A Free Bench Makeover

What do you do while waiting for paint to dry?  Well, if you are Rachel and me, you start another project.

Enter: free bench #1.

Rachel's cousins found two benches laying in a heap of dirt and overgrown weeds. Knowing Rachel was crafty, they dug them out and brought them over. This picture was taken after the benches were power washed to get all the dirt off.

It wasn't too terrible. It was a little wobbly, the metal was definitely rusty and the wood was a little splintery. 

We sanded the wood with a power sander to smooth it out and sanded the metal by hand to get rid of the chipping finish.

We began the makeover by white washing the wood. We mixed white paint that Rachel had left over from this beadboard wallpaper makeover with water. We brushed on multiple coats and it gave the wood a really cool gray, driftwood look.

Then, we covered the wood with newspaper and spray painted the metal with some leftover Rustoleum.

We sealed the wood with some outdoor deck sealer that Rachel's dad had on hand. The bench was free and we used materials we had on hand so we paid nothing for this little makeover.

Much better, right? Totally worth the sunburn we both got. Needless to say we won't be forgetting the sunscreen again haha.

Sincerely,

Ashleigh

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