Build a Rustic Bench
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| Use materials around your home to make a rustic garden bench in your yard. |
Nothing complements a garden better than a good bench. Not only is a good bench attractive in the landscape, but it allows you to stop and enjoy your garden. I know that if my bench wasn't there to tempt me to stop, rest, and appreciate my work, I would just continue with my garden chores, oblivious to my surroundings.
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There are many great-looking and functional garden benches on the market, but for a down-home look, consider building your own rustic bench. When you build a rustic bench, you use downed limbs, small trees, and cut saplings to form an informal bench that is great for sitting and is eye-catching in the garden. Here are some tips for building your rustic bench:
1) While a 100 percent rustic bench may be the goal, a simple way to build your rustic bench without having to chainsaw large logs into the proper framing is to use precut lumber for the basic structure. Go to a lumber yard and look for rough-cut, rot-resistant logs such as cedar for the bench posts, framing, and legs. Often this lumber will still have the bark on it, giving it that "just cut" feeling. Cut the lumber to the size and height of the bench you want.
2) Notch and screw the legs, posts, and seat framing together, making everything as even and square as possible.
3) Collect three or four 4-inch-diameter logs to use for the seat. You can cut or plane these flat on the top or leave them round—whatever is most comfortable. Notch and screw these together into the precut framing you just created.
4) Collect smaller saplings from your woods to create the back of the seat. Attach these to the framing posts in any design that seems comfortable, supports your back, and is attractive.
5) Consider using unusually shaped wood pieces as arm rests or to decorate the bench further.
6) Avoid using fresh limbs of trees that bleed sap easily, such as birch and pine.
7) Place your bench under a tree or in a prominent spot, to enjoy the view of your garden.
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Build a Rustic Bench
There are many great-looking and functional garden benches on the market, but for a down-home look, consider building your own rustic bench.
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