August DIY Patio Benches

Okay so I really had to convince myself that these benches were what I was going to post for my monthly DIY and after 29 days I finally caved. I have some fall decor DIYs whipped up and apparently I’m getting some Autumn fever so I just about featured one of those instead but decided next month would be more timely for a craft like that. The good news is when September hits I can post the DIY early in the month since it’s ready and I won’t do my regular Procrastinator-Alicia style…like I’m doing now!

August’ DIY project is so super simple I could probably just post pics with no words and y’all could put it together. But for the sake of “writing” a blog I won’t.

These DIY benches will make for a great way to sit outdoors and enjoy the cool crisp Fall mornings (right around the corner) while sipping a steamy cup of coffee, gather friends and family during an evening of BBQ and entertainment, or even to stretch out on for an afternoon catnap…I’ve actually done that last one a time or two.

Here’s what you’ll need for this sweet little patio transformation…and I apologize ahead of time for the horrible pictures, the sun has been shining bright which I’m thankful for but the lighting is pretty harsh in the photos:

Two 3×12 wood planks (at your preferred length, ours measure 4 foot on one and 6 foot on the other)

8 to 12 cinder blocks (8 for the benches, 4 more if you decide to do the planter)

Sander/ 60 grit sand paper

One rag for wiping dust

Two cotton rags for staining and sealing (cotton t-shirt works well)

Wood stain (your choice of color)

Polyurethane (I prefer this over polyacrylic which tends to yellow over time)

First off sand the planks so they’re smooth, the last thing you want is risking splinters when you put these benches to use later!

Wipe the dust off from using the sander and prop your planks up against something that won’t matter if it gets stain on it (scrap wood works well).

Wearing gloves wipe the stain onto the wood plank using gentle, even strokes and applying it in the direction of the wood grain.

**Side note #1: If you do end up with stain or polyurethane on you, you can use a rag and mineral spirits to remove the stickiness.

You’ll want to apply one layer of stain and allow about an hour of dry time afterwards, then add another coat and finally a third coat after an hour of dry time in between.

Wait at least 24 hours before applying the polyurethane.

Just the same process as the stain you’ll want to wipe the polyurethane (aka sealer) across the plank, again in the same direction as the wood grain. This is an important step to do as it helps aid in protecting your wood pieces from inevitable weathering.

Three coats is a good rule of thumb with at least an hour dry time in between; my husband would actually tell you to lightly sand and wipe down in between the three coats of sealer once they’re dry but I’m not going to get that finicky since this is an outdoor project. I will mention that sealing is something you’ll probably want to repeat once a year (a bit of sanding first, followed by a few coats of sealer).

Lastly you’ll want to stack up the blocks (two high) and position them the correct distance apart (the length of the plank apart) use a tape measure if needed. You could line them up evenly with the edge of the board meeting the edge of the cinder block (like we did, see next photo below) or you could do overhang.

**Side-note #2: Kittens aren’t a necessary requirement for this project…more on her and her brother in a future post…

I mentioned the extra 4 blocks in the items needed list and that’s if you want to do a planter. I’ll just include pictures to show you how that looks — pretty self explanatory (visually). The soil in those planters does not go all the way down to the patio concrete because we have the bottom cinder blocks turned the opposite way which you can see in the photos below.

***On the planter the bottom two cinder blocks have the holes facing outward but the top layer of two blocks are facing upward which gives the option to create the planter.

And here’s the final finished project!!

What I love about this “patio furniture” is the fact that it’s super cost effective, durable, and low maintenance. Literally this “patio furniture” cost me around $20 to make after paying for the stain and sealer. Nate picked up the planks from his job as they were no longer needed and the cinder blocks came from his folks’ place.

Perhaps one day, if I’m feeling extra ambitious, I’ll sew a rectangle cushion to set on top of each bench, but for now I’m just going to rely on the God given one I alre…….nevermind I’ll hold that thought…

…Speaking of Him I’ll leave you with an encouraging verse and well blessings!!

2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we live by faith, not by sight.”

That word, faith, is where the true Christian meets authenticity in their relationship with Jesus. That word changes my life in a beautiful way everyday!

Take care y’all! And as usual let me know if you end up creating this DIY!

Author: alimw2013

About For His Purpose~ My name is Alicia and I'm a thirty-something year old who loves Jesus. Only through God’s amazing grace and mercy I have been redeemed from past regret and shame. Reading His word has allowed me to look past Satan’s forceful lies, to see myself for who Christ says I am in Him. Through writing I have learned why I made the choices I made in my younger years and I now have a better understanding of why I desire to love God like crazy these days. Despite my daily failures, God remains faithful always. I am reassured of His unconditional love for me by every ink-drop spilled out on paper, each committed prayer as I cry out to Him, and deep understanding reflected through reading His word as truth. Yes keeping a blog will make me vulnerable to others’ opinions- there will be some who don’t understand, some who may criticize or judge, but on the other hand if just one piece expressed through my writing grabs someone’s attention and directs them to God, then pouring out my heart in a blog for the world to read is worth it. I choose to glorify Him alone through words streaming across a glowing screen. And it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t reveal the fact that I’m incredibly quirky; I’m my loving husband’s best friend, my vivacious kids’ craziest cheerleader and spiritual trainer (3 John 1:4). I love anything farmhouse and rustic style. I think cupping a warm coffee mug in the palm of my hands is more satisfying than the contents within. I share a common obsession with my husband for the mountains, but I would (without a doubt) settle for waves crashing against my legs at the Atlantic Ocean just as well, and I almost always have a Yorkie curled up on my lap while writing. *All photos are photographed by forhispurpose.blog and therefore may not be stored or photocopied in any manner.

50 thoughts on “August DIY Patio Benches”

    1. Ahhh that’d be so fun!! I’d love it!! I wonder if electronically we could figure something out for your deck..

      I should go retake pics right now while the sun is just coming up, maybe they’d turn out better!!😉

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  9. That is a super cool idea. Knowing me I woud knock one of those boards off sitting down and end up on my black looking at the sky, but they look like sturdy boards, so maybe not. That planter idea is so cool! I love it! Not just saying that. Sometimes I don’t look at DIY posts because I figure I’ll never do it but this idea is cool. I follow another blog that has some cool DIY projects and I keep saying I want to do one of them. Maybe I’ll get around to trying a couple of each of your suggestions! 🙂

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    2. This DIY is pretty plain and simple, that’s what I like…The few little fall DIY items I have for this month and possibly next month are a little more detailed and I’m already wondering how I’m going to explain the steps well😂😬

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  12. Very stylish, Ali! Love them. The planter… wow I love that too. The kitten is the icing on the cake. You got a kitten! Aweeeeeeeee. So sweet. ❤ Love your post and you "Mini Me," 😀 You can blame Andrew for that nickname. He started that one. 😀

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    1. I love that he says that, it cracks me up!! ❤️
      And oh those kittens, there’s a story behind them I’ll share sometime!;)
      The benches outback are great but the kittens like to mess with any quiet time that I aim for out there!😂

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    1. Ahhh I love the mannerism and heart of the Proverbs 31 woman…I probably have the busy part down but I’m not sure I keep grace, wisdom, and patience in thought while I’m tackling my tasks!😦

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