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kirkus_gw

Finally! A Garden Bench Wannabe!

kirkus
13 years ago

Hi Everyone! If you saw my posts earlier this summer, our neighbors moved to Phoenix and gifted us with truckloads of treasures...the NICEST people! Well, one of their last "gifts" was a workbench that he had made.

I spent the afternoon repurposing the bench. I soooo wanted to post a picture but will wait until I have a completely finished bench. As you can see by the before picture, there are 2 enamelware pans and 3 old refrigerator doors from an old store which I found at a salvage yard for $5 a piece (wish I would have bought more!)...

Well, I chose the bigger enamelware pan (flattened out the rim so it fit nicely)... I cut a hole in the top of the bench and inserted the pan. I added the 3 doors to the top back so I'll have lots of space to hang things.

I went to my favorite country thrift store today and found the coolest antique metal shelf brackets. I added those along with some rusty metal pieces I shared in the past!

I can't wait to show you the finished product!!!! Our neighbors left us LOTS of paints and stains (and brushes too!) so I will stain it all and show you soon!!!!

That's our 3 year old son Benjamin in the picture! He follows me around when I'm doing my many projects! I love that! Stay tuned in the coming week for my finished potting bench...what I have done so far has made this my favorite garden junk project ever. Can't wait to share! I am always inspired by your many ideas!

Bear Hugs! Kirk

{{gwi:158712}}

Comments (15)

  • kirkus
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Oh, I need to add that the refrigerator doors fit perfectly when I put them side by side on the back. Then I added an old wooden ladder pieces to the back for support. It was the exact perfect length! This project was meant to be! :o) Can't wait to share!

  • jeannespines
    13 years ago

    "AN....TI....CI....PATION!" (with such a great helper, you should be done soon! Love that sweet smile!) TFS! Jeanne S.

  • kirkus
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Just noticed Ben's shoes on the wrong feet! LOL! He's dressing himself now and so proud of it! Off to work on my potting bench! :o) Bear Hugs! Kirk

  • luvs2click
    13 years ago

    Tee hee! Shoes on the wrong feet were the first thing I noticed - love it! Can't wait to see the finished product!
    Arlene

  • luna_llena_feliz
    13 years ago

    I can't wait to see the finished bench! What you have looks very sturdy and strong.

    And Ben sure is getting big! He's not a baby anymore. I didn't even notice his shows on the wrong feet. lol What a cutie!

  • Marlene Kindred
    13 years ago

    YOU are such a tease Kirk!! NEED TO SEE!!! Looks like it will be a great potting bench. And that Ben is such a doll! Too funny about his shoes...my DD did that too for a while.

    HURRY UP already!! 8D

  • kirkus
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Had to go back to my favorite country thrift store today to buy more iron pieces for this project. I'm adding a shelf on top to store things...also bought some iron doodads to hang my tools from. When I attached the wooden ladder pieces to the back, I saved the rungs from the wooden ladder. I attached these to the sides to hold towels. This project is so much fun! I have been so inspired by all of the potting benches posted lately. (Thank you!) I'm struggling with what color to paint/stain the potting bench... I did several swatches on the back and will go back and look as to what's my favorite... Can't wait to share! Bear Hugs! Kirk

  • Purplemoon
    13 years ago

    FANTASTIC project!! And definitely a "meant to be". You collected such neat things to put together! I can't wait to see the finished product.

    As for BenBear...I love him to pieces!

    hugs, Karen

  • sunnyca_gw
    13 years ago

    Little Ben is getting to be a big boy & daddy's helper too! Good bones as they say so should be a great potting bench with lots of useful extras. Can't wait to see the finished bench!! Jan

  • bverste
    13 years ago

    Very creative, but I was unsure when you were talking refigerator doors--I was picturing a sears or frigidare, but those look to be wooden doors, so help me understand, why are they refrigerator doors?

  • kirkus
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    When I bought the doors from a housing salvage yard, they told me they were pulled from an old store's refrigerator units. I remember doors like these when I was younger when we bought our bottles of soda pop at a neighborhood store. The front part of the unit was glass with the doors in the back. They're heavy and have metal pieces on the back plus insulation tubing along the edges. Oh, what memories...I remember having to pull on the doors hard as the suction was so strong...and the sound of the doors closing... Those were the days... If theses doors could tell a story.

  • excessfroufrou
    13 years ago

    What a great project, it's going to be super. That's funny about going back to the junk store, when DH and I are working on something (a trellis this last weekend) we are constantly running back to the hardware store for something. Luckily we have an Ace right around the corner. Frou

  • kirkus
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    I finished the potting bench tonight...I am pooped. :o) I am sure my wife wonders if I am even around! LOL Took all day to stain the various pieces. I added a shelf...found a piece of scrapwood in a free pile in our nearby town. Guess what? THE PERFECT LENGTH! I mentioned that I attached ladder rungs on the sides...didn't even have to cut them down. This project was meant to be. It's too dark now but I'll take some pictures tomorrow and post them on the forum. Bear Hugs! Kirk

  • Marlene Kindred
    13 years ago

    You are SO right....this was definitely meant to be!

  • luvs2click
    13 years ago

    Well, Kirk, where is it?? I've been waiting all day. Sure you're in a different time zone and are 3 hrs. behind us on EST, but it is now 1:00 in the afternoon there - the sun has been up for quite some time now......Why are you making us wait?? LOL!