DIY Bench For Kids Using Footboards

Hi friends!

Today I am super excited to be part of our monthly Thrift Store Challenge because I bring something I had a lot of fun doing!

Before I go into all the details let me remind you about this challenge, I teamed up with some other talented ladies to show you what we all do with stuff we get from a thrift store, flea market or even curb finds. This last is almost always my case, like the outdoor bar made from shutters or the boho style chairs.

The Rules:

• Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.
• There’s no monthly theme.
• There’s no budget to stick to.

Meet the Hosts

Angela | Simply Beautiful By Angela – Gail | Purple Hues and Me – Pili | My Sweet Things – Beverly |Across the Blvd – Molly | Just a Little Creativity – Michelle | Michelle Jame Designs – Angie | Grandma Creates – Jenny | Cookies Coffee and Crafts – Amanda | Domestically Creative – Marie | DIY Adulation 

And now for more thrifty goodness!

One day a friend sent me a message saying that she had seen next to the bins two wooden headboards and she offered to take them for me. Isn’t that lovely?

So she took the two headboards home and some days later I went to pick them up. To my surprise they weren’t headboards but footboards, although that didn’t stop me to upcycle them into a bench which was my original plan.

It was going to be a smaller bench and I had to change some plans I have, like doing only one instead of two benches, and using one of the footboards as the sides of the bench.

How to make a DIY bench for kids using footboards

I will list all the materials you will need in case you want to try to make your own version of a DIY bench for kids. These are affiliate links for your convenience and you can find the full disclosure here.

• Footboard
• Table saw or circular saw
• Kreg Jig
• Drill
• DIY chalk paint
• Wood filler
• Wood slats
• Paint sprayer (optional)

For that I needed to chop it in half. I used my table saw to do it but with that kind of footboard a miter saw or even a jigsaw would work.

I also sanded a bit the shape of the part I chopped because I wanted it to be as flat as possible when added to the main footboard.

I removed all the hardware it had and used some dowels first to fill the holes. I have to admit I have a serious patiente problem and waiting for that huge amount of wood filler to dry is too much for me.

I cut the dowels with a little hand saw.

This way it only requiered a smaller amount and it dried faster.

Hubby helped me to add a little slat that would support the seat. I glued it and he added some screws.

I also added the front apron using my Kreg Jig, and attached the sides with pocket holes as well.

I found a piece of particle board that would work great for the seat and cut it to size. It just needed to fill in the holes it had.

After filling in and sanding all the little things it had it was time to paint it.

Does it happen to you that sometimes you have a clear idea of what you want and sometimes you don’t?

This time was the second option. I knew I wanted it to have a light color but it would be too boring…

When that happens I just paint it plain. That helps me to visualize it with its new color and then normally the ideas pop.

You can use a brush but do you remember I told you about my paciente issue? No way I was going to paint ALL those spindles with a brush, and I took my beloved HomeRight Paint Sprayer to work.

So when I finished and saw it all pretty I decided to only add a gray star. For me sometimes less is more.

I used an off-white color I made with my DIY chalk paint recipe.

My little daughter wanted to try it and it was the perfect size for her. She was my model too because my plan was to sell it.

I think I did a great job filling all the holes 😉

I love finding free stuff that can be transformed into something useful, like this DIY bench for kids.

It would be great for a kid’s room.

It’s not too big but it has enough space for two kids sitting together. Even three if they squeeze!

And I think the star is the perfect addition to it.

It sold really fast and I’m so glad they will enjoy it! I am planning my next project, and of course it will involve to rescue some trash and turn it into something nice we can use again.

If you liked it don’t forget to share it with others. Sharing is caring!

Thanks for stopping by!