Today, I have a great little headboard bench storage shelf tutorial.
Because it’s cold and snowy, I have been working in the basement shop, therefore some of the pictures may not be the sharpest quality.
Twin Bunk Beds
I picked up two of these beds last fall really cheap. They are quite small, because they are bunk beds.
Use a saw to cut down one bunk bed
I took one set of the beds to the basement and got started. The first thing I did was design something different than I normally do. Typically, I use the foot board for the arms of my benches. I wanted to do something different this time. I used the foot board for the front legs and front skirt of my bench. The posts were cut just above the lower portion of the foot board. The quick clamps
are in place to rest the seat board to figure out placement of the side braces.
A Flush Cut Tool Trims off the Post of the Bunk Bed
After getting started I realized that I needed to remove the little bunk bed “pegs”. To do that, I used my Dremel Multi-Max
. I love the way it flush cuts. You could use a handsaw or jigsaw.
Sand the bed post smooth
After cutting the pegs, I gave it a good sanding.
Frame the Twin Headboard Bench by cutting side aprons
I used 1×4’s for the side braces—drilling pocket holes on each end.
Pocket Hole Assembly is my Favorite Way to Build Headboard Benches
Here you can see the close-up of how I did the pocket holes with my Kreg Jig. If you don’t have a Kreg Jig, you could use “L” brackets.
You could also make connections like I did when I first started building benches. See my Four Poster Headboard Bench, and this Headboard Bench Tutorial.
This is the bottom shelf of the bench. I had to use a ratcheting screw driver for all of the pocket hole screws because the fit was too tight to get my drill in there. Not good on the shoulder.
Add a Lower Storage Shelf
I notched out the headboard bench storage shelf to fit in between the legs. Gorilla Wood Glue and my nail gun were used to secure the seat. I used a 1×10 for the seat and shelf.
Primer and Paint Headboard Bench With Storage Shelf
I did a couple of quick coats of DIY Chalk Paint as a primer all over it, then I gave it two coats of Naval (Behr Premium Plus) the same as I used on the Twin Bed Makeover.
It’s such a deep navy blue, it almost looks black against the snow. 
Yep, I hauled it up the basement stairs out to the snow to take these pictures. I have never added a bottom shelf before—I’m actually loving it!
It’s just so darn pretty! Not at all like the benches I’ve made before. It’s petite, and would make a great addition to an entry way, or even at the end of a bed.
The color is scrumptious! Can you see what the pillow says? “Happy Spring” Wishful thinking on my part!
Do you like this bench better than my regulars?
See my favorite Mission Style Headboard Bench with Storage-The Complete Tutorial
gail
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