Garden Bench Makeover

Aaaahh, springtime! When I make the mighty list of outdoor projects that I may not ever complete! On this week’s DIY list is a Garden Bench Makeover. Last year I began creating a cottage garden that I can see from the sunroom window as I work at my desk. This year, we’ve added a veggie garden area with raised beds (a mother-daughter project with my oldest daughter.) And we need a place to sit and relax after working in the garden. So, it’s time a for a garden bench makeover!

This bench belonged to my mother. It has been out in the weather for quite some time, and needs some repair work. But trust me, I can make it pretty and useful on a budget, because that’s what I love to do!

Getting started

First, I began sanding the boards on the seat, back, armrests, and side tables with my orbital sander to remove the old redwood stain/finish, and to smooth out the wood. I couldn’t get to all the edges with the boards attached, and after closer inspection, I discovered that the metal frame needed some TLC. So, I began removing the boards.

Things went well as I removed the boards on the armrests, the little side tables, and the back. But the boards on the bottom seat area were another story! I’m pretty stubborn, but those rusted on nuts and bolts had me beat! I tried several tools, a good shot of WD-40, a hammer…and then I enlisted the help of Grampy, thinking maybe I just wasn’t strong enough to break them free.

However, even my strong, handsome hubby couldn’t loosen those old, rusty bolts! Finally, we accepted defeat and Grampy cut them off using the reciprocating saw with a blade that cuts metal. He had it done quick as a wink, and didn’t even damage the boards! I love him.

Then, I was able to lay the boards out on the workbench and sand away all the old stain and roughness. After seeing the boards, I decided that they wouldn’t really look very pretty stained, so I decided to paint them.

Time to paint!

I used a paint color called “Sand” (not a very creative name). I purchased the paint at our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. It was around $18 per gallon and it is thick and has great coverage.

I have many garden makeover projects planned using the Sand color paint, and a very pretty green also from the Habitat Store. It is called “Green.” I think they could really use some help naming their paint colors!

Our raised garden beds were the perfect spot to lay the painted boards out to dry. Don’t they look so much better?

My project was put on hold for a bit due to a few days of cold and rainy weather. When it cleared up, I added a second coat of paint to the boards and then got to work on the metal frame.

Fixing up the frame

There were a couple of rusty spots on the frame, so I sanded them down to remove the rust. In a couple of places, water had gotten inside the frame and frozen, splitting the square tubing that makes the frame. I chose to use an epoxy to fill the split and then sanded the area smooth. Not perfect, but it’s okay. It’s on the back at the bottom, so the fact that it’s slightly imperfect isn’t a worry for me.

I had a hard time deciding what color I wanted to paint the frame. I thought about painting it the pretty green color I’m using throughout the garden, but I was worried any little nick or imperfection would really show up. So I decided to go with a very forgiving paint technique.

I gave the frame a good cleaning and then lightly sanded it to remove any loose paint. After sanding, I wiped it down again to remove any dust.

The frame was originally black, which was helpful for my new paint technique. I’ve used this on doorknobs in the house to give sort of an oil-rubbed bronze look. I simply layer black acrylic paint and a metallic bronze acrylic paint until I get the look I’m going for. This time I added a little bit of copper paint to help tie it in with the little metal table I repainted. I just buy the little containers of paint at Wal-Mart.

After finishing the painting, I sprayed the frame with a sealer to protect it from the elements. I do plan to invest in a cover for the wintertime. This makeover was a lot of work, and I want to protect it!

Putting the bench back together…

Then it was time to reassemble the bench. I did have to purchase a few new nuts and bolts since we had to cut the ones on the seat of the bench to get the boards off. I painted the tops of the bolts to match the frame. An easy way to paint the tops of bolts is to poke them into a box.

Putting the bench all back together was very satisfying! I also applied a lubricant to the glider part of the bench, as it did not glide very smoothly before. I created a small patio area using rocks from around our yard. I used weed barrier fabric left from a previous project under the rocks.

Ta-daa! Isn’t she pretty now?

Here is the finished product, all repaired and with a whole new look, for just a little bit of money. This garden bench makeover has given me the perfect place to take a little break after working in the garden.

I estimated the total cost to be around $10.00-$15.00. I have tons of the Sand paint left over for other projects around the garden. The acrylic paint for the frame was $2.27 per bottle. I had some partial bottles left from previous projects. I think I used one full bottle of the black, and about a half bottle each of the copper and bronze. The bolts were just over $5.00. I had the sealer and epoxy on hand from other projects.

Let’s have a side-by-side comparison of the old bench and its pretty new look. I love it, and I think this makeover will give this little bench many more years of use in our garden!

I hope this garden bench makeover has inspired you to take a second look at things that may be old or kind of worn. Sometimes there is still a lot of good use left in things; they may just need a bit of sprucing up.

I have lots more DIY projects planned for our garden, and I’d love it if you’d follow along! You can find me on Facebook and Pinterest.

See you later!