Old Bench Carries Memories into It's New Life

As the seasons change to Fall every year, I get a surge of "craft-itis". You know the signs I'm sure, everything you see gets logged in your right brain as a possible project. The "I can do that" mentality gets bumped up to a whole new level. And thanks to my latest addiction to Pinterest, this year I've officially been diagnosed by my husband as having stage four craft-itis.

I currently have my hands in about 4 different projects. One of my latest that I want to share with you has a little story behind it.

Posing on the Bench in '95

In 1990 when my husband and I bought a new home in Elk Grove, a man drove into our cul-de-sac with a truck piled high with handmade wood outdoor furniture. We bought two chairs, a side table and a bench. They started out life just raw wood, a few years later I painted them white. A few years after that Victor had to put new screws in the chairs and bench as they all got a lot of use with our family. By the time we moved again in 2000, only the bench made the move with us. It took up residence on the backside of the pool deck; perfect for throwing the towels out to dry. When we opened The Secret Garden in 2002, a young lady drove up to the store with a truck piled high with handmade wood outdoor furniture. Yup, you guessed it, Sherry is the daughter of the guy who sold us the furniture over 20 years ago. Her dad had passed and she continued on his legacy. We carried her product for the first few years we were in business. Things have a way of coming around again don't they?

Last month we came home from work and my husband laughed that our bench had finally earned a trip to the dumpster. The seat had completely caved in. A year ago I may have been ok with tossing it in the dumpster, but this year, my latest obsession (fueled by Pinterest) has been with old wood. So I took the bench apart piece by piece. First I made some simple signs. Then last week I took all the remaining wood and made a really cool sign that we hung over the door at The Secret Garden. I love it. And now when I look at it, it evokes memories of all the times my kids climbed all over it when they were young, family bbq's and more. Things have a way of coming around again don't they?

The final project was simple and came together in a few hours. I attached the boards I wanted to use by attaching two cross members on the back with screws.

I applied a quick coat of white chalk paint, but tried to keep the distressed old feeling I love.

I used masking tape to create a design I had seen on Pinterest (copying is a form of flattery right?)

I watered down some acrylic craft paint to create a wash in the three colors I wanted to use. Once again, I was sparse in my paint application so the wood would continue to show through.

I used stencils to create a message near and dear to my heart and then I sealed the entire piece with a matte finish clear spray. I use "Rust-Oleum Clear Coat".

So next time you're in the store, look up over our red door at the entrance and you'll not only see my handiwork but catch a glimpse into my family as well.