Do-It-Yourself Dresser Bench

February 22, 2011

Save money and space by making a bench out of repurposed furniture. Find a gently worn dresser at your local thrift store or flea market, or buy a basic unfinished piece. Then follow our step-by-step instructions to transform it into a beautiful bench with plenty of under-the-seat storage space.

Materials
2-drawer dresser*
Handsaw
Measuring tape
Ruler
Pencil
Continuous hinge
Screwdriver
Screws
Wood glue
Paint, color of your choice
Paintbrush
4 furniture glides

*Tip: While we’ve made our bench from an old dresser, feel free to repurpose other furniture or materials—think a worn coffee table or piece of upholstered plywood atop 3 same-sized wooden boxes.

Instructions

Detach the drawer faces, hardware and slides from the dresser. Remove the top of the dresser and cut out the uppermost drawer area.
Measure the length of the inside of the dresser, then use a handsaw to cut the top to this length. To ensure an even cut, use a ruler edge and pencil to draw a straight line that you can follow as you saw.
Use a screwdriver to install the continuous hinge to the dresser top. Screw the other half of the hinge to the bottom drawer ledge, so the top opens and closes.
To create a backrest, use wood glue to attach one of the drawer faces to the back of the bench. For decoration, glue the other face to the front of the dresser.
Paint the dresser, then let dry completely. To keep your floor scratch-free, install furniture glides to the bottom of the dresser.

Tip: In a kitchen, this bench is the perfect place to store placemats, tablecloths and spare dishes. Or set it in your entryway to keep seasonal items organized. You can even make a backless one to set at the foot of your bed—it’s great for holding blankets, sheets and extra pillows.

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