 4:  Attach the sides to the back of the bench.  First, I measure and draw a line on both legs of the back of the bench where the sides will attach.

Next, apply a little bit of wood glue to the edge of the side piece where it will attach to the back.  Then, I like to make a jig from two pieces of scrap wood.  One wider piece sits up against the side of the back leg.  The second smaller piece sits on top of the back leg just inside of the first scrap.  This will give me an offset where the side attaches to the back.  I'll use the same jig for the other side and that way my sides will be attached at the same place without having to use a tape measure.  I know this sounds complicated, so here's a closeup that might make more sense.

The square piece is the back leg, the piece on the far right is clamped to the outside of the leg, and the smaller piece sits on top of the leg and is clamped to the first piece.  That third piece of wood (light color) sticking up behind the clamp is the side that will attach to the back leg.  It's clamped to my scrap wood jig.

Once everything is clamped into place, I simply screw into my predrilled holes.

Makes sure to check all sides of the joint and wipe away any excess glue with a damp cloth.....one less thing to sand away later.

Living in an imperfect world, as we all do, #@&*$ happens.

When I attached the screw from the other side, a bit of my turned leg popped off.

This is not the end of the world.  Boo boos like this are pretty easy to fix.

A little wood glue and pressure with a craft stick (or recycled popsicle stick) puts the piece back in place.

A little blue painter's tape will hold it in place while it dries over night, or at least for a few hours.

Just make sure to leave this screw out while the little piece dries in place.  Tomorrow, I should be able to screw this back in with no problem, "knock on wood".

Step 5:  Patching and filling.  Being the perfectionist that I am, the unattractive gap between the turned leg and the flat piece of the side will not do!  That's a pretty big gap to fill.  This gives me a deja vu moment from our remodeling years--"nothing a gallon of caulk can't fill."  Sad, but true.  We have just finished my workshop remodel and, yes, I was in charge of all the caulking.  I remembered I still had a tube in the gun.  (Here's a tip:  when you have an unfinished tube of caulk, just back off the pressure and stick a nail in the open end of the tube to serve as a cap.)

You'll have to do this in several layers that need to dry overnight.  Add a little, smooth it out, let it dry; repeat.

Since I have to wait for this caulk to dry anyway, I decide to start patching and filling other holes that might show in my finished bench.

They make these little wood plugs for the holes made by a Kreg Jig.  I decide to use a couple in spots that might show.  You simply glue them in.  They do sit a little proud of the hole so you just sand them down until smooth.

For the lower holes that aren't going to show, I decided to see how the caulk would work for future reference.  I just squirt a little in the hole and then use the craft stick to sweep away the excess.  A putty knife would work as well, but why get that dirty when I have a craft stick handy from my earlier repair and I can just throw it away (oops! did I just say that!!!!)

Step 6:  While the caulk is drying, I decide to move forward.  Since I have the sides attached to the back, I now have my exact measurements and can make the frame for the seat.  I've used some scrap wood that I had in the shop.  I've measured, cut, glued and screwed the pieces together and to the back and sides.

Step 7:  I've decided that I want to upholster the seat of this bench rather than do a wood seat because I envision it being used indoors rather than out.  With this in mind, a cheap plywood would be my preferred choice, but I decide that rather than make a trip to the store, I'm going to use whatever I have in the shop.  This happens to be a "nice" piece of oak plywood left over from a previous project.

When working alone, I like to use horses and clamps to attach the plywood to the horses both at the point where my finished piece sits, and the fall-off piece sits.  That way, I don't have to worry about everything tumbling into a bad accident.

Using a very large "square" tool, I draw the seat on the plywood, make a cut, and move the clamps and horses accordingly.

Okay, so I forgot to take a picture but once the seat is cut, I used a jigsaw to cut the notches where the seat wraps around the legs.

Back to Step 5:  Now that the layers of caulk have "almost" filled in the gap...

...I decided to use wood filler for the remainder of the patch so that I can sand the fill to a nice smooth finish.

I know it looks pretty ugly when you're apply wood filler.  You're worried you made a mess of this project you've already worked so hard on.  But that's the beauty of wood filler versus caulk; caulk is like plastic and you can't sand it, but wood filler is easily sand-able and blend-able.

And now we can FINALLY move on to Step...what is it now...8?

Step 8:  Paint.  Through all that messy work, my mind is still on the wedding and I'm determined to challenge myself and do shades of white.

I grab the milk paint chart and decide to start with the buttermilk (far left yellow undertone), add a little oyster white (far right blue undertone)...and then see where it goes...

I love doing "antiqued" finishes because you can be sloppy and not really worry too much about coverage.

My handy little blow dryer speeds up the process and I decide to move on to a little crackling using Old Fashioned Milk Paint's Antique Crackle product.  Since I only want a little crackle here and there, I don't even bother dirtying a brush, I just use a paper shop towel and wipe it on where I want the crackle.

For my last paint coat, I've decided to use light cream (second from the left on the chart).  I also want to illustrate what happens when you don't mix milk paint to a silky smooth texture.

Note:  If this is your first visit to my blog, you might want to refer to previous posts for more information about working with milk paint.  Check out How To Build A Bench With A Barn Red Finish for another look at Old Fashioned Milk Paint products being used.





Milk paint comes in powder form that must be mixed with water.  Warm water works best because it helps the powder to dissolve.  I use an old plastic bowl and wire whisk.  It's sort of like mixing pancake batter.  If you don't mix it well enough there will be little clumps and the texture will be gritty.

One of the things I like about rustic distressed finishes is that they are very forgiving and there are many ways to achieve them.  That's also one of the things I like about milk paint, you can control the texture of the paint which will allow you to give your project more distressing and opportunity for character in the paint finish.

Step 9:  Finish Sand. Just use a fine sanding sponge over the whole bench after the last coat of paint and it will smooth out the finish and reveal some of the under-coats of paint.  I even like to sand all the way through to the wood on the edges and places that would naturally have more wear and tear.  Note:  It's important to use a very fine sandpaper or sanding sponge for the final sanding.   If you are going to use a darker antiquing for the final sealing process, every blemish will be highlighted including any marks left by sanding.

Step 10:  Final Sealing.  For those of you who love white, you could stop here and just seal the whole bench with Milk Paint's Clear Coat which will give you a permanent durable finish but will require drying time.   Or, you could use a paste wax like Fiddes Supreme in Light (which is actually clear), for a natural looking finish that is fast and doesn't require the drying time but may need to be re-applied in the future.  You know, I just can't help myself.  I'm struggling here because I love all the texture, crackling, and layers of paint and know that if I wax the bench with Fiddes Supreme in Rugger, all the character will be highlighted even more.  So, I decide to test a spot on the back of the bench.

I decide I like the "antiqued" look, big surprise!  It's a matter of preferring an ivory wedding dress to a stark white wedding dress.  I'm thinking of making an under-skirt for the bench out of an old lace tablecloth; sort of like how a bedskirt would look.

Step 11:  Upholstery.    I chose a soft natural twill to upholster the seat.  Check out my post, Upholstery 101, for detailed instructions on this type of upholstery job.

Well, at the end of the day, I kept the bench simple and decided not to add a lace skirt.

I was also a little concerned about having a bench with a white seat in the store.  I  picture little kids climbing all over it and getting the seat dirty before it has sold.

Step 12:  Accessorize.  Being the fabric junky that I am, I dug through my shelves of fabric and found some pretty reds that looked great with the antiqued white finish on the bench so I made a loose seat pad to protect the seat and a couple of pillows.

Now this looks like something you'd see and say, "That looks like something Sherri made!"   A pop of color and it has it's own individual personality.

Funny thing is, when I posted this photo on my Facebook page, the first comment was from my niece saying, "I love this!"  She had no idea I was thinking of her the entire time I was working on it.

Unfortunately for her, this cutie sold in one day; except for the pillows which are still available.  Guess I'll just have to build another bench for my niece....it could happen...



As for the wedding plans, while digging through all my old lace  to see if anything would work for the bench, I found this wide vintage lace and started building centerpieces in my head.

I knew I had some sweet vintage trinkets and small vintage books that would be pretty on a tray.  Then, I remembered this amazing photo my husband took for me while he was mowing the field.  He had come across  a quail's nest in the tall grass and when he uncovered it, the eggs were nested in the shape of a heart!  He came inside and grabbed his camera to take this photo for me; like I've said before, he's a treasure.  I keep the 8x10 color photo displayed with my nest collection so I just scanned it, shrunk it, and printed it in black and white.  I smudged the photo on a sepia ink stamp pad which gave it an "old photo" look and even warped the photo paper a bit to give it an authentic old look.  I used an antique gold leaf pen on the edges to make it pretty and I like the black photo corners so I'm thinking of sticking them to a slightly larger piece of card stock so that it looks like a mounted photo.

The whole thing sits on a wreath called a "nest wreath".  My niece loved this sample centerpiece so we're off and running with it.  One down, 17 more to go....

How To Build A Bench From A Bed With A Barn Red Finish...Say That Three Times Fast!

If you frequent vintage shops, you've probably seen great benches made from old beds using the headboard for the back and the footboard cut in half for the sides.  Here's a "How-To" on building a bench when you only have the headboard.

Collecting Materials:  

Once you've found an old headboard, you'll need a few other pieces.  Basically, you're going to build a box incorporating two front legs and attach it to the headboard. 

I found these old bed posts in my stash.  They will be perfect for legs because they have a flat surface to attach the side and front boards.  Don't be put off by all the holes, that's what wood filler's for.  

For the big slots, I cut some strips of wood, squirted in a little wood glue and then pounded the wood strips in with a wood mallet.  Don't use a hammer or you'll ding up the wood. 

 Once the glue dried I just used wood filler in all the holes and let it dry.  After it's sanded and painted you won't even know they were there.

 I've used reclaimed wood from old window frames for my sides.  Just remove all the nails and you're ready to go. 

Cut and Prep:

First, you'll want to look at the headboard and your choice of front legs to help determine the actual size of your bench.   I look at my front legs and determine which end will look best for the foot and where I can cut so that a flat part hits just where I need to attach my sides giving me an approximate 18" seat height.  (A standard height and depth of seat is about 18".)  Mine ended up to be about 19" high and 20" deep.  

When using reclaimed materials, every project is unique and may change the order in which you decide to measure and cut your parts.  I like to start with the "givens", like the headboard, the front legs, and the seat board(s).  The headboard length will determine the length of the bench.   I plan to mount the two short side boards in the middle of the flat part of the leg so I measure center to center of the headboard legs (a "given") minus the thickness of one side board to come up with the length of my front board.  I cut the back board the same length as the lower board of the headboard (another "given") and will attach it to the post from the inside. 

I've decided to use some left over tongue and groove siding for the seat.  To determine the seat depth, I put several board together locking the tongue and groove together to get close to the standard seat depth.  I find that four boards gets me to about 20" deep.

Realizing that the front board is going to mount to the center of the flat part of your front leg, cut the side pieces to a length that will allow the seat boards to either be flush, or just overhang the front board.  It's best to allow a little overhang to hide any potential imperfections.  

 Once all my pieces are cut, I use a Kreg Jig to pre-drill all my joinery holes.  A Kreg Jig allows you to drill pocket holes for a strong hidden joint.   Click "here" for specifics about using a Kreg Jig.












I like to pre-drill, sand and finish all the pieces before I assemble simply because I think it's easier to work on large flat surfaces.  Besides, it's such a reward when you get to the assembly step; it's like instant gratification.

Barn Red Finish:

I've decided to finish this bench in a seven step barn red finish using Old Fashioned Milk Paint and Fiddes Supreme Wax.  My goal is to have a rustic finish with a little crackle, and exposed layers of paint and wood.  I want this bench to have a lot of depth and interest and look like it's been around awhile.

Milk paint actually comes in a color called "Barn Red" which is a very deep dark red with a lot of brown in it.  This would be the shortcut if you don't want to tackle seven steps but I find it very one dimensional.  Depending on your decor and the look you are trying to achieve, this may be perfect for your project.

Step 1:  I want to have a little crackling in my finish so I use Antique Crackle from Old Fashioned Milk Paint.

I don't want to cover the whole thing in crackle because I don't think that looks as authentic; I want my aging to be subtle...like in real life:)  Just brush a little on here and there and let it dry.

Step 2:  If you're not familiar with milk paint, it comes in powder form in a sealed foil pouch inside a brown paper bag with instructions.  This pouch will yield one quart of paint.  I like working with milk paint for several reasons:  when I want an old finish it's perfect because it's old-fashioned paint, you mix only what you need so there's no waste, it's environmentally friendly, it cleans up with water, it dries fast, and it's texture makes it easy to wax right away as opposed to latex paint. 

The first color I'm using is Driftwood.  It's the color of aged wood.  Mix equal parts powder and water.  I use a plastic bowl, an old set of measuring spoons and a little measuring glass.  It's perfect because it has markings for tablespoons on it.  That way I can use the spoon for the powder and the glass for water getting an exact measurement.  Then, it's like mixing cake batter.  I find it easier if you use warm water because it helps the powder dissolve.  I use a wire whisk and just keep mixing until the powder is completely dissolved and the paint gets silky.  It starts out pretty grainy, just keep mixing.  You'll probably need to stir it occasionally while you're painting.  I find it easier to just mix a little at a time and make more as you need it.

 Since these first few steps will be my exposed under-layers, I don't need to cover everything.  Once the crackle dries, you'll be able to see where it is.  It will be a little darker and shinier than the unfinished wood.  I'm just going to hit those spots with the Driftwood paint so that I will have crackling in those areas.





Tip:  If you've never worked with crackle medium before, here's a tip.  The most important thing is to have enough paint on your brush to cover the whole spot in one stroke.  You cannot go back over that area a second time before the paint dries or you will remove the crackle.

The nice thing about working with milk paint is it dries so fast you can see the crackling immediately.

I set my boards on a table in the sun to dry and by the time I finished everything, they were dry and ready for the next step.

 Step 3:  More crackle.  Steps 1 & 2 give me areas of driftwood paint with natural wood crackles.  My final color is going to be Salem Red and I want some more crackling with Driftwood and natural wood crackles through the red paint so I add some more crackling medium here and there some over the driftwood and some over the natural wood.

One of the nice things about crackle after it's dried is that you can paint over it with another color and it will still crackle through.




Step 4:   I'm using Salem Red Milk Paint instead of Barn Red.   It's a brighter red and my final waxing step will darken it up and add in the brown.

I'm going to be painting everything red but want to make sure and get all the crackle parts first.  This way, they can be working their magic and I won't accidentally go over them more than once.



I can see the dried crackle medium on the Driftwood paint.  I have to hit this spot in one stroke.

The crackling happens pretty quick so I just need to fill in the rest with red.




 You can see that by the time I finish my last board everything else is dry and ready for the next step.

Step 5:  One of my favorite steps is sanding off after paint.  It's when all the character of the piece starts to come forward.  I sand all the edges and details to highlight them.  Then, I sand a little here and there on the flat parts where I want to expose the under colors and natural wood being careful not to sand off the crackle.

 You can see it doesn't take much.  This step is really pretty quick.  You can do this by hand or with a sander.  Just keep in mind that the wax will highlight every imperfection so if your sander is skipping or making obvious sanding marks because you're using too coarse a grit, that will show up in the waxing.

 Step 6:  Using Fiddes Supreme Wax in Rugger Brown, I wax all the parts.  Be sure to wear gloves and work in a well ventilated area on a protected surface.

Using a chip brush apply a small amount of wax and immediately wipe off the excess with a rag.

I work in very small sections so that I can remove the excess wax before it starts to dry.  Once it starts to dry it's much harder to wipe and you really have to get it all off or it will be tacky when you try to buff it.  

Here you can see the difference between the waxed and unwaxed leg.

Step 7:  Now you just have to buff all the pieces to your desired sheen.  I use a pine brush attached to my drill.  (I don't have a photo here but you can see this in a previous post by clicking "here" and going to Step 8 in that post).

The leg on the left has been buffed and then wiped with a clean cloth.  The one on the right doesn't shine and would feel a little tacky to the touch.

Once everything is buffed and wiped we're ready to assemble.

You can see all the gorgeous detail and crackle, a little driftwood showing through as well as the natural wood. Perfect!

 Assembly:

I'm going to start assembly by attaching the front board to the two front legs.  I want the board positioned in the middle of the flat part of the leg, so I like to use another piece of wood set under the piece I'm attaching to give myself a nice firm base.   I use this trick so that my positioning is consistent on both sides.  I do have to measure from the top edge of the board to the foot so that I get my height right on both sides for a level bench.  Then, just screw into the leg through the pocket holes.

Next, I'm going to attach the shorter side boards to the back of the front legs.

Trick:  Here's a little trick I like to use to get my positioning consistent on both sides.  First, I clamp a piece of wood to the leg on the outside.














This will give me a firm base to butt a second piece of wood against on top of my leg.

Here, you can see a little better how those two boards help me line up the side piece.  It makes it much easier for me to get the correct positioning to attach the side board to the leg.  Do this on both sides and everything should be squared up, even, and level.

Tip:  Since I have three pocket holes, I screw in the center hole then double check my measurement.   If anything has slipped, I can just take out that screw and reposition.  Then, use one of the other holes until I get it right.  At that point,  I just go back and screw in the other two.  With three screws in each board I have a really strong joint.

Once I have the three boards attached to the front legs, I attach the back board to the headboard making sure I have the top of the board at the same height as the other three.  I decided that since my bench was so long I should beef up the seat with a couple more pieces of wood.  I cut them to fit and just sand and wax them since they will be hidden under the seat.



I dry fit the seat boards before installing them because I need to notch them around the legs.  Measure the size of the notch and draw it on the board.  Then, using a jigsaw, cut out the notch.

This board already had a little notch in it; ignore that because it has nothing to do with this bench.  I cut on the line that is drawn.  I like to cut it a little inside the line and then sand it to exactly where it needs to be.  This way you get a perfect fit instead of it being a little loose and the sanding cleans up the cut.  I did add a little wax to the fresh cut just so I wouldn't have a "shiner".

Starting with the back board, screw it from underneath through the predrilled pocket holes.  Add the next board locking in the tongue and groove and screw it down.  Do this until all the boards are installed.

And there you have it; a nice sturdy bench.  It could go anywhere, but since it's a headboard wouldn't it be great at the foot of a bed?  Add a cushion and pillows and give it a little of your own personality.

This bench measures approximately 57 1/2" long x 22 1/2" deep x 36" high.  The seat measures 56 1/4" long x 20" deep x 19" high.

This bench is for sale and can be seen in person at Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery.  I have a small retail space at Pomar where you can purchase my handmade items seven days a week.  Click on the link for directions and hours.

If you have any questions about this post, feel free to use the comments box provided or click here to send me a message on Facebook.

I've shared this post on The Brambleberry Cottage's Time Travel Thursday Link Party.  Check it out if you'd like to see many wonderful creative ideas.  Happy Fall!