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:
- 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.
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Step 2:
Sand your wood.
Step 3:
Drill pocket holes with the Kreg Jig to attach your wood. 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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Thanks for visiting!
-Erin
I like the benches nice clean lines. I did a bench tutorial a couple months ago as well, I do love benches. 🙂
Thanks Pamela! I’ll have to check yours out too!
I love this! And even more impressive for being preggo! 🙂
Thank you Emily!
Love the bench! Where are those mirrors from?
Thank you! The mirrors are from Target.
Love this and it’s simplicity! Would this work as a dining table bench as well or would there need to be more support at the bottom?
Thanks Krissy! It should work fine for a dining table bench.
Beautiful! Did you make the board with the hooks or did you buy it?
Thanks, Holly! I made that too. Here’s a tutorial: https://www.erinspain.com/how-to-build-a-wall-mounted-coat-rack/
Thank you for such clear and straightforward instructions. I was looking for a bench to fit in a narrow entryway and everything that fit was so overpriced. We built the bench today and I’m so excited how it’s coming along.
Oh I’m so glad you found the tutorial helpful! And so happy that you built the bench. That made my day! Thanks so much for letting me know.
Hi there,
I absolutely love this bench. I need a narrow table for my foyer and I think that I can modify the height. Any suggestions for my table height?
Thank you,
Cathryn
This would be perfect for a foyer table! I have a console that’s about 30 inches tall and it’s a pretty good height for a piece like this. I’d love to see photos if you end up building it!
Hi Erin, what type of wood did you use? I’ll ask my husband to build one for our entryway. Thanks!
I just used basic pine boards from Home Depot. Those are the cheapest, but you could use whatever type you’d like!
HI Erin – Do you know the weight capacity of this bench? I want to build one that’s 70 inches long but am worried that the 1×4 support underneath will not be enough for the length. Any thoughts??
I’m sorry, I don’t. If you’re worried, you could always use a 2×4 or a 1×6 for support instead. This should provide more strength for you. Good luck!
Put a third leg in the center for support.
If the bench was longer, this would be necessary, but the support beam running underneath the seat provides plenty of support for a bench of this length. Thanks!
I meant the third leg for Anetia’s 70″ long bench. Sorry for the confusion.
Ohh! Yes, that would be a good idea to add the third leg for a bench that long, definitely!
I love this simple bench. I am planning one that will be made narrower and shorter for my daughter’s small efficiency apartment. It will also include two shelves in lieu of the center support for shoe storage. I love the Kreg jig! I have been looking at simple benches like this and can’t believe how much they are charging for these.
Thanks Sherri! I agree, these benches can be very pricey. Building your own is the way to go!
I would like to build some of these for my middle school dance classroom to be used as benches and/or floor desk. Put legs under while sitting on the floor and taking notes on top. I am curious with the 5 foot length do you think that would fit 3 or 4 middle school size kids? And do you think it would be secure enough if I made them longer to accomidat more students? Thanks so much
I think it would fit 3, probably not 4. Yes you could make it longer, but if you increase the length a lot then I would use a wider support beam underneath it. Good luck!