Last summer, my mom bought me a bench at a nearby auction she attended.
Cost: $5
Admire the stenciling, the faded, smelly fabric, and the boring white paint.
Of course I used it as-is for all of last summer. I plopped it right in the garage and used it as a 'beach bench'--a place to put our towels and beach bags in between trips.
Finally this spring I started the bench makeover.
First, I ripped everything off of it--the fabric, the stuffing, the old glue, the rusty springs.
It took a while, and there were staples and old nails aplenty that had to be pulled out with heavy duty tools--like pliers.
Next I sanded and painted the wooden frame. Two coats.
And then it sat on the patio for...2 1/2 months(?!) while I tried to figure out how to rebuild the seat and upholster a cushion or two. Finally one Sunday morning, I went into the garage, go out some plywood, some screws and a few power tools and started cutting, drilling and gluing. While my work is most certainly an embarrassment to woodworkers everywhere, it's fine for my patio. I painted the new parts and then let it sit again.
We had out of town company this past weekend. Just the motivation I needed to finally make the cushions and finish the bench. Again, not my finest work with the sewing machine, but it works for me.
Introducing, our new patio bench:
I love the colors, blue and green are my favorite--which is pretty evident once you walk around my house...
The bench is comfortable and people can sit on it without it falling apart (so far, so good). Because I bought outdoor foam cushions and outdoor fabric it cost a bit more than regular materials. I'd say my total cost was about $50.
And it makes me smile every time I come to the door.
Definitely worth it.
