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Build a Potting Bench
(for Around $100)
from Recyled Furniture
© Stephie McCarthy
Watch the Video Here
This potting bench gives us space to work indoors …
… a place to hang flowers and herbs …
… and an easy-to-care for worktop …
… where we can make a mess, but it won't be difficult to clean.
We used inexpensive, rough grade lumber for the base and hutch, a defunct futon (too useful to throw away) and a couple of baby gates that reminded us of garden trellis. We didn't mind holes, flaws, or knots … they added to the overall cottage feel.
The steel sheets were from HomeDepot. This was our biggest expense for about $50. Here's a link that will help you locate these sheets in your region.
They were dirty and greasy but fun to polish. These are not stainless steel, but should age to look like zinc over the years.
We removed two of the slats in the center of the futon so that a hotel pan would work as a catch-all for catching debris. It's available at Amazon, or the WebrestaurantStore.
The pan and steel sheets will fit under the hutch which will be attached to the outer frame along the back. We'll be able to remove them for cleaning.
There are six boards working as legs, two in the front, and four across the back to support the hutch. We attached them to the inner frame of the futon witch brads and glue.
A look under the finished bench shows how we braced the inside with shelves across the end and a long board across the back.
We glued rubber strips to the bottoms of the legs for stability too. The contrasting blue stripes were to help make the boards look less chunky. Our video will explain how to do this type of striping easily.
Taking apart the baby gates was harder than we thought it would be. We used a bolt cutter and reciprocating saw to remove the bolts.
We used a jigsaw to square them. By good fortune, they were the perfect size to attach to the sides.
The baby gates on the sides help strengthen the base, plus the mesh makes a great place to hang tools on recycled curtain hooks.
The paint was completed in two steps. First, came brick red, then mint green. The red seems to glow through the green for a more antique look.
Being non-carpenters, it took a few hours to design the hutch top …
and it's far from perfect …
… but, we were able to cut all the pieces in under an hour. We filed the edges and sanded the rough wood, before painting them brick red.
Following our plans, we put the hutch together step-by-step, like you might do with a furniture kit from Ikea. You could also find a second-hand hutch top for a project like this.
We think the hodge-podge collection of recycled furniture gives this potting bench the cottage charm we love, that's both light-weight and hopefully "cat proof."
Cats love to explore.
The finials on top were salvaged from second-hand curtain rods.
Vintage plates are home here as well …
… not to mention … also for tools and garden supplies underneath.
This is the first and probably the last time the potting bench will look so clean.
There's lots of gardening work to do …
Check out the video at our YouTube Channel.
Here's what we did with the other half of the futon … we made a fairy tale bridge in our garden that had a bit of a ditch that needed landscaping. Check it out.
Garden Bridge from a Futon
The video is here …
Garden and Porch Decor
Our Newest Free Printables are here …
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