Easy to Make Garden Benches

A beautiful and fragrant garden is inviting to all visitors. Guests need a place to sit, so assembling a few simple garden benches can lead to hours of sipping tea and watching the sunset. You just need a bit of basic tool knowledge and some beautiful furniture wood.

Materials

When choosing the materials for garden benches, it is important to choose rot-resistant wood. Cypress is the best choice, but it's costly. Less expensive, rot-resistant woods are cedar, redwood and white oak. These woods will weather well without too much upkeep. Use galvanized nails and deck screws when assembling the bench. Any glues or stains should be for exterior use to protect the bench. Clear sealant is a great choice if the wood is particularly fine looking.

The basic bench

Simple, flat benches are fairly easy to build. The legs should be 16 to 17 inches tall. The seat adds another inch, providing a comfortable seat height. Adjust as necessary. Use four sturdy legs as a starting point. Four-by-fours are a good choice for legs. Use one-by-fours to build two rectangular frames. One becomes the seat, while the other serves as a brace for the bench. Secure the legs on the inside corners of the frames to create a basic bench. Add two or three supports to the top frame, made of one-by-fours. Add slats running the length of the bench for the top, back support. The series of slats can be easily nailed in place over the frame. Seal or paint as desired.