You can make your own garden bench out of solid wood, pallet, cinder block or even concrete, which you will leave outside all year round. Discover in this article 8 ideas for original benches for your garden .
A garden bench made with fir planks
To make this garden bench and the 2 custom-made coffee tables that accompany it on this terrace (see cover photo), we used raw fir planks 20 cm wide. The structure of the seat has assembled rafters on which the cut fir planks have been screwed.
The seat cushions and the decorative cushions to dress the backrest are removed and put under cover every evening. This original bench can be left outside all year round. With its raw wood finish , it will naturally gray over time. But you can also paint it or stain it in a trendy color.
Make a pallet wood bench
2 pine pallets assembled on top of each other. One last half-pallet for the backrest and a little time, that’s all it took to make this unique garden bench !
For more comfort, the trick was to provide 4 large wheels under the structure. You can therefore move it very easily on your terrace.
You can also let your bench gray in palette or paint it in white, black or even colors. For the seat and back, choose soft cushions.
Same type of pallets used for this bench model , but 3 interesting tips are worth a look:
- We took advantage of the empty space under the pallets to make 4 storage drawers.
- The seat has been completely redone with fir planks for better comfort and a more elegant look.
- As this bench is installed against a wall under a terrace, the pallet backrest has been replaced by 3 large firm cushions, 2 white and one grey.
An original bench covered with mosaic
To make an original bench , the simplest ideas are sometimes the best! The proof with this creation. The metal structure was recovered from a garage sale, but the seat was missing . What does it matter! A formwork made it possible to manufacture it to measure in lightweight concrete .
Everything was then decorated with rectangular and square white mosaic tiles combined with 4 gray natural stone slabs with rounded edges.
This unique bench stays outside all year round and acquires a patina over time.
Make a bench with gabions
Gabions are in tune with the times in the garden! These metal cages filled with decorative pebbles can be used to make superb low walls around a terrace.
Diverted from their primary use, they are also used to make a personalized bench . To make the seat, we screwed on deck wood slats, simply painted brown. But why not add more fantasy with a blue, green, red or even pink stain?
Make a solid wood garden bench
For this simple garden bench , we used a thick old oak beam . 2 notches cut on the width of the seat allowed it to fit on the feet. For added strength, you can drive 2 large nails across.
This bench can be installed in a corner of the garden to rest or enjoy the song of birds.
Chestnut wood , Douglas fir or larch wood are other possible species for making this bench because they are naturally rot-proof.
Color, many colors!
The seat of this pretty wrought iron garden bench had completely grayed out so much that you didn’t even notice it anymore. To restore it, the choice to repaint it with multicolored stripes was a real good idea.
Perfectly integrated into its plant decor, this bench has now become a true work of art. We don’t even dare to sit there!
How to make an easy bench?
This is definitely the easiest idea to make your bench. No need for a complex manufacturing plan or spending many hours doing it!
An oak plank and 2 large rocks are enough to make a bench for a corner of your garden. You just have to choose stones with a flat face or flatten them artificially with a diamond disc mounted on a grinder. As we can see here, this bench blends perfectly into a plant decor, perhaps even too much for that matter?