Antique Headboard Bench

Scroll down to see a quick tutorial on how I turned this discarded headboard into a beautiful entryway bench!

Before

After!

Step 1

Figure out how you want your Bench to look. I decided I wanted a bottom shelf to hold baskets or crates, so I went a little higher on the bench seat than I normally would. I also had to make sure the seat of the bench would slide under the trim (above the frame in the picture) I choose to splurge and buy turned legs instead of just plain 2x4 legs.

Build your frame and attach to headboard. Make sure you are using a level to ensure proper and safe building. This was hard because I kept the casters on the heardboard and it was rolling around during the frame build. Plug up your screw holes with wood putty and sand the entire base smooth. I sanded the headboard as well with 220 grit sandpaper to get the years of yuck off of it.

Step 2

You can hand paint or use a sprayer for this step. I have a Wagner sprayer, which works fine, but will sometimes leave a splotchy finish, just make sure your adjustments on the spray gun are set for the type of paint you are using. We used Kiltz primer, and then Valspar outdoor paint. The man in the picture is George, who used to be my Staff Sergeant in the Marines, but is now my stepfather after introducing him to my mother...who is also now called "Pop Pop" by my kids.

Step 3

While your paint is drying (outside or away from workshop), you will cut and measure your seat and bottom shelf boards to the width of the frame. Make sure to sand your boards in two stages. First use 120 grit paper to sand off the rough cuts of the wood. Then go back over with 220 grit to get a smooth surface. This will help with an even stain finish. The picture to the left shows you the difference between a finished sanded board and its condition before hand. Choose your stain and top coat finish and apply after sanding and cleanup. Dust will happen, its hard to avoid when it floats freely in the air. Do the best you can with cleaning the boards to avoid a bumpy finish.

Step 5

At this point, the worst of the hard work is over. It was almost 100 degrees outside that day, which means it was hotter in the workshop. I went fast and only got a picture of attaching the batting to the headboard. You can see where I shaped and attached the batting with my upholstery gun. Do the exact same thing with your top fabric. Then find some pretty trim to cover your staples, and glue that down.

Step 4

While your paint and stain is drying for the bench, get your fabrics and design in order. I picked up the arrow wood art from Hobby Lobby, and the fabric is scrap from other projects. **Never throw anything away**

I ended up not using that tray in the back, but considered it due to all the fun patterns. Here, I made pillows and a runner, and picked the fabric I wanted on the back of the headboard.

Step 6

The final step of this build is attaching the seat and bottom shelf. In the support beams in the frame, I pre-drilled some holes and drilled up from under the seat and shelf and secured with screws. Screw length is determined on what the thickness of your boards and support beams will be.

Finished!

This quick tutorial made this seem like a piece of cake...not so much. There was about 10+ hours of work put into this. The best part of these projects is the final picture with it all decorated. I bought some crates at ROSS and added my pillows, artwork and runner.

Probably not the best description, but this is sexy!