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    Home » Repurposed Furniture » Headboard | Bed Parts | Cribs » Spool Bed Bench Video Tutorial

    Spool Bed Bench Video Tutorial

    Published by Gail | Published March 30, 2020 | Updated March 31, 2020
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    How to make a headboard bench out of a Jenny Lind bed using five basic power tools you may already have. Step by step directions will guide you through this weekend project. #MyRepurposedLife #5toolchallenge #repurposed #furniture #headboard #bench  via @repurposedlife

    Today’s Spool Bed Bench project is part of this month’s DIY Five Tool Challenge. Yep, make something using a drill, sander, miter saw, jigsaw, and a nail gun. I was definitely up for THIS challenge, so why not show you how to make a headboard bench out of a jenny lind bed. Most of you probably know I’m very well known for building benches out of headboards. Headboard benches were the first thing I started making way back in 2009, and they are still one of my favorite projects to make. Would you believe I've had this bed since August of 2012? You can see it in my post Recent Finds | Slim Pickins.

    Spool Bed Bench Video Tutorial

    Please save and share on Pinterest

    Antique Spool Bed | Jenny Lind

    antique spool bed

    I’ve had this headboard and foot board in my stash for several years now.

    2020-03-01 12.36.12

    I paid $10 for it. It’s in decent shape except for one of the bed posts you’ll see later.

    Assess your Foot Board | Armrests

    cut headboard down for armrests The first step to making a bench out of a bed is to decide on the front legs. If you’re using the foot board of a twin bed, you can cut it in half. I’ve seen people cut a full size in half, but in my opinion I think that makes it too deep for a bench. I prefer to make the depth of my seats anywhere from 17-19 inches. So, I’ll be using the left and right side, cutting the middle out of the foot board.

    *this post contains affiliate links, read more here*

    cut spool headboard with jigsaw

    Using a jigsaw for cutting the pieces that will become the sides (armrests) is a quick and easy job.

     

    first armrest cut

    This is the first armrest cut.

     

    trim foot board on miter saw

    It may be best to cut the sides a little long, as you may need to square them up with the miter saw. Winking smile

     

    shortened foot board to make a bench

    See? now the sides are even and square.

     

    middle of cut up headboard

    This is the piece that was left over. What would you do with it?

    Attach Armrests to Spool Bed Bench

    kreg jig

    I set the Kreg Jig for the thickness of the bed. I would be using 1 ¼ inch pocket hole screws. BUT, you’ll see that something went wrong along the way.

     

    long pocket hole screws

    Do you see it? I had the Jig set at a different length from a previous project. The three pocket holes that are high, were drilled wrong. But, it’s all going to work out. I used the proper screws for the two holes and I added a 2.5 “ pocket hole screw for that middle one. This spool bed bench is going to be solid!

     

    spool bed bench progress

    You can see I laid the bed bench on my table to install the sides. The placement is determined by measuring from the back leg, up to the side brace.

     

    how to build a spool bed bench

    Can you see it all coming together now? It’s going to be awesome!

     

    secure top of armrest to back of bed bench

    In order to secure the top of the armrest, I drill a pilot hole .

    Soaped Up Screws Drive Easier

    soap screws

    My mom taught me this trick years ago—use bar soap to make it easier to drive really long screws. I chose to countersink them slightly so they can be patched and become invisible.

     

    Add Front and Back Supports to Headboard Bench

    add front brace to spool bench

    It’s time to add the front brace to the spool bed bench. The measurement is derived from the width in the back. Because I don’t have a clamp long enough, I join two clamps together while I secure the board with pocket hole screws.

    This is the messed up bed post I mentioned earlier.

     

    add brace to back of bench to support seat

    After patching all the holes and sanding them, I get busy adding a back support for the seat.

    How to Repair Damaged Bed Post

    repair damaged bed post

    Although the damaged bed post was on the back side of the bed, I chose to whittle away the bad piece and patch it. I used the orbital sander to soften the profile to better match the original post.

     

    step by step repair bed post

    1. Remove bad parts of bed post and sand smooth
    2. Use scrap wood for patching
    3. Cut wood to size
    4. Apply wood glue
    5. Secure wood to post
    6. Fasten with nail gun
    7. Mix patch of sawdust and wood glue
    8. Patch seams of scrap wood
    9. Sand new profile of bed post

    Headboard Bench Needs a Seat

    cut boards for seat

    I’m using 1x4’s for the seat. I always begin by cutting off the rough saw mill edge.

     

    heaboard bench seat

    All the boards are cut for the spool bench seat.

     

    sand cut edges of boards

    I like to use a sanding sponge to remove all the rough edges of the boards I cut. Removing all the stickers is a good idea too!

     

    mark notches

    I begin by marking the notches around the bedposts of the spool bed.

     

    ccut notches with jigsaw

    Cut the notches for the bedposts with a jigsaw.

     

    attach bench seat boards with wood glue and nail gun

    The seat is attached with gorilla wood glue and a nail gun.

     

    how to attach headboard bench seat

    In this photo you will see I used my Kreg Multi-tool for the overhang on the front, and a metal yard stick to space the boards slightly as I worked my way across.

    wipe away wood glue with a baby wipe

    Because some of the glue oozed out, I grabbed a baby wipe to clean it up before it dried.

     

    patch and sand boards

    Patch nail holes and sand the seat of the spool bed bench with an orbital sander. The Jenny Lind headboard bench is complete using the FIVE power tools listed in the challenge.

    Five Power Tool Challenge

    • Drill
    • Sander
    • Miter Saw
    • Jigsaw
    • Nail Gun

    So, now you know that you don’t need a complete arsenal of power tools to make an awesome project. In fact, if you check out all the projects from my friends at the bottom of this post you will see any other projects you can make with minimal tools!

    Paint Spool Bed Bench with Paint Sprayer

    white chalky paint primer

    No surprise, I mixed up some chalky paint primer to paint the Jenny Lind Headboard Bench.

     

     

    paint spool bed bench with paint sprayer

    Can you imagine painting all those spindles by hand? That’s not gonna happen around here. I used my Super Finish Max paint sprayer, starting on the underneath side.

     

    turn bench on end to paint

    Think outside the box, even when it comes to painting. By standing the headboard bench on end made painting all of the underside very easy.

    I prefer to paint a couple of coats of the chalky paint with Plaster of Paris, then finish it off with the original paint without the POP. This is Behr paint, white semi-gloss, which gave it a flat finish initially, but without the POP, it has a very nice protective sheen.

    Jenny Lind Spool Bed Bench

    spool bed bench diy MyRepurposedLife

    The spool bed bench is very similar to one of the very first benches I made. However, on the original bench my friend Cathy and I raised the seat. You may want to check it out if you have a bed that might sit too low. We painted that bench white as well. I guess that’s why I chose white for this new spool bed bench.

    spool bench bed before after MyRepurposedLife

    I’m so, so happy with how this bench turned out. I seriously could make headboard benches every week. Because headboards are so different, there are always new challenges to tackle. Remember, this spool bed bench was made with just FIVE power tools. You don’t need a fancy workshop to keep busy with fun repurposed furniture projects. As you can see by the images in this tutorial, I work outside in my driveway. No fancy shop with a dust collection necessary. Smile

    Please Save & Share this project before you hop over to see the other awesome 5 Tool Challenge projects below!

    gail

    Save & Share this Image on Pinterest

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    5 Tool Challenge DIY Ladder Golf Game Addicted 2 DIY

    DIY Simple Side Table Jaime Costiglio

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    How To Build a Rustic Wooden Bench At Charlotte's House

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    1. Kim Holloway

      September 07, 2020 at 12:54 pm

      Do you have printable instructions? It is very difficult to follow this on the phone with all the ads in the way. And if you accidentally touch an ad it takes you to a different website. The you have to go back and find your place again. Its really frustrating. I would love to make a bench like this. I already have the bed frame.

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        September 07, 2020 at 6:31 pm

        No, I'm sorry I don't have printable instructions for this project. Did you watch the video? It's on YouTube and in my Facebook Group (My Repurposed Life and Friends)
        There shouldn't be any ads on the video.

        gail

    2. Chloe Crabtree

      April 02, 2020 at 9:52 pm

      This is brilliant! You are certainly handy and have me impressed. I don't think I use 5 power tools ever! You are making me think I need to keep my eyes open for some old headboards and bed! Bravo!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        April 04, 2020 at 11:38 am

        Thank you so much Chloe! I love, love, love making headboard benches. I so appreciate your enthusiastic comment!

        Take Care!
        gail

    3. Jaime Costiglio

      March 31, 2020 at 7:24 am

      Gail you are officially queen of the headboard benches! This one is a beauty and wow that repair is top notch. Love all the curves and fresh white, just stunning.

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        April 01, 2020 at 1:26 pm

        Thank you so much Jaime! This one will be hard to let go. 🙂

        gail

    4. Charlotte

      March 30, 2020 at 8:29 am

      Looks super cute! Impressed with that patch job! Love a good upcycle!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        March 30, 2020 at 10:03 am

        Thank you Charlotte! It was very tempting to just clean up the bed post and leave it, since it will most likely be up against a wall. But a neighbor mentioned . . "I know you'll make it look pretty". So, I just had to do the best I could with it!

        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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