DIY cinder block bench

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This litle bench turned out much cuter than I was expecting!  Who knew some concrete blocks and a piece of wood could look so nice stacked together?!  Honestly, it was the paint that made all the difference but that's an easy fix.

What you will need:

(4)  8x16x8 cinder blocks
(1)  2x6x8 piece of wood
(2)  8x16x4 cinder blocks (these are the top ones)
a level
cut off saw
sander
wood stain in your choice (I used this one)
your choice of acrylic paint color

Start by making sure you have level ground to work with.  Here in AZ we have hard dirt usually with rocks mixed in so I had to rake away my landscape rock and then smooth out the dirt underneath.  Lay your brick down and check if it is level.  Be sure to check front - bank and left - right.  Once it is level then you can work on your other side brick placement.  Now is also the time to decide on the length of your bench.  The wood will not fit all the way through your cinder block, it will only go into it maybe half way.   It's a good idea to cut your wood firtst and then use that to measure out the placement of your cinder blocks.

 

These top cinder blocks are a little funky.  When picking them out, it seemed that the wood would only fit through on one side and some of them not really at all since it's such a nice fit.  So as you are picking them out, use a 2x6 to make sure that the piece of wood will fit through the openings on the top cinder block.

 

Once you have your cinder blocks in place you can sand and stain your wood and paint your cinder blocks.  For my cinder block paint I chose a gray and navy blue color and mixed them together in an old bowl.  Yes, I used the cheap acrylic paint you can find at walmart for less than $1.  I used about 2 Tablespoons of paint and put it into an old bowl.  Then I added about 1/2 cup of water to the bowl to make it nice and runny.  This helps it to go onto the concrete and spread much better.  Just be sure that if you are mixing colors you make enough to cover the entire bench.  My 1/2 cup of water and paint covered my entire bench.  It can get pretty sloppy so if you are putting your bench on a patio or deck, consider painting your blocks on an old tarp somewhere else and then placing them when they are completely dry.



It turned out perfect and is extremely sturdy.  It makes the perfect little bench for the back corner of our yard and a great spot to rest after practicing a little putting with the kids.

Need some more ideas for decorating you backyard patio?  Check out some ideas from my friends and I over at Rent.com

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