I have been wanting to make or buy a small bench to put out in the front yard. A home depot gift card i got for Christmas finally gave me some motivation to get the project started!

Step 1: Buy Materials

Materials list:

(4) 2x4 x 8 feet long

(3) 2x3 x 8 feet long

(1) tube of liquid nails or wood glue

Total cost, just under $20

Optional materials (if you dont already have them)

Paint brushes

Wood stain

Polyurethane or varnish

Step 2: Cutting and Assembly

I usually start by making a drawing and try to follow that as a guide.

Used the liquid nails and screws to start assembling the main frame and legs, all made out of 2x3.

If you dont have clamps you can always use tape to keep tension on the wood while the glue dries.

I then cut and screwed in the 2x4 top boards leaving 1/4" space between each piece.

Step 3: Stain and Varnish

Applied 1 coat of dark walnut stain and let it dry overnight.

In the morning i applied a thick coat of marine grade varnish with a regular cheap paint brush. This stuff is nasty, a respirator and plenty of ventilation is highly recommended.

I would also recommend sanding if you use liquid nails. The stain wont penetrate any area that stuff touches and the finish will look crappy like mine did. At some point im going to come back and have to fix that

Thats pretty much it. This is a quick, easy and cheap project that can be done in just a few hours.