In the midst of my crazy nesting spree, I recently decided that our entryway desperately needed a makeover.
Since we are on a budget, I didn’t want to splurge on unnecessary items, especially since Chris thought that an entryway makeover in and of itself was unnecessary — but don’t question a nesting pregnant woman!
I really wanted an entryway bench, but in order to save money, I knew I would have to build it myself. So at 8 months pregnant, that’s exactly what I did! This is a simple design and an easy build.
Supply List:
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- 1 – 2×12 at 8 ft. long – cut into 3 segments: (1) at 5 feet long; (2) at 18 inches long
- 1 – 1×4 cut to fit (approximately 57″ long)
- Kreg Jig or Kreg Jig Jr.
- Kreg Clamp
- Miter Saw (I used my RYOBI Sliding Compound Miter Saw) or circular saw
- 1″ Pocket screws
- 2″ Pocket Screws
- Cordless Drill
- Sander
- Wood Glue
- Paint or Stain (We used Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner followed by Minwax Special Walnut)
- Topcoat (We used Minwax Polycrylic in Semi-Gloss)
DIY Entryway Bench Tutorial
Step 1:
Cut your wood to the specified dimensions. My bench is 5 feet long and approximately 19 1/2 inches tall, which allows you to use an entire 2×12. The 1×4 will be the support beam underneath.
Step 2:
Sand your wood.
Step 3:
Drill pocket holes with the Kreg Jig to attach your wood. (Update: My new favorite Kreg Jig is the 520 PRO.)
I drilled two pocket holes in each side segment of the bench (the 18″ long pieces); and 2 pocket holes in the ends of my 1×4, along with 2 pocket holes along the length of the 1×4 so that I could attach it to the sides and from underneath the bench.
Step 4:
Using wood glue and pocket screws, attach your wood. First, use 2″ pocket screws to attach the sides to the top of the bench. (This is easiest if you work with the bench laying upside down.)
Step 5:
After your sides have been attached to your bench top (it’s still laying upside down at this point), center your 1×4 support board and attach it using wood glue and 1″ pocket screws. There will be a total of 6 pocket screws attaching this board to the bench: 2 inserted into each side, and 2 attaching it to the bench top.
Step 6:
Time to finish your bench! Paint it or use stain of your choice, and then enjoy!
We used Minwax Pre-Stain Conditioner followed by two coats of Minwax Special Walnut. We sealed it with Minwax Polycrylic in semi-gloss.
Here it is all finished in our entryway!
I’m so happy to have this project completed (on a budget!), and it was the perfect addition to our entryway.
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