Pine has been the material of choice for many of the projects we’ve been doing. It’s readily available, easy to cut, sand and finish and it’s economical when compared to other woods. For this reason, head off to your favorite lumber yard and find yourself the nicest 1” x 12” you can find for the back and sides of this project. By positioning the two legs properly, you only need a 5’ piece. You’ll also need a 4’ piece of 1” x 4” for the seat bottom.

Cut the two 20” 1 x 4s for the bottom and the 20” 1 x 12 for the back. After having visited your local photocopy shop to expand the leg/back support to full size, trace it twice on to the remaining 1” x 12” and cut.

Since you never know who is going to do something foolish (like stand on it) I prefer to screw this project together. Choose the screw size you like best. I happened to have lots of #6 x 1 1/4” so I drilled and countersunk the screws to allow the use of 3/8” flat head plugs.

Prior to assembly, sand all surfaces to remove any milling marks from the planing operation. I also removed the sharp edges all around. I just don’t like sharp edges because the finish never lasts long on them.

Assemble your bench as shown with the screws you chose and glue the plugs into place. After a final hand sanding and dust removal, you are ready to finish any way you wish. I stained and clear coated this one in preparation for our baseball theme wallpaper border. A good sealing coat is required for the paste to adhere properly. The beauty of wallpaper is that you can find almost any theme you wish at the local wallpaper shop.

Another short and simple project that makes a great gift for children, new parents or teddy bear collectors.