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    Home » Repurposed Furniture » Child Bench made from Reclaimed Bed

    Child Bench made from Reclaimed Bed

    Published by Gail | Published August 7, 2018 | Updated April 9, 2019
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    I’ve had this child bench done for a couple of months. It’s a fairly simple toddler sized bench made out of a reclaimed bed. It’s actually the foot board of a bed. Because the bed posts sit closer to the ground, it was perfect for using to make a small bench for a child. A grownup could also use the small wooden bench to display large dolls.

     

    pink child bench made from reclaimed bed MyRepurposedLife

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    How to make a Child Bench

    reclaimed bed into child benchYou can see that the foot board is a full sized bed.

    How to make a bench video


     

     

    *this post contains affiliate links, read more here*

    Cut bed apart to make back and sides

    cut headboard using small circular sawTo make a small child’s bench, the first step is to get the correct depth of the seat. A seat that is 10-12 inches is a good size for toddlers and small children. The key is to measure from the inside of the bed post. I measured and marked the foot board and used a small circular saw to separate the foot board into three pieces.

     

    use a jigsaw to cut bed apartA jigsaw would also work well for cutting the bed apart.

    reclaimed bed into child benchNow that the full sized foot board is cut apart, it’s time to attach the back of the bed to each side.

    Attach sides to back of child bench

    use wood glue and screws to attach bench side to backThe width of the board was marked, and holes were pre-drilled. I love Gorilla Wood Glue for my repurposed furniture projects.

     

    start wood screws on reclaimed bed child benchStarting the wood screws  in the pre-drilled holes will make attaching the side to the back easier.

     

    attach bench side to the back with wood screwsHere is a close-up of the toddler bench construction.

     

    time to add legs to toddler doll benchI rested the toddler bench up against the diy picket fence to get a feel for what kind of legs to add on the back.

    Attach back legs to small wooden bench

    back legs for doll benchBecause I didn’t have any spare bed parts, I opted for 2x3 boards for the back legs. I used these boards for the Pallet Bar Table and had these small pieces left over. They were perfect for the petite wooden bench.

     

    adjust legs for petite wooden benchTo make sure everything was level, I used quick clamps to hold the 2x3’s to mark the proper placement. I wanted the seat to rest on top of the 2x3 back legs.

     

    wood screws secure back legs for wooden benchThe back legs were secured with wood screws and wood glue. Countersinking the screws makes a cleaner looking project-although I sort of changed things up down the line on this small wooden bench.

    Add seat to small bench

    rip table leaf on table saw for proper depth of toddler bench seatMy daughter Jamie gave me this table leaf—it was nearly perfect for the seat on this small child’s bench. I needed to rip it slightly on the table saw and then cut it to length with the compound miter saw.

     

    add small cleats to hold toddler bench seat

    From the underneath side, you can see I made small cleats for the seat to rest upon.

     

    scrap pieces thin plywoodI cut two scrap pieces of thin plywood on the miter saw. . . .

     

    too many screws. . . to cover up each side of the small bench. There were too many screws and holes to patch.

     

    wood glue and nail gunI used wood glue and my nail gun to attach the thin pieces of plywood.

     

    thin plywood covers screw holes on small child benchFilling a couple of brad nail holes is a lot better than trying to disguise all those screw holes. I did have to use quite a bit of putty to fill those bracket slots on the reclaimed bed posts.

     

    small toddler or doll benchAs I was looking at this small wooden bench, particularly the seat, I wasn’t happy with how it looked.

    Patch and paint child bench

    time to paint small child's benchBut, I didn’t know what to do, so I got ready to paint the child bench. You can see I have patched all the holes and slots in the bed posts

     

    pink diy chalky paint primerI did a lot of customizing on the paint. The pink I had was too bright, so I softened it with a little bit of white paint. Then I used plaster of paris to mix up my infamous DIY chalky paint primer. I used a mesh paint strainer to make sure there were no clumps in the paint before putting it in the Super Finish Max Extra paint cup. You can tell I love my cheap chip brushes, look how well worn it is!

     

    paint underside of child bench first You may recall that I prefer to paint the underside of my projects first. To make things easier on my back I rested the wooden bench on my easy diy sawhorses.

     

    small pink wooden child benchI’m still not wild about the color, or the front of the seat. But I love how easy this was to paint with my Homeright Paint Sprayer!

     

    small pink wooden bench for toddlers or dollsIt’s cute, but too PINK! Smile

    add trim to small bench seatI finally decided what to do about the front of the seat. It really needed some sort of distraction to seeing under the seat. I used a small piece of molding, painting it pink to match the wooden bench.

     

    Glaze pink toddler bench

    pink and glazed small wooden child bench for toddlers or dolls

    What is my answer to paint issues? My favorite Smoked Glaze technique! See more glazed projects here.

     

    Finally, I’m calling the small wooden bench d.o.n.e. and I love it! Isn’t the bench perfect for a small child and her dolls? The chalkboard is a thrift store frame turned into a chalkboard with a transfer from  The Junky Chalker shop. It took me all of 2 minutes to apply the chalk paste and clean up the screen print transfer. Read more about how much I love in my post Chalk Paste is the New Vinyl.

     

    pink toddler bench made from reclaimed bed MyRepurposedLife

    I would appreciate you pinning this to your favorite Pinterest board!

    I think this small bench would also be perfect for a photographer's prop when taking photographs of small children.

    See more bench projects here, and more kid’s furniture projects here.

    thanks for stopping by!

    gail

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    1. Carol G

      August 10, 2018 at 12:21 pm

      I love reading your blog and how creative you are. The toddler bench caught my eye, as I make that bunny you had sitting on the bench. I usually make them as baby gifts. One year I made a bride and groom for a friend.

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        August 13, 2018 at 3:07 pm

        I love those little bunnies Carol. My sister made that one for my daughter when she was very young.

        I bet the bride and groom are sweet!
        gail

    2. Bonnie Hipps

      August 08, 2018 at 9:10 pm

      Love this Gail, I agree the pink was to pink but, that glaze calmed it down to a beautiful color. Can you make a grown up bench like this out of a twin bed. I don't have a kreg so was trying to figure out how to do it without one. As always love your projects!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        August 09, 2018 at 8:34 pm

        YES Bonnie! You can use this method to make a larger version. In the early day, this is how I made all my benches before I had a Kreg Jig. I used a super long drill bit to drill through the bed posts.

        Check out all the headboard benches here: https://www.myrepurposedlife.com/25-benches-headboards-more/ The older models are done without the jig.

        gail
        ps I'm here if you have any specific questions

    3. Rodney

      August 08, 2018 at 5:02 am

      Love the way you vision your project Gail,mostly how you explain the how to’s.Keep up the great work,looking forward to the next project✌️

      Reply
    4. girlfromwva

      August 07, 2018 at 8:40 pm

      so wonderful! love the glaze.

      Reply
    5. Julie@followyourheartwoodworking

      August 07, 2018 at 5:25 pm

      Great project, Gail!

      Reply
    6. Jennie

      August 07, 2018 at 8:55 am

      Ooo, this is darling. I love how you covered all the screws. I’d have been wood putting for hours. That would be so cute in a little girls room. I think I have a bed similar to that in storage, but the grand toddler would just climb on it. Everything including me is a jungle gym.

      Reply
    7. Anne

      August 07, 2018 at 8:03 am

      Thanks Gail! I've got a queen sized headboard like this and was wondering how to go about using it for a bench. This is perfect. Have a great week!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        August 07, 2018 at 10:17 am

        How fun Anne! It's great to hear from you.

        good luck with your project.

        gail

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    Hi, there! I’m Gail Wilson, the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. I’m obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believe that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again—myself included! I hope you’ll enjoy the journey and pick up a few tools along the way… literally!

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