Sunday, April 18, 2010

Benchy Bench

A couple of weeks ago I got this bench for $20 from Craigslist.


Since my boys have decided that they want to be little helpers they helped me sand down the bench.


First I painted the bottom portion red. Since I am not a smart person. I didn't prime it. So 4 coats of red later I was wishing I primed it.


Wild Man did help me paint the bench which honestly was the highlight of his week. I didn't get a picture of it due to be an over anxious mom with a 4 year old who had a paint brush.

I sure you all understand.

As you can see on the picture I painted white over the red.

Then I enlisted the boys help with distressing the top.



But I would advise if you are going to have two little boys beat up a bench you might want to inform your significate other due to the panic that will bestow on them when they come out to see your kids beating a product that they know your other half has been painstackingly working on.

It will save you some extra explaining and from having a panicked spouse.

I'm just saying...

I did get Romeo to use the pointy end of the paint brush and he focused only on one area... It is ok...I like it that way.



Then I used gel stain to stain the top.

 Please notice the hand print on the bench. Whoops.

Oh well, if it is stolen I have fingerprint proof that it is mine.

Then I sanded the bottom to let the red come through.


Here is the end result!


It's awaiting all the guests we are to have in the next few weeks!




http://www.serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/







Creations by Kara

 

 












Keeping It Simple

88 comments:

Carrie said...

Beautiful! I love it!

Marie@Procrastinating in Pink said...

Luv it!!! I'm sure it is even more special since you had such cute helpers!!

Kaysi said...

That looks great! I really like the distressing techniques, looks like fun!

Darlene - Our Creative Life said...

What a great transformation and love your cute lit'l workers!!

Amber said...

I love that the red peaking out under the white! Great job. :)

Kammy said...

What great little helpers you have ! Cute bench !
Kammy

Anna said...

what a makeover, great job!

Sawdust Girl said...

I love it. What's the deal? I've never looked at Craig's list and I keep seeing all these great deals people are getting and I'm thinking I better get online and get looking! Great job girl!

Susan said...

Your bench is a great find!! I love it that your boys helped you, they are so cute!

Just Wrap It Fitness said...

Love the bench, great find!! My two boys are always trying to help me too, what great little helpers!!

Lana Kim White Austin said...

What an awesome price and an even more awesome transformation!
Hugs, Lana

Kat said...

Very cute!! Girl. I am chomping at the bit to get to this house after looking at all your fun projects!!!! I will be calling you once we close on that sucker :) Why? Because my grand idea is to put a shower in the master bedroom closet. Ask Andrew. I'm serious. I have excellent logic behind this. Help?!

ClassyGal said...

The bench looks great! I had to smile seeing your two little boys distressing the wood, I'm sure they must have loved doing that!

Cassie Bustamante said...

that looks awesome! i have a 3 yr old and 4 yr old and i could totally enlist their help and they would love it- what a great way to bring the kids into the project.

Jane said...

Wow! It turned out great. I love it. I still think you need to do a Craigslist blog. You have found some great pieces to re-do. You have a real eye for recreating furniture.

Katie Olthoff said...

Cute! I LOVE that you left it stained on top!

Unknown said...

I love it!! And how fun for your boys to be able to help. My daughter is 11 and this summer, I'm going to take her thrifting so she can pick out a piece. Then, we'll redo it ourselves. Oh, I learned my lesson about priming last week too!

Dawn Buie said...

Very cute bench! I think it turned out great!
Love the help you had from you little men!;o)
TFS

Lori said...

Katie you are so crafty!!! It looks great! Thanks also for commenting on Peyton's post. I'm not sure if I really have anyone reading anymore. I go through spurts on posting.

Michelle@ A Full Cottage said...

It looks great! I alway skip priming and then I'm sorry....you'd think that I would learn my lesson,

:) Michelle

Cara@TheSheetBoutique said...

This looks terrific and since it's distressed, it's family friendly!

Unknown said...

What a great way to get the boys in on the project! :) It turned out darling!!

~Liz

Jennifer Juniper said...

I love the warm color of the top combined with the distressed white base! Great job and what good helpers you have :)

Clean Mama said...

I love the red peaking through - great project!

Jen Sue Wild said...

This turned out just lovely..
I love that the kidos helped out!

Sissie's Shabby Cottage said...

Turned out very nice and what great and cute, little helpers.

hugs
Sissie

Michelle said...

Looks great...and such great helpers you have!

Janet Metzger, Artist said...

Love it!! Hand prints and all...;-)

Sandi~A Cottage Muse said...

Lucky girl with such cute helpers!! Love the way this came out!!

Amy said...

that. is. awesome.
I could do that! I really think I could now, thanks to you!!
Off to search craigslist for the perfect thing to distress!
Amy @ New Nostalgia
"Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays"

Micael said...

Thank you for participating in our Monday Madness blog hop! I love love love what you did with the bench!!!

Have a great week!

Micael
www.SavingObsession.com

Molly Anne said...

It looks FAB. And what cute little helpers!

avisiontoremember said...

I love it! I have a link party on saturdays that I would love for you to join
www.iamonly1woman.blogspot.com

Atticmag said...

Really, really nice results. But those mini painters are the most adorable things ever. -- Jane F.

Aims said...

Love it, Katie! Your creativity has inspired me so much!

beth kruse custom creations said...

love it! beautiful!

Dawn said...

wow! that is amazing! it came out beautiful! don't know if I would have had the guts to let my kids have a go at it :) love the title of your blog!

Robyn said...

THAT bench looks AWESOME! I love love love that you let the kids help you, that is something they will remember FOREVER plus now you have a permanent reminder of the fact that they are BOYS! ;-) They are too cute, btw! That gel stain looks like it worked beautifully, I've never used it.

Suzanne@Meridian Road said...

Love it! You did a great job. It looks very professional.

Heather said...

Beautiful bench, it turned out great. I love how you let the boys "help" you;)

Unknown said...

Oooooh, LOVE this! The red layer peeking through is fabulous!
We have a Friday Fun Finds party (on Fridays, of course)... If you're interested, we'd love it if you'd link up this week!

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

Hi there! You did a great job on the bench. Please add a link to my party so that I can keep your link up on my list. I don't want to have to delete it. Thanks. :)

Unknown said...

I love how it turned out! It looks fabulous!

Nancy

Kendall@ Finesse Your Nest said...

It looks FABULOUS!!! Love it! Cracking up at your boys "helping"! We are getting ready to tear out tons of tile and put in plank flooring and my 9yr old son is DYING to take a sledgehammer to the tile. Little does he know his "fun" will actually be my child labor trickery! I love it!

Lisa @ Fern Creek Cottage said...

It is gorgeous! I have to admit I'm pretty jealous. I want that bench!! :)
Your boys look so cute working on it!

Richella Parham said...

I love your bench! And isn't it great to have a bench that will just look even better as it gets used? Little boys are handy for all kinds of distressing, don't you think?

Gretchen said...

What a cute post. How fun to have little helpers giving you a hand transforming your great new bench. How perfect it turned out. Even if it took 4 coats of paint. :)
Gretchen
http://mimitoriasdesigns.blogspot.com

Chris said...

$20.00!!! What a great deal for such a (now) cute bench!! Love it!

Jen @ tatertotsandjello.com said...

It looks amazing! I love it. What a transformation. You did a great job!

XOOX
Jen

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

You did a great job on that. That is cute about the hand print.

Alisa said...

super cute! Love the white with the stained top.

FrouFrouBritches said...

Tht looks amazing!!! and I am totally jealous that you found it on CL!! Love it!

Kenzie said...

It looks amazing!

Jeni G said...

THis turned out really great and simple. What paint did you use? I have a friend that wants to redo a farm style dining table we got for a $1 at GW in that same color scheme. THanks for sharing.

pieters said...

oh you rocked that! too cute! lauren

iheartsunnydays said...

Wow! Love what you've done.

Sherri said...

LOVE it and your little 'helpers'. Great job.

Cindy said...

What darling assistants! They helped your bench turn out perfectly!

Sarah said...

looks great! found your blog through the girl creative. keep up the good work!

chris said...

I love the hand print. You'll treasure it soon enough. In the 70's when I was a toddler, my folks built a patio cover from some kind of wood. Well us 4 kids thought that pile of wood was perfect for walking on. So by the time Dad got it all up and put the varnish on, what do you know? There were several foot prints on the beams! Thankfully my parents grew to love it and still wish they could have it. They have since moved from that house.

Olivia said...

oh my heaven I love it. you have to stop by my blog and check out my tray makeover that my three year old helped me paint....i laughed because i totally got the boys and the parents panic... i am laughing out loud,
hugs,
olivia

Hootin Anni said...

Awesome project. I love how it looks now that it's all finished. And I really enjoyed the 'kids getting into the action of it all' too.

I've been a domestic goddess this week ...making new SOUTHWEST CURTAIN TIE-BACKS Stop by for a visit and viewing if you can find time! Have a great weekend.

TidyMom said...

FABULOUS job!! and I love your helpers!!♥

Thanks for linking up to I'm Lovin' It! Have a GREAT weekend!

Pam - @diy Design Fanatic said...

Fantastic job!

Unknown said...

This is fabulous and way to go on using all of that little boy energy. :)

Andy Porter said...

***JEALOUS*** I've been looking for a bench!! I love what you did with it and I love that you let you kids be involved. I don't know if I would ever dare let my kids beat up a bench with hammers, only because I think they would take that as a green light to beat up the rest of the house...or each other!

It really looks great! Thanks for the link!

this mum' s world said...

I love the look of this bench & it's so nice that you're kids helped create it.
Im visiting from I'm Lovin' it Fridays
http://thismumsworld.blogspot.com/

Lori said...

It looks great!

Thanks for joining Get Your craft on Thursday. Please join me next week for another great party.

Wendy said...

I just love the name of your blog! As I am always praying for patience! What a fabulous transformation and your little helpers are adorable! Happy to follow along with you :)
Wendy

Unknown said...

What a gorgeous makeover - I think it turned out perfect ~ especially with your little helpers.

Jen @ Noting Grace

Laura said...

This turned out great!!

I'm hosting a blog party right now and I'd love it if you stopped by. Hope to see you at Saturday is Crafty Day!

Unknown said...

Absolutely love this!

Katherine @ Grass Stains said...

It's fantastic! And I love that you have the "patience" to let your kids work with you on it. My three boys would love to help me do anything, but I'm usually too impatient to let them. What a great mom you are!

Laura said...

Thanks for linking up to Saturday is Crafty Day @ along for the ride! Hope to see you back next week!

Shellee said...

Love the bench!! Looks great!

Cindy said...

It looks great! I love that you had the kids help! That is so adorable!

KimMalk said...

It's just fabulous. Your helpers are adorable!

Susan @ Oh My! Creative said...

Looks great! I never prime anything and always wish I would have.
Susan
http://entertainexchange.blogspot.com/

Angie said...

Beautiful! even more so with the memories of your helpers.

Stephanie Lynn @Under the Table and Dreaming said...

This is gorgeous! I love the colro and the stained top! Fabulous job! Thanks for linking to the Sunday Showcase! Hope you have a great week! ~ Stephanie Lynn

Stephanie Cameron said...

Love the idea of sanding down to red. Great job!

Gay Vaughan said...

Thank you for joining my hodgepodge party! I love it! I hope you will join again.
~Gay~
itsahodgepodgelife.blogspot.com

Room to Inspire said...

What a fabulous transformation and a fantastic find! Thanks for linking up to Be Inspired last week!

Chelsea

Rory from Tools Are For Women Too! said...

Hi,
I followed you over from the Life As Lori link party. I am now a follower of yours. I would really love it if you stopped by and visited me too. Be sure to enter the drawing if you do. Keep up the good work. Rory http://toolsareforwomentoo.blogspot.com/

Jess said...

I love distressed furniture! Thanks so much for posting this on Favorite Things Friday!

Amber said...

Very cute! Love the distressing on top!

Traci@ Beneath My Heart said...

That turned out great! I love it!
Thanks for linking to my party.
blessings,
Traci

Sue said...

I saw this project ages ago when you first posted it...and now visiting from CSI. Since my last visit we bought a table on Craig's list and it is a PERFECT match for this bench...it's like they were made for each other. The style you did is how I wanted to refinish the table but was a bit worried about the white legs but now that I have seen this project again and shown it to hubby we are game to try it :-) might even do the red base as thats out accent colour!! Thanks for sharing ...again ;-)