Internet magazine of a summer resident. DIY garden and vegetable garden

Garden benches. Do-it-yourself garden bench for the dacha Show turned benches

Landscaping and arrangement of the landscaped territory of a personal plot is not a matter of one day. You will have to spend a lot of effort, time, use your imagination, be patient, and only then the result will be obvious. But even after painstaking work has been carried out, the area will require attention: cleaning up fallen leaves, dust, somewhere something needs to be touched up or corrected.

And so that the site does not seem ordinary, it can be periodically supplemented with various decorative elements: those that have been fashionable in recent years - in addition, you can install beautiful benches in the garden... This review will be devoted to benches and benches.

Is a bench needed at all on the site?

The question immediately arises: is a bench needed in the garden at all? The answer is clear - of course, it is necessary! We argue that at every site there must be a place where you can take a break from work, hide from the hustle and bustle, just sit, listen to the birds singing, enjoy the fresh air, read a book, and, in the end, dream.



How to make a bench with your own hands (video)

Any person needs all this, thus he gains strength, strengthens his nerves, discovers the hidden potential in himself, because it is not for nothing that the Eastern sages spend so much time in their gardens, meditating. In addition, we have all known for a long time that many creative people look for inspiration in such calm, beautiful corners at any time of the year.



Where to put a bench

When choosing a place for a future bench, it is better to give preference to that part of the site where trees grow, flower beds with flowers, fruit bushes are thought out, and a babbling stream runs nearby. After all, it is in such places that unity with nature is most clearly felt; here a person will rest peacefully, and his nervous system will quickly recover from the stress of everyday life and other negative factors. Also, the best place for a bench will be in work areas, next to flower beds or beds. After weeding or watering the plants, you can immediately sit down on a bench and gain strength for further work.




DIY pallet bench (video)

Bench selection

As for choosing a bench, the assortment in stores is really wide; you can buy a metal bench, wooden, plastic, stone (marble, granite, quartzite), or a combination bench. Models with carved wood elements or forged metal additions are in great demand. If you want something more exclusive, you can make a sketch of the future product yourself and visit a carpenter with it, he will be happy to make your dreams come true. When choosing this product, we recommend that you take a closer look at benches with a back, as well as handles; it is comfortable to sit on them in a completely relaxed position. But benches without a back are not intended for long gatherings, since sitting on them you will need to constantly keep your back in good shape.


Unusual shop with three XXX do it yourself (video)

Bench to site style

First of all, you need to start from the style direction of the site; if the garden is made in the Japanese style, a bamboo bench painted red will fit wonderfully here, which should be located near a pond.


In a Chinese garden, a bench with a lattice back entwined with climbing plants will look advantageous. And a gravel, winding path should lead to the bench.


Country style implies the presence of the most simple but comfortable wooden bench, traditional natural color or painted in a discreet brown shade.


Of course, one cannot fail to mention the Provence style, borrowed from the inhabitants of the provinces - France. The bench should be quite modest, a little antique, in a vintage direction, white, blue, purple or light blue.

A garden in the Art Nouveau style can be supplemented with benches of strict shapes, possibly with forged elements, or stone benches in the shape of animals, insects, etc. By the way, stone benches will look great near the impromptu Alpine slides.

The area in the Italian style is successfully emphasized by beautiful benches with stucco elements. Such a bench can be placed near a small pond, with sculptures on its shore.


An English, discreet but perfectly organized garden is best complemented with stone benches with wooden or metal inserts; the color may contain golden shades.

The natural style, which is otherwise called forest style, can be emphasized with a bench made from tree cuts, on a hemp-like base (legs).


The colonial style, which originated in early America, is best complemented with wicker benches, but you can also install an ordinary wooden bench in a metal frame.


Garden benches - photo


The bench is functional and allows you to complement the garden arrangement. It is usually not used for classical types of vegetable gardens, since there is no need for it.

In this area you can only see beds and growing potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers and other useful crops. And when it comes to a garden, even if it is not particularly extensive, then it becomes clear that it is difficult to organize it efficiently without the use of benches.

Since the garden is created for other purposes, it is necessary for relaxation and merging with the natural atmosphere.

Modern designers have learned to create different versions of designs for such purposes. However, wooden and metal benches are considered the most popular.

Types of benches for use in the garden

Any chosen design option for a bench or its size should serve one purpose - creating a place for a person to rest. Its shape allows for comfortable placement for a long time.

Classification of such products can be based on a number of characteristics. They are usually associated with the type of material used to assemble the bench.

What materials are most often used?

In fact, there are a lot of them, however, you can focus on the most popular of them. Most often used:

Plastic, since benches created on its basis are resistant to environmental influences. They offer reduced weight and an attractive price. The market offers folding structures made from these materials; they are very convenient for moments in the country;

Wood is most often used to create homemade types of benches. It fits perfectly into the interior of any garden plot. Designers classify this material as a classic type that remains in fashion;

Important: Wood is less resistant to moisture and insects compared to plastic, stone products or metal modifications. Because of this, the lifespan of a wooden bench will be the shortest among other options.

Metal allows you to create benches with your own hands using profile pipelines. However, forged versions based on this material are more often used.

Creating such variations on your own is virtually impossible, since this requires blacksmithing skills. Because of this, it is possible to use only purchased forged parts of the sidewalls to independently assemble a bench from them;

The stone differs in its level of durability. Other materials cannot compare with them in terms of durability. A bench can be formed from several large boulders or purchased marble and side parts. In this case, it is necessary to start from the price of the product and its combination with the general style of the summer cottage.

How to create a bench for long-term use?

To do this, you can use a combination of different elements or a fundamental material. There are several options to achieve this goal:

Concrete will help to pour durable side parts, and for the seat you can use a slab formed on its basis;

The combination of materials is considered a good option, and is often used to create a bench in the garden. It is created using a combination of a metal frame and wood slats to create the back and seat respectively. And it is also permissible to combine options for benches made of stone and wooden elements.

Using a custom design to create a bench

Usually only this direction gives birth to true works of art; it is already difficult to consider them a classic place to relax. For the most part, wood is used for this. Well-known variations of author's works can be distinguished:

  • The ring version of the form is created in the form of a conventional structure, however, framing a living tree;
  • A bench created in the space between two flower beds;
  • A bench designed based on the mouth space of a large animal;
  • With the addition of stone statues on either side of the bench;
  • A bench based on a bamboo joint with a seating cutout in its central part.

It is worth recalling that the process of creating a garden bench will allow you to go into a creative flight of fancy. This should not be hampered by existing designs, since you can still come up with something original.

The information obtained through this article will help you become familiar with the various options and will give you several non-standard approaches.

Photo of a garden bench

And the point is not even that it is very convenient and functional, but that a garden bench has always been almost the main element of decorating a personal plot. In order for the bench to fit perfectly into the overall appearance of the garden and at the same time retain its functionality, it would not be amiss to take a closer look at this piece of “garden interior”.

Garden bench materials

Modern benches are made from both classic materials - wood, stone, wrought iron, marble, and more modern ones - plastic, synthetic fiber. Often benches can be made simultaneously from two or more materials - stone and iron, wood and glass, forged steel and wood. The style in which this item is made depends on this. This means that it is necessary to select a bench for the garden taking into account its stylistic features. For example, a bench made of stone or forged steel and wood will fit perfectly into a garden designed in a classic style, and a bench made of plastic will look great on the lawn in front of a cottage in a modern style.

But still, the most popular material used to make a garden bench is wood. In particular, teak is most often used. Teak wood has always been used in shipbuilding because it is very resistant to moisture. In the fresh air, a gray coating appears on teak furniture, which can be easily removed with a soft brush. In addition, teak furniture must be treated with teak oil, which comes with the furniture - this way the furniture will last for many years.

Manufacturers of garden furniture often do not limit themselves to the production of just benches, but produce entire ensembles of garden furniture. In addition to benches, it includes a table, chairs, swings, chests for storing pillows - and all this, made in the same style, will be an amazing decoration for any garden.

Where to put a garden bench

If you plan to place only single benches in the garden, then you should definitely place one bench at the porch - this will be a wonderful sign of hospitality, and if you place another bench somewhere in the depths of the garden, under a spreading tree, then this place will become a wonderful corner for solitude and rest in silence.

Of course, the bench primarily plays a functional role. Therefore, you should pay special attention to its dimensions. For example, if a bench is installed in a part of the garden where family barbecue gatherings take place, then the bench there should be long, or several small benches, so that all family members and guests can sit comfortably. But if we reject the truly functional purpose of the bench, then it is worth paying attention to the psychological aspects of its use.

According to psychologists, sitting together on a bench can reconcile quarreling spouses and establish friendship with a pleasant interlocutor. And the secret of this is that when people sit on a bench, their gaze covers the same landscape, they breathe the same air, their thoughts and feelings gradually begin to flow in the same direction.

Garden benches - photo

But as for the shape of the bench, now there are many of them and you can choose any one to suit your taste. Let's say there is a huge spreading tree with a wide trunk growing in the garden. You can install a round bench around it so that those sitting have their backs to the tree trunk. But if you build a beautiful round flower bed or a small fountain, then a round bench will fit perfectly there, only those sitting will already be facing the center of the composition. Round benches are very convenient because they can accommodate many people without taking up much space.

Anyone who has installed a bench, or even several, in their garden can say with confidence that they have received another unique room, a cozy corner of their home, in which it is always pleasant to relax and spend time with loved ones. The only difference is that this corner is open air.

DIY bench around a tree

A bench with several seats can be a logical end to a flower bed or surround a tree in the garden. A couple of days of work - and the new vacation spot is ready!

To work, you will need patterns for decorative parts; you can use our option or develop your own form. The presented bench is suitable for trees with a trunk up to 45-50 cm thick!

The template for the decorative strips is based on a 5 x 5 cm grid. Draw the cells on the wood, and then transfer a smooth line.

  1. The shortest seat board is made with a special recess so that the inclined backrests fit exactly against it. To do this, attach two slats to the part, which has already been sawn off at both ends with a 60° bevel, as a guide for marking. The lath placed on top should be the size of the back, the second lath serves only as a support.
  2. Starting from the back corner, mark the thickness of the back (3.5 cm).
  3. Since the angle of the backrest is 100°, it is necessary to check the notch with the angle of the part.
  4. Using a carpenter's square, mark a 100° angle as shown in the photo. Then use a hacksaw to cut out a complex “wedge”.
  5. A board with two slats will serve as a template for mounting the seats.
  6. To ensure that all six seats are the same, refer to the template.
  7. For decorative strips, you will need a grid template that can be used to process all six planks.
  8. Make the holes with a Forstner drill.
  9. Round the edges with the top bit.
  10. Mount the backrest.
  11. Coat the parts with a protective wood primer and paint them with enamel.

Garden bench - photo ideas

A garden bench is not just ordinary furniture designed for relaxation. With the help of this furniture you can decorate your garden plot, create entire compositions that will fit perfectly into the surrounding space of your garden or yard. It’s not difficult to make a garden bench with your own hands; the main thing is to choose the design of the furniture, its location and the material from which it will be made.

Materials for a garden bench


Plastic

Light plastic furniture has many advantages: it is easy to move from place to place, easy to care for, and has an affordable price range. You can choose any color option that fits perfectly into your landscape design. Disadvantages of plastic furniture: it quickly becomes scratched, fades in the sun, looks cheap.




Or even a chair. By the way, the chair cushions are foam chips in plastic bags. Warm, cozy, extravagant

Tree



This material is ideal for creating furniture: it absorbs heat, looks noble, and is easy to process. Any type of wood is suitable for making a bench, the main thing is that the material is sufficiently well dried and has no external defects.



Stone


This natural and beautiful material fits perfectly into any stylistic direction of landscape design. Stone compositions look solid, noble and unusual. But, despite many advantages, natural stone has several disadvantages. Sitting on a stone bench is not very comfortable, and it is also unsafe for health. Therefore, it is imperative to make warm covers or pads along with the bench. Stone compositions are installed permanently; they cannot be moved from place to place.

Metal


Garden benches, made by hot or cold forging, are a real decoration for a garden or a place to relax. The designs look beautiful and stylish, especially if additional decorative elements were used. Metal is most often combined with wood, glass or other material.

Requirements that a garden bench must meet

Convenience


First of all, you need to think about the ergonomic design of relaxation furniture. It should be convenient and comfortable. It is best to make furniture with a backrest on which you can lean back and relax.

Safety


A garden bench must be strong, carefully assembled and withstand heavy loads. For these purposes, it is best to use high-quality materials and fittings.

Resistance to changes in humidity and temperature


Since the furniture is made for the garden or yard, the material must withstand all climatic changes without defects or damage.

Prices for garden benches

Garden benches


Bench design

The length of the seat and backrest will be 1500 mm. This furniture can comfortably accommodate three people at once. Seat height - 450 mm, back height - 900 mm. It is advisable to place the back at an angle of 18-20 degrees. The seat width is 400 mm.

Material and tools for making a garden bench from wood

  1. Wooden boards 1500 by 150 mm, thickness 35-40 mm. Three blanks for the seat and two for the back.
  2. Blanks that serve as legs and holders for the back - 900 by 150 mm, 35-40 mm thick.
  3. Blanks for the front legs of the bench - 360 by 150 mm, thickness 35-40 mm.
  4. Beams 40 by 40 mm will be used to strengthen the structure of the bench.
  5. Self-tapping screws.
  6. Electric jigsaw for cutting boards.
  7. Electric planer for grinding the surface of boards and processing chamfers.
  8. Screwdriver.
  9. Sandpaper.
  10. Varnish and primer.

Making a wooden structure


Step 1. Boards for making a bench can be purchased immediately to size; if they are not available for sale, the wood will have to be cut into blanks using a jigsaw or miter saw.




After the wood is cut to the desired length, it needs to be carefully processed. The blanks for the back and seat need to be sanded. All ends of the boards also need to be processed with an electric planer, it is advisable to give them a rounded shape.


Step 2. The long rear legs of the bench, which additionally serve as a frame for the backrest, need to be set to the correct angle of inclination. To do this, you need to apply markings to two wooden blanks having a length of 900 mm.

The first to be noted is the height of the bench - 400 mm. This section of the board does not need processing. Starting from the segment, you need to make a 20-degree cut along the entire remaining length of the board, which forms the angle of inclination of the back of the bench. The cuts on the two rear legs should be the same in both height and angle. Otherwise, the bench will be skewed.


Step 3. The legs are assembled first in the bench design. The distance between the front and rear legs is 280 mm. The legs are connected by a beam, which is cut to cover the entire width of the bench - 500 mm. It is advisable to do a double strapping - top and bottom.

Step 4. After the two sides of the bench are assembled, you can connect them together with boards intended for sitting. The boards are screwed using self-tapping screws to the upper beams of the frame. It is desirable that gaps of equal size remain between the wooden pieces - 1-2 cm. These gaps promote air circulation and moisture removal.


Step 5. Strengthening the bench structure. In order for garden furniture to be stable and durable, it is advisable to strengthen its structure. For these purposes, you need to make the lower strapping along the legs using beams. Two pieces, 1500 mm long, are screwed to the front and rear legs of the bench. If there is not enough lumber, you can use one cross member, which is attached to the lower beams of the frame.

Step 6. Installation of the bench back. The bench is almost ready, the final touch remains - attaching two boards that serve as a backrest. It is recommended to attach the first board at a distance of 200 mm from the seat. The second is at a distance of 380 mm from the seat.

Step 7 Finish coating for garden furniture. To protect the wood from environmental influences, it is advisable to use varnish. Impregnation will protect the bench from moisture, mold, and pests.

The varnish will give the furniture a beautiful and elegant look. To give the wood shine, you need to thoroughly polish the material and varnish the workpieces several times.


Video - Detailed instructions for making a garden bench


Video - Shop in 6 minutes

Find out some interesting options on how to make it from our new article.

DIY metal garden bench

You can decorate your garden plot not only with wooden furniture. Metal benches are another way to create a cozy and comfortable place to relax. To make a metal frame, it is not necessary to master hot forging techniques.



An example of a bench made of metal and wood

You can use cold forging technology, in which a frame of metal blanks is welded into a single structure. During production, it can be refined with various decorative elements, unusual inserts and additions.




Tools and materials for making a garden bench using cold forging

  1. Angle grinder with discs for cutting and polishing metal.
  2. with a set of electrodes.
  3. Pipe bending device. This could be a “Snail” mini-machine or a metalworker’s pattern vice, with which you can bend the metal according to a template. This device is needed if you plan to have a complex backrest shape with rounded edges.
  4. Square metal pipes (30 mm by 30 mm).
  5. Decorative elements of hot forging to decorate the structure.
  6. Material for seat and back (wood, MDF, plywood).
  7. Roulette.
  8. Level.
  9. Primer for metal.
  10. Protective coating for wood.

Step-by-step instruction

It is quite difficult to make a complex and elaborate bench design without experience. But you can make a simple and durable structure without difficulty.

Step 1. Develop the dimensions and dimensions of the bench. A standard-sized garden bench has a length of 1500 mm, a width of 400-500 mm, and a back height of 800-900 mm. Corner furniture shapes are the easiest to make, so for the first time it is better to try to make a simpler model with your own hands.

Step 2. Making a frame for the seat. The metal pipe needs to be cut into 4 fragments: 2 x 1500 mm and 2 x 400 mm. All details are in a rectangle. To make the seat more durable, you can weld 2 additional stiffeners into the rectangular frame.

Step 3. Making legs. The metal pipe needs to be cut into 4 identical sections of 460 mm each. These blanks need to be welded to the corners of the bench. It is recommended to weld additional stiffeners between the front and rear legs.

Step 4. Making the back. Two workpieces 440 mm long and one workpiece 1500 mm long need to be welded together. This structure is then welded to the finished part of the bench. The back should be mounted at an angle of 15-20 degrees. In this case, sitting on the bench will be comfortable.

Step 5. To make the back of the bench stronger, you can additionally strengthen its frame with stiffeners, transverse or longitudinal.

Step 6. The metal frame of the garden bench is ready. The final work is cleaning all welding seams, polishing the metal and coating the frame with a primer.

Step 7 Making a back and seat from wood. Wooden boards or beams are the most suitable material for finishing a metal bench. The wood for the back and seat must be carefully planed and polished, and the chamfers must be processed. The wood needs to be cut into blanks that can be fastened both along and across the back and seat. It all depends on the length of the material.

Step 8 Using an electric drill, you need to drill holes in the metal frame of the bench to install the wooden trim of the bench. To connect metal and wood, it is recommended to use bolts with rounded heads and nuts.

Step 9 After the back and seat are screwed to the metal frame, the wood needs to be covered with stain or varnish. This will protect the material from environmental influences.

The garden bench is ready. Due to the fact that the metal pipe is hollow inside, the furniture is not very heavy and can be moved from place to place. Well-processed metal and wood can easily withstand high humidity and temperature changes, so a DIY bench will serve for many years.



Garden bench for the prevention of diseases of the spine: side support, back and front legs, armrest, rectangular frame bent at an obtuse angle, wooden seat, wooden back, armrest section with through holes, hinged joint, side view Side support, back and front legs, an armrest, a rectangular frame bent at an obtuse angle, a wooden seat having a width less than the width of the seat outline, and a wooden backrest spherically curved upward, a section of the armrest with through holes, a hinged connection, a wooden seat and a backrest in the form of a beam, shifted along grooves in extreme positions, side view Wooden seat or backrest attachment point, vertical hole and metal plate with hole



Relaxing on a garden bench is a pleasure

Video - Making a garden bench from a metal corner

Once upon a time, a bench was the most important attribute of a village hut, a monastery refectory, or an ancient garden. Today, benches and benches are installed wherever it is necessary to organize a non-bulky but comfortable resting place. And if the owner of the site knows how to paint a bench or bench correctly, this furniture will become a wonderful design element and will serve for many years, without fear of precipitation, frost and sunlight.

Painting country furniture is an essential part of caring for it.

Garden benches are most often made of wood, metal, and their combinations. They are sensitive to atmospheric moisture, solar radiation, damage by insects and require protection from negative factors in the form of periodic painting and treatment with antiseptics.

Selection of painting materials

The offered range of paints and varnishes is quite extensive, so making a choice is not easy. Many frost-resistant and moisture-resistant varnishes and enamels are suitable for outdoor use:

  • alkyd enamels (for example, PF-115, Miranol);
  • water-based enamels (Belinka Exterier Email);
  • texture (glaze) compositions (Aquatex);
  • wood oils (Woodex Wood Oil);
  • yacht varnish;
  • anti-corrosion paints for metal (Nerzhamet).

A bright bench looks great among monochromatic greenery

Among the variety of paints and varnishes, you can select those that can be used for painting both wooden and metal parts - for example, PF-115 enamel. Do not forget that wooden parts require antiseptic treatment before painting, and make sure to purchase the appropriate composition.

How to paint a bench yourself

Having selected the necessary materials, you can begin the process of painting the bench. Obviously, it makes sense to figure out how to paint a wooden bench with metal supports.

First you need to make several preparatory operations:

  • disassemble the bench into parts, remove rusty fasteners;
  • Sand the wooden parts, remove sanding dust;
  • treat wooden elements with an antiseptic and let dry;
  • remove paint and rust from metal parts with a wire brush;
  • sand and degrease metal elements with solvent.

Once painted, this bench will be unrecognizable.

Having completed these steps, you can proceed directly to painting:

  • After stirring the paint well, use a brush to paint one side of the boards;
  • Turn the dried parts over and paint the other side;
  • after drying, sand the painted surfaces with sandpaper and remove dust;
  • apply 2 layers of paint to the boards;
  • paint metal parts using anti-corrosion paint.

When all the painted parts are dry, all that remains is to assemble the bench by installing new fasteners.

Fragment of a painted bench

Examples of painting benches

When preparing to paint, you should inspect the place where the bench will be located and make sure that its design and chosen colors will be in harmony with the overall design of the area:

  • if the bench is located next to a flower bed or other bright elements, a plain color in soft colors is desirable;
  • discreet colors are also suitable for original design benches;
  • in shady places, a brightly colored bench or bench decorated using the decoupage technique would be appropriate.

If you are seriously thinking about how to beautifully paint a bench, the photos below will give you some hints.

Classic green garden bench

The color of the bench almost matches the plant background

The original bench is a continuation of the hedge

Bright bench in a shady corner

Charming corner in Provence style (decoupage)

Features of painting benches in playgrounds

Various benches are an indispensable part of the equipment for children's playgrounds. Even though the kids are “an eternal runner and jumper” inside, they still need a short rest from time to time in order to continue their dynamic games.

It happens that parents are involved in landscaping the territory of kindergartens where their children are raised. Then, together with the teachers, you have to decide how to paint a bench or gazebo on the site.

The main difference between children's benches (not counting the size) is their playful orientation and certainly bright, cheerful colors. Of course, for painting in this case you should choose environmentally friendly varnishes and paints. It is desirable that the selected paints and varnishes also have good wear resistance.

Examples of decorative finishing of children's benches are in the photographs below.

The simplest bench, bright, with a simple pattern

The fire horse can also serve as a bench

Crocodile...possibly Gena

This makes painting a bench easier than ever

It’s easy to see that painting benches and benches is a fun and not so difficult activity. But due to the huge range of paints and varnishes, when choosing them, it is advisable to get the opinion of a specialist.

You can familiarize yourself with the process of painting country furniture by watching a short video.

And here you can see how to decorate a country bench with decoupage.

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