Headboard Bench, Mesa Makeover

Now that we have our own place in Mesa, I had an opportunity to do a project.  I found this headboard at the Lutheran Thrift Store for $15.00.  It was the perfect size to make a bench for the deck.

I found some 2X4's in the dumpster and somebody else pulled a piece of plywood out of the dumpster because we thought we might need it for our bathroom floor, but that's another story.  I was having a hard time with the drill at the woodshop, and when a guy overheard me saying so, he offered to lend me his, he even dropped it off at the Tin Palace for me.

I bought a small sample pot of gray paint, and coated it a couple of times. I sanded it in spots to make it look scruffy, then spray varnished it to protect the paint.

I needed some foam for the seat, my friend had seen some at the thrift shop so I went back there and asked about it, the guys started laughing because they had just thrown them in the dumpster.  They happily dug it back out for me while explaining that nothing dirty goes in that dumpster.  I bought the fabric on sale at Hobby Lobby.  You have no idea what a novelty it is for me to go out shopping and find what I am looking for, and even have choices!  Although, one little rant here, I guess all lumber yards are the same, whether you are in a small town in Canada, or a city in the U.S.  I went to both Home Depot and Lowe's and asked for self tapping wood screws.  I was told there is no such thing, I explained that there is, I have used them before.  Then at one of the stores I asked if they carried Kreg products, the answer was no, even though I said I saw them on the web site, she said maybe I could order them online.  I pulled up the website on my phone, searched for  that store, and the website told me exactly which isle they were in, sure enough, there they were.  I really missed my calling, I should be working in a lumber/hardware store.

This is where I thought we would put the bench...

and this is where we ended up putting it, because Johnny thought it would get weathered in the other spot.