Dumpster Diving

I looked out one day to see this discarded bench sitting next to the dumpster! I dispatched HeWho has strong arms to retrieve it for me.

Interesting, I thought. A little loose jointed, it will need to be tightened up. Looks like it had cushions on it. That won't work for my purposes, though. I know exactly where I want it to go and I am not going out every night to bring the cushions in.

Paint is the next step, after I make a seat bottom. I like to challenge myself. My challenge for this project is to spend zero dollars. I scrounged around my scrap wood and chose to use 2 X 4's. Already here and they just needed a few cuts to fit.

I left the springs in place. Too much of a hassle to remove them and I could not think of another project to use them on.While I was measuring the boards I had an epiphany. I could not find my tape measure (despite the fact that HeWho loses tools gave me my very own tool bag and my very own tools with purple handles ....... he "borrows" them and I never see them again.), so I was sliding the boards onto the seat and marking them for cuts.

Two of the boards were long, not long enough to cut in half and use, but they stuck out on either side. As I stood there looking at them, it hit me (my epiphany). Why not leave them long and use them as a little side table on which to place one's cup? I said this aloud to myself, as I often do, and my inner voice said "YES!"

I used some 1 X 4's to create the side tables and then rummaged through the paint I already had on hand. This yellow green was exterior gloss, so it won the selection process. I was really leaning towards a bight blue, but that was interior paint. As you can see, Mr. BoJangles was "helping" me, but he became tired and simply lay down to sleep. He did end up with some yellow paint in his fur.

Remember my recent mulching extravaganza?Well, this is one of the beds I did. I did not plant flowers, but put it in between some young trees I planted. One day, there will be shade there. The bench faces the golf/billiards game. Looks like a good place to wait your turn, don't you think?

I spent absolutely nothing on this project. Patting myself on the back. Dumpster diving can be a good thing!