DIY Farmhouse Style Backyard Bench | Simple Tutorial
Today I’m showing you how I built this DIY Farmhouse Backyard Bench in under 20 minutes. If you are a beginner woodworker or are looking for an easy DIY project, this is the one for you!
This is such a simple tutorial and the wooden bench is solid and gorgeously rustic. While you could easily paint or stain your farmhouse style bench to use in your home, I opted to keep mine very basic for outdoor seating.
With only a few basic tools, some wood, and about 20 minutes, you can build your own backyard bench too! Let’s get started.
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Wood For Building Your Bench
When we did our mudroom laundry room makeover I removed some rustic wood we had used as shelving for our boots and miscellaneous stuff, and had stored it until deciding to use it for this project. Before then, the wood had previously been removed from a farmyard years ago where it was actually planks for a fence that needed some repairs.
I can find a way to salvage almost anything, especially old wood!
If you don’t have rustic old planks (make sure to check for old nails or screws, and be sure the wood is sturdy and not rotten), you can still build a bench and make it look weathered. Grab some 2×10 wood boards from your local hardware store and add gray stain to it. (I like this weathered wood accelerator.)
After a while in the sun, it will take on a weathered farmhouse look anyway!
DIY Farmhouse Backyard Bench Supplies
- 2×10 farmhouse wood planks (I had three planks, the longest was 45 inches)
- a circular saw
- a carpenters square
- a pencil
- a drill and drill bit (this is my favorite)
- Robertson bit
- deck screws (I used a range of #10 and #8 in 5-inch, 4-inch and 3-inch)
Cut Your Wood
Because my longest plank was 45 inches, I decided that would be the length of my farmhouse backyard bench. Using a square I marked out two 16 inch pieces on one plank of wood, these would be my bench legs.
I wanted my legs to be in a few inches on each end so I marked 6 inches from each end on the 45-inch bench top board. I cut the third plank to 33 inches to fit between the two legs.
Make sure to use a square and a pencil so that you draw a nice straight line before cutting your planks with a circular saw.
Just like any tool make sure you familiarize yourself with it first, and don’t be afraid to ask someone more experienced for a bit of guidance using it.
Or you can do like I do, and watch YouTube tutorials to learn how to do everything!
Assembling the DIY Backyard Bench
Once you’ve cut your pieces of wood, you’re almost done! Now you just assemble the pieces together to make your bench.
First, you need to lay the top plank of your board on a flat surface with the top side facing downward. It doesn’t matter too much which side is the “top” of the bench, but I just like to see if one side is prettier than the other. Check for knots, imperfections, or any spots you may not want shown on top.
Then place the legs so that the inside sides are on the 6-inch marks you marked earlier from each end of top plank.
Now place the 33-inch plank between the two legs.
I recommend pre-drilling your holes to prevent the wood from splitting when you attach your screws.
If you have an extra person around, have them hold the leg and center plank on the opposite of the bench while you pre-drill one leg to the center plank. Then screw that leg into place using a 5-inch deck screw.
If you don’t have anyone to help hold the legs (like I rarely do), you can either use a clamp or some other random thing to help hold your legs steady.
Repeat on the opposite side of the bench. I put one screw in each leg then flipped the bench over.
Attach the Seat of your Farmhouse Style Bench
Place the bench on a level flat area and pre-drill through the top into each leg. Use 5-inch deck screws to hold in place.
Repeat for the second leg.
Measure the center plank from the edge of the top bench plank to ensure you don’t miss while pre-drilling. Pre-drill three holes into the center plank through the top plank. Use 5-inch deck screws to secure.
Now back to the legs. Pre-drill once again and this time you can use shorter deck screws if you wish. I did so because I ran out of 5-inch screws.
In all honesty, I used a few 4-inch screws in there somewhere too. I keep those random screws and pieces of hardware that come with furniture – just to add a little extra sturdiness to this old wood!
Once you have another screw in each leg you have completed your DIY Farmhouse Backyard Bench. Give yourself a pat on the back and take a seat. You’ve earned it!
Related: 17 Fun DIY Pallet Projects | Cheap and Easy
Need more seating?
Do you have one of these old garden benches in need of a face lift? Why not give your old Cast Iron Bench a makeover? So easy to do and the results are amazing!
Enjoy your DIY Backyard Bench!
I hope you enjoyed making this DIY project with us today. I personally just absolutely love mine! All you need is 20 minutes and you can be enjoying your very own.
If you love farmhouse style be sure to check out our other tutorials like our Farmhouse Shutters and our DIY Raised Garden!
