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Farmhouse Bench - No Pocket Holes Version

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This farmhouse bench is easy to build and is rustic and substantial.  It is designed to match our Farmhouse Table Plans. 

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No Pocket Hole Plans

Reader submitted photo by  EHAYS216 

We love this sturdy and substantial farmhouse bench.  Designed to be built using standard off the shelf lumber, just the way farmhouse furniture has been built for hundreds of years.

Build it to match our farmhouse table plans, or use it as a stand alone piece on the end of a bed, or in your entryway.

Farmhouse Bench Plans

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Farmhouse Bench - No Pocket Holes Version

Dimensions
dimensions image for farmhouse bench
Dimensions are shown above

Preparation

Shopping List

4 – 2x4s, stud length or 8 foot length

2 – 1x4s, 8 foot length

1 – 1×2, 8 foot length

2 1/2″ screws

2″ screws 

Common Materials
Elmer's Wood Glue
Elmer's Wood Filler
120 grit sandpaper
primer
wood conditioner
paint
Cut List

8 – 2x4s @ 16 1/2″ (Legs)

2 – 1×4 @ 2 1/4″ (Spacers)

2 – 1×4 @ 6″ (End Aprons)

2 – 2×4 @ 12″ (Stretchers)

2 – 1×4 @ 61″ (Side Aprons)

2 – 1×4 @ 9 1/2″ (Inner Aprons)

5 – 1×2 @ 9 1/2″ (Supports)

4 – 2×4 @ 65″ (Bench Seat Boards)

2 – 1×4 @ 14″ (Breadboard Ends)

 

Tools
Tape Measure
Speed Square
Pencil
Safety Glasses
Hearing Protection
Circular Saw
Power Sander
Drill Bit Set
General Instructions

The Farmhouse Bench is designed to work with this Farmhouse Table, but there is no reason you could not modify the dimensions or use it as a coffee table or outdoor bench. If you plan to build the Farmhouse Table, starting with the bench will give you a chance to test out your skills on a smaller version. For those of you who have a pocket hole system, you can use the pocket holes to build your bench seat separate. You can also fasten your aprons directly to the legs without spacers.

Instructions

Step 1

Legs The notches and stretchers on the legs is optional. Notch out your legs (for full instructions see the Farmhouse Table post) and laminate your legs together in pairs of 2 with glue and 2 1/2″ screws. Then take note of the placement of the spacers and attach to the insides of the legs. This will differ depending on the leg. Attach with 2″ screws and glue.

Step 2

End Aprons Attach end aprons to the spacers as shown above. Use glue and 2″ screws.

Step 3

Stretcher The stretcher gets attached in the same method. Screws and glue.

Step 4

Bench Frame Build the bench frame, keeping the 1×2 supports flush to the top. Easy method is to flip it all over and keep the supports flush to the bottom :)

Step 5

Step 6

Seat Boards Find the center of the supports and begin attaching seat boards from the underside. Work with the boards to minimize gaps as you go. Attach all seat boards. If you have a pocket hole system, you would build your bench seat separate, and then attach.

Step 7

Breadboard Ends If you have a pocket hole system, you would attach the breadboard ends directly to the seat boards in step 6. Otherwise, attach to leg bases.

Step 8

Finishing If you are staining, be very careful to not let glue dry on the project, as these areas will not take stain. Fill holes with wood filler, sand and paint or stain as desired.

Project Type
Bench
Room
dining room
Entryway and Mudroom
Style
Farmhouse Furniture
Rustic Furniture Plans

Comments

Kim (not verified)

Wed, 01/05/2011 - 03:28

I have been anxiously awaiting for this. I love it! Can't wait to get started on it.....I have some spare time tonight. :) Awesome.

Julie (not verified)

Wed, 01/05/2011 - 06:35

I'm confused how you would build the bench seat seperate and then attach with a pocket hole system. Would you attach the supports to the seat boards ahead of time with pocketholes? Then how do you attach to the frame?

It might be too early in the morning for me to be looking at furniture plans...

Jason (not verified)

Wed, 01/05/2011 - 07:10

I don't think that you can use the 'stud' length 2x4s for this project. They are 92 5/8" long and you require 65" for the bench top, 16 1/2" for the legs (4 of each) and 2 pieces @ 12" for the stretchers. That totals 93 1/2" without any allowance for the saw blade or squaring the ends. You will either need to use 96" lengths or add a extra 'stud'.

Also, the link for notching out the legs is gone. The table instructions state to go to the 'how-to' section, but that no longer exists on your new site layout (that I could find).

Love the projects ... the bench is less than $15 to make!

Gary (not verified)

Thu, 11/17/2011 - 16:17

@Jason

>Love the projects ... the bench is less than $15 to make!

Hi, interesting comment, is there anyway you can justify that it is less than $15 to make? i.e. links, cost breakdowns, etc.

If it's true that you can buy all of that timber for under $15 then there is something seriously wrong with the hardware and timber trade where I live and I would love to take some evidence of price gouging (i.e. a comparison to your BOM) to the ombudsman.

If any one else has a comment regarding the costing of this project I would appreciate it.

The best I can come up with (just for the wood) is:

Qty dimension dimension cost total
imperial metric plm cost

4 2"x4"x8' 45x90x2400 2.92 $28.03
2 1"x4"x8' 35x90x2400 2.5 $12.00
1 1"x2"x8' 35x45x2400 2.9 $6.97

$47.00
(source: http://buybuildingsupplies.com.au/timber-general-pine-radiata-c-70_2825…)

Great project BTW!

Cheers,
Gary

Jason (not verified)

Thu, 01/06/2011 - 05:40

It also looks like the Breadboard ends are listed on the cut list as being from the wrong dimensional lumber - they should be from 2x4 stock, not the 1x4.

Jason (not verified)

Thu, 01/06/2011 - 06:51

I don't think there are enough legs listed on the cut list - it should be 8 pieces @ 16 1/2"

Brandi (not verified)

Mon, 11/21/2011 - 08:26

Yeah, there aren't enough bench legs. I just got done notching legs for 2 benches and realized I only have enough for 1 bench...

Craig (not verified)

Sat, 01/29/2011 - 11:59

Ana and all,
What type of wood is everyone making these benches and farmhouse tables out of? Any recommendations? I'm not sure I'll have much more than pine at my disposal but I thought I would at least ask.
thanks

Don (not verified)

Wed, 02/02/2011 - 05:19

I just finished the build of my bench last night. I still need to sand and finish it. It's awesome. Really nice and sturdy, and it was only an evening project to get it built.

Jason already noted a couple of the corrections, but I thought I'd compile them into a single note here based on my experience last night.

* First of all, you're going to need another 8' 2x4. There are a couple of errors in the cut list requiring additional 2x4 stock.

* The first two cut list items (Legs & Spacers) need doubled. As shown it only gets you two legs since each leg is actually made of two piece glued together.

* The Breadboard Ends should actually be 2x4 not 1x4 so that they match up with the Bench Seat Board thickness.

* The notch video is here - http://ana-white.com/2009/11/how-to-notch-out-boards.html

The is a great and easy project and easy to modify to fit your particular space. Have fun. Hope these tips help.http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs068.snc6/167894_491619…

FurryMoses

Sat, 01/31/2015 - 14:41

Thanks for the corrections, though I think they ought to state the final numbers... ie not just "double this/that". Because we now don't know whether the cutting list has been updated/corrected and your corrections are now wrong

ChristyIreland (not verified)

Fri, 02/11/2011 - 10:26

Whitney, I'm so glad you up-loaded your photo. I really like the way you finished it. I think I want mine the same. Thanks for the picture.

britcollins (not verified)

Wed, 02/23/2011 - 09:26

Is there any way to find out what stain Kristen used on her bench and table? I love the color!

Jaimi (not verified)

Tue, 03/01/2011 - 06:56

On Kristen's blog she said she used a "gel stain by Varathane called Early American and two coats of wipe on high gloss polyurethane on the rest of the table and bench (not the top). "

Jaimi (not verified)

Wed, 03/09/2011 - 08:34

My husband finished building this bench the other night fairly quickly. This was our first project of this sort and it took him about 2 hours and we followed the changes to the plans that Don listed above.
Another change that we made was that we built the top of the bench out of all 1x4's and the frame and supports out of all 2x4's therefore eliminating the need for the 1x2's.
This change made the frame more sturdy, but required a couple more 1x4's to cover the top. We also made our bench about 4 feet instead of the full size like Ana's.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PCAG6ujD9-g/TXe_rPV3Y7I/AAAAAAAAArU/…

Guest (not verified)

Tue, 04/05/2011 - 19:00

Super cute :) I've got all the materials to do 2 for my table, now to get to work on them :)

Kristen umansky (not verified)

Wed, 12/26/2012 - 13:04

Sorry I was just looking for plans and came to see my bench :)

The lights are from Pottery Barn.

emmarosemc

Mon, 04/18/2011 - 13:57

Ive had the lumber for a while, just cut all of it - first time using a miter saw - still got all my fingers lol.

Something weird though, we have a 12" saw and when i lined up the wood to the fence the blade wouldnt cut through the wood all the way? So i had to move it up a couple inches and fear a kick back to get a clean cut.
Edit: Made some major mistakes but thats what i expected for my first project. Waiting on a sander because the belt sander just has too much kick me. Need to pick up more screws too.

cannelle9

Thu, 04/21/2011 - 21:09

Received a second hand table when we got married almost seven years ago.  It *finally* fell apart.  Started shopping for a new table but just couldn't spend many hundreds of dollars for fake wood laminate.  Hubby bought a cheap table for 175$ second-hand.  I hate it, its so ugly lol.  I think I'm going to attempt this one, with a bench, then attempt to make 2-4 chairs using this site's plan (parson or the simple chair?  not sure yet).  Can't wait to have a little time off work and some sunshine :) 

Thanks Ana for all your work!  Much appreciated!

tashacordel

Thu, 01/05/2012 - 07:43

Hey all...I love the simple Farmhouse bench...but would really like to see plans for one with a slightly slanted back to it. Anyone out there have some suggestions?

Guest (not verified)

Fri, 03/30/2012 - 20:16

hello,

i am soo inspired by the bench and would love to build the table and bench together but can't seem to find the plans for this specific table? can you please help ?!

Tabatha (not verified)

Sat, 04/28/2012 - 05:54

Hi. Does anyone have any ideas to keep food and crumbs from eventually packing down in between the boards on top?

Jenny Klein (not verified)

Sun, 05/13/2012 - 20:30

I made the farmbench and LOVE it!! But when I attach the top seat to the base (which is sturdy alone) One leg comes up and the bench rocks back and forth...any ideas of how to fix it???

John, mcleight21 (not verified)

Fri, 06/22/2012 - 22:32

I don't get it, If the Bench Seat Boards are 2"X4" and the Breadboard ends are 1"X4" then after you got it all together won't the 2'X4"s (Bench Seat Boards) be sitting higher than the 1"X4" (Bread Board ends)? Can Someone please explain this for me?

Chad (not verified)

Wed, 08/29/2012 - 17:53

The bread boards are wrong. You have to use 2 x 4's not 1 x 4's. The cut list is also wrong. For the legs you need to double that. I also bought 6 2 x 4's.

Becky Cornwall (not verified)

Tue, 09/11/2012 - 10:42

I made a Farmhouse table but counterheight, do you think I could make this bench counterheight as well?
Thank You

BeckyC (not verified)

Tue, 09/11/2012 - 10:44

I made a Farmhouse table but counterheight, do you think I could make this bench counterheight as well?
Thank You

ShaunB (not verified)

Sat, 10/13/2012 - 22:58

I just finished building this bench, but I made a few modifications to the plans. For the breadboard ends I used 2x8s instead of the 2x4s. I also left off the spacers and end aprons between the legs and added another 2x4 stretcher on the top of the legs to give the breadboard ends more support. I had to adjust the length of the seat boards in order to keep the length the same. I used 2x4s for the end aprons on the bench frame, and 2x2s for the seat supports. I used a table saw to notch out the legs for the stretchers and they turned out great after using a chisel smooth the grooves. I also used a round-over bit and routed the entire outside edge and around the feet to avoid splintering. A few passes with 80 and 220 grit, and a couple coats of stain and polyurethane and it looks great. Thank you Ana for such a great plan. I really like your work and look forward to using more of your plans in the future.

Guest13 (not verified)

Sat, 10/27/2012 - 05:29

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to make this into an 8' bench. Would this need more center support if made that long? Any suggestions would be really appreciated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wood Questions

What kind of wood should I use?
Most of our plans use standard construction lumber like pine or fir. It's affordable, easy to work with, and easy to find. It's also rapidly renewing and biodegradable, so a great eco friendly choice!

Can I use hardwoods instead?
Yes—just keep in mind they're heavier, cost more, and can be tougher on tools and harder to join together and finish. I recommend not tackling a hardwood project until after you have built several softwood projects.

What if my boards are warped?
Choose the straightest boards at the store. You can often work around slight warps by cutting them into shorter pieces.

What wood should I use for outdoor furniture?
Use red-toned or pressure-treated 2x lumber for framing, and cedar or cedar fence pickets for the decking. Outdoor furniture should be built like a deck—your local home center can help recommend the right wood for your climate.

Will my wood move or warp after I build?
Potentially, especially in humid climates. Let your wood acclimate indoors before building. Once acclimated and kept in a stable environment, movement should be minimal. Remember, most houses are built using framing lumber - it's all about keeping moisture down indoors.

Cutting Questions

Do I need a miter saw?
A miter saw is great, creating fast, safe, and precise cuts, even for beginners. But most plans can be built with a circular saw and a straight edge. If using a circular saw to cut, take time to practice, and get good at making cuts, before cutting your project boards.

How do I get clean cuts with a circular saw?
Clamp your board, measure twice, cut slow, and use a sharp blade. This takes practice, so spend some time making cuts. I go through becoming proficient at freehand cutting in my course, it is worth taking if you want to master this skill.

Will the store cut my wood?
Yes—most stores will do rough cuts to help you transport your materials home. But from store to store, the quality of cuts could greatly vary.

Joinery Questions

What screws should I use?
We recommend star-head self tapping screws for framing, most common sizes are 2-1/2", 1-3/4". Pre-drill if close to the edge or you find your wood is splitting.

Do I have to use pocket holes?
Pocket holes are the cheapest, easiest and fastest way to do some joints - like edge to edge or a hidden fastener joint. There are other methods, but these can be time consuming and expensive. We recommend using pocket holes as indicated in plans for best results.

How do I keep things square?
Use a speed square and measure diagonals after each step. Always clamp joints before screwing to keep them tight and flush.

Finishing Questions

Stain or paint before or after building?
A quick sand before and a full finish after gives the best results. Pre-finish if you're doing two-tone or detailed finishes.

What type of finish?
Use oil-based or water-based stain. For paint, cabinet-grade latex or enamel works great. High use surfaces on indoor projects should get a coat of polyurethane, I recommend a Helsman or Spar or other flexible poly that won't crack or peel with wood movement. For exterior projects, use a finish suitable for exterior fences.

How to get a smooth finish?
Start with a well sanded project. Sand between coats (220 grit), wipe clean, and apply light coats with a foam brush or roller.

Plan Questions

Can I change the size?
Many people do, and that's the great thing about building your own furniture! But do keep in mind going bigger might mean more supports are required, and often plans are optimized for minimal material waste.

Are these beginner-friendly?
Yes—plans are written with simple tools and clear steps in mind, with every effort to make plans as simple as possible.

Can I sell what I build?
Absolutely! Just don’t resell or repost the plans themselves.

General Questions

What tools do I really need?
A drill, circular saw, tape measure, square, and a few clamps will get you through most projects.

Do I need a workshop?
Nope! A driveway or small patio is plenty to get started, just make sure you have a level place to work. If you find you are building several projects a year, creating a small workbench is a great way to store tools and have a dedicated workspace.

What if I mess up?
Wood filler, sanding, or flipping boards goes a long way. Mistakes are part of the process!

What can I do to make my projects look more professional?
Start with straight boards, make accurate cuts, clamp all joints, and line up everything neatly. Sand thoroughly, use a neutral finish, and apply it in light coats for a clean look.

I've never built anything before. Where should I start?
Start with a few smaller softwood projects to get hands-on experience. Or if you're tackling a big project, buy a little extra lumber and practice your cuts and joints first. If possible, work with someone who has a bit of experience.

Care & Maintenance

How long will my furniture last?
With good joinery and regular care, your DIY furniture can last for decades. I have pieces in my own home that are over 20 years old and still going strong! One of the best parts about DIY furniture is that it’s easy to repaint, refinish, or repair—so your projects can grow and adapt with you.

How should I care for outdoor furniture?
Lightly pressure wash or hose it down once or twice a year. Tighten screws and reapply finish as needed to protect it—just like a deck or fence. A little upkeep goes a long way in extending the life of your furniture.

How about indoor furniture?
Regularly dust or wipe with a damp cloth. If it starts to look worn, a light sanding and touch-up paint or stain can refresh it in no time. DIY pieces are meant to be durable and fixable—so don’t be afraid to give them some love now and then.

Want to Build with Confidence?

Check out my ebook: 12 Skills to Build Your Own Furniture
It walks you through the core skills every builder needs—measuring, cutting, joinery, and finishing—so you can build beautiful furniture that lasts.

Still Have Questions?

Email us anytime at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help!