You also might be interested in Dining Table Centerpiece or a different table design such as a kitchen table with cross legs.

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Farmhouse Bench PDF

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This PDF download includes Cut Diagrams, a List of Supplies, and 3D illustrations with detailed steps to build the project. Measurements are imperial and not metric. Does NOT include SketchUp/CAD files.

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Bench with a Fabric Seat

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Farmhouse Bench PDF quantity

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Note: Lumber dimensions are listed as nominal size.  See lumber sizes for actual dimensions vs nominal.

Disclosure: Some of the links on this page as well as links in “tools for this project” and “material list” sections are affiliate links.

Dimensions

Step 1 – Drill Pocket Holes Under the Top Board

When choosing the boards at your local hardware store, make sure they are not warped or twisted. You want to have the boards as straight as possible for your project to look attractive. 

Sometimes these boards have rough ends so you want to cut them with a miter saw to make a fresh, straight cut. But now you’ll end up with a shorter board. When selecting your boards, it’s a good idea to pay attention to the ends as well. 

Occasionally the 1x boards might be slightly longer than what they show on the tag. For example, if the tag shows it’s 6 feet long, the boards might be 1/2″ longer. But some boards might be exactly 6 feet long so pay attention to that. 

Take a 1×12 board and trim it down to make sure it’s exactly 6 feet long. Then drill pocket holes on all four sides with your Kreg Jig set to 3/4″ wood thickness. 

Step 2 – Cut Side and End Pieces for the Bench

Now take 2×4 and cut two side pieces to 6 feet in length. Then cut the end pieces. To ensure that the end pieces are accurate, place the side pieces against the top board and pull the measurements for the end board. Then cut two end pieces to that length, it should be around 14 1/4″ in length. 

Step 3 – Cut Feet and Leg Boards for the Farmhouse Bench

Take 4×4 board and cut six pieces to 14″ in length. Three of the pieces will be used for the feet and three for the legs. The feet pieces need to have corners trimmed off at 45 degrees. 

Measure 2″ from the end of the board and draw a 45-degree line across the corner. See picture. Then with a miter saw, cut off both corners on the three feet boards. 

Step 4 – Drill Pocket Holes in the Leg Boards

The leg boards need to have pocket holes on the bottom and top for attachment. The lower pocket holes need to be drilled for 2 ½” screws because the leg will be attached to the 4×4 board. But the upper pocket holes need to be drilled for 1 ¼” screws because they will be attached to ¾” top board. 

Drill pocket holes on both the front and backside of each leg. 

Step 5 – Cut Diagonal Pieces for the Leg Assembly

The diagonal pieces will be cut from a 2×4 board. Before cutting the pieces, take your random orbital sander and sand the board. It’s much easier to sand one longer board as opposed to a bunch of small 4″ pieces.

Once the board is sanded, rotate your miter saw blade to 45 degrees and cut six pieces to 4″ in length with miter cut on both ends. See picture. 

Then cut six more pieces to 5 1/2″ in length, but this time, the 45-degree miter cuts are parallel to each other. When cutting the boards use a stop block to ensure they are identical in length. 

Step 6 – Cut Support Boards for Leg Assembly

Take 2×4 and cut four pieces to 11 1/4″ in length. Then cut off two corners on each board at 45-degrees that are about 3/4″ deep. These boards will be installed under the bench so the 45-degree cut doesn’t have to be accurate. 

Next drill two pocket holes on one side of each support board for 2 1/2″ screws. Since this board will be installed between the side pieces of the bench, you will need a short Kreg Jig square driver. If you use a long square driver, the side piece will be in the way of the drill. But if you drill pocket holes at an angle then you could use the regular long square driver. 

Step 7 – Attach Feet Boards to the Legs

Now it’s time to connect the boards, but before attaching, sand the boards with a random orbital sander. 

Apply wood glue to the bottom of the leg and attach it to the foot with 2 1/2″ pocket hole screws. Make sure the leg is attached in the center of the foot and the pocket holes are facing the foot. See picture. 

Step 8 – Nail the Lower Diagonal Boards and Foot Pads

Take the 4″ diagonal pieces and attach them between the leg and the foot. Use wood glue and 2″ brad nails to attach the boards. These diagonal boards should cover the pocket holes on the leg.

Then take a 1×4 board and cut six pieces to 3 1/2″ in length. Then attach these foot pads to the bottom of the feet with 1 1/4″ brad nails. Make sure the nail gun is set to shoot the nails deeper below the surface so that you will not scratch the floor. 

Step 9 – Attach Legs Assembly to the Bench Top 

Place the top of the bench on your worktable face down. Measure the center of the bench and attach the leg assemblies with wood glue and 1 1/4″ pocket holes screws. One of the legs will be attached in the middle of the bench and the other two on the sides. 

Step 10 – Insert and Nail the Upper Diagonal Boards

Now attach the upper diagonal boards to the legs. Apply wood glue to both ends of the diagonal board and slide it inside between the leg and the side pieces of the bench. Nail these diagonal boards with 2″ brad nails. 

Step 11 – Attach Support Boards Under the Bench

Attach the last set of support boards under the bench with 2 1/2″ wood screws. As mentioned in step 6, you might need to use a short Kreg Jig square driver to get the screws in. You could also use 2 1/2″ wood screws to drive them through the support board into the leg. This will keep the legs from swaying. 

Step 12 – Stain and Paint

For this step, you could choose any stain or paint color you want. Just remember to use pre-stain before applying stain to prevent blotchiness. Once the stain is dry, apply several coats of oil-based polyurethane. Lightly sand the top with 350 grid sandpaper between the polyurethane coasts. Oil-based polyurethane takes much longer to cure, but it gives better wood protection. 

For the legs, you could either stain or paint them. I’ve built a few of these benches and I’ve done them both ways, you can choose either way you prefer. You are done with a DIY Farmhouse Bench.