I have been wanting a bench for my dinning room for a few years now. I had used the grain sack styled one that I had done back in May for a little while. I loved the look of the bench but size didn't quite fit the table. After searching the web and finding that the look I wanted I soon realized that it was going to cost much more than I could afford anytime soon, so....I decided to make my own. I had a wood bench downstairs in my craft room and it almost was a perfect fit.
It was the right length but it seemed a little to narrow to sit comfortably on. I made a trip to Lowes and had them cut me a 14 inch x 4 foot board. I glued it on and put screws in it to secure it. Now it was the right shape and size, it just needed to be covered. I had some chair cushion foam on hand so I used them. I would eventually like to redo it with a 4 inch foam, but this works for now. I had upholstered my dinning room chairs a couple years ago in a washed canvas drop cloth and I still love the way they looked, so I used the same fabric to cover the bench. I was first going to make a slipcover for it, but it was going to be used a lot by children getting on and off. I didn't want the slipcover to shift and move all the time so I decided to upholster it instead. I first put the foam down and then covered it and secured with staples. I measured for the skirt, hemmed just the side that would touch the floor. I then began to gather and staple around the top edge of the bench. I finished it with white trim. It isn't perfect, but I am happy with it. I love the look it gives my dinning room. The boys love it too, they now sit at the dinning room table all the time. It is funny how a simple project can take a room from being used only at sit down dinners and make it a cozy part of the house.
