Upcycle a Sleigh Bed into a Bench

My teen daughter had a sleigh bed which I was rather fond of. That was until her 6-foot, 200-pound, teen cousin decided to plop on it. Not only did he plop heavily on it. He picked her up first and then plopped with their combined weight.

Broken Sleigh Bed

Needless to say, it was too much for the sleigh bed frame to handle and it broke.

Looking at the good wood on the bed, I was hesitant to throw it away. So, I started doing a little research on different things I could make with a broken bed, and the bench was born.

Finished Sleigh Bed

Materials Needed to Upcycle a Sleigh Bed into a Bench :

(Each bed is a little different so the dimensions will be different as well.)

2 x 4’s for making the seat box.

• 2×4 These will build the box that the bed pieces will attach to and support the seat boards.

• length of headboard minus the space for the footboard on each side (2)

• horizontal supports for front and back of bench

• 8 1/2 inch (2)

• horizontal supports for the sides of the bench

• 1/2 inch tongue and groove floor boards.

• 11 1/2 inch (number needed to fill the seat area)

Sleigh Bed Headboard

• headboard

• footboard

• one sideboard from the bed

Exterior Screws

Trim head scews 1 1/4 inch

Bench Screws - screws for the box to the bench

Construction Screws 2 inch

Screws for the box portion of the Upcycled Sleigh Bed bench

Construction screws 2 1/2 inch

Finishing Nails 1 1/4 inch

Stain gel

Paintable caulk

Caulk

White Chalk Paint

Chalk Paint

Finishing Wax

Finishing Wax

Sandpaper

Tools Needed for the Sleigh Bed Upcycle Project:

Rags

Paint Brush

Air Finishing Nail Gun

Drill (for pilot holes)

Upcycled Sleigh Bed Supplies

Electric screwdriver

oscillating saw

Miter saw

table saw

speed square

Preparation of the Sleigh Bed Pieces for the Bench:

Cut footboard into two side pieces

The sleigh bed headboard will remain intact for this project but the footboard needs to be cut down. You could just cut it in half but I wanted to have a seat depth of 12 inches so I cut it down even further. The first time I cut it I used a circular saw. I found that when it comes to cutting a curved item straight with it I had some limitations. I ended up going back and carefully cutting the piece straight on the table saw. The thick curved portion was the hardest but I was thankfully able to get a nice straight cut.

Cut off any decorative pieces that make wood contact difficult.

Because the side pieces need to butt right up against the headboard, if there are any decorative pieces that stand out they will need to be cut back. Only cut as much as you need so you don’t have any big gaps.

Oscillating saw works well for detail work

This detail work is something that the oscillating saw tends to excel at.

Notch the footboard so it fits against the side of the headboard well

Notching out the corner of the footboard to match up well with the headboard is a little difficult. I measured it out and then used the tablesaw to do the majority of the cut and used the oscillating saw for what the blade couldn’t reach.

Cut one side support to go across the front of the bench

After double-checking the fit to the headboard I measured out the distance for the front. Cut a portion of the sideboard to cover the seat box in the front.

Rough up the bed finish so the paint will stick better.

Now that all the bed pieces are cut you can measure how big the box can be and cut out your 2x4s. Then use sandpaper to rough up the finished wood so that the paint will stick a little more easily.

Assembly of the Bench:

Like with most projects, the prep work is the worst part. Now it is just a matter of putting it together.

Put 2×4 box together

The first step is to build the support box. This is made with the 2x4s. The shorter boards will be in between the long ones. I like to use the speed square and clamps to help me get the box put together nicely. I use 2 1/2 to 3-inch screws to hold the box together.

Use clamps and drill pilot holes

I like to drill a pilot hole before putting in the screws for a lot of these reclaimed wood pieces. It reduces the amount of wood splitting that occurs.

Carefully place the sides

Now that the box is created you can place it on the headboard and gently position the sides next to it. This will help you figure out the positioning of the box. Remember that you need 1/2 inch of space for the seat boards. Then attach the box to the headboard.

Attach the sides to the bedframe.

I didn’t want to attach my sides to the back without being sure it was level so I placed it back up on its feet and shifted things until it felt really stable. I had to have a little help at this point because the headboard was so top-heavy it wanted to fall backward. When you attach things be sure to pay attention to the thickness of the different areas. I had one section of the sides that was so thin I couldn’t attach anything to it. I used the finishing screws to connect the side pieces to the headboard.

attach notched out area

Use a level when placing the box so the seat doesn’t tilt

Before attaching the box to the sides, use a level and mark where the box should be to keep the seat level.

Clamping the sides together when attaching the box

The other thing I ended up doing was using 2 clamps to pull in the sides so it was a really good fit with no gaps before attaching the box to the sides with the 2 inch screws. It was at this point that I had to be careful about what I attached it to.

Bed Bench – when attaching front piece be sure there is not a gap.

Bed Bench – attach front piece to the box.

When you place the front piece on, attach it with a 1/2 inch lip above the 2×4, so it is a good edge for the seat to go against.

Finish the Bench

When painting in the yard, elevate for a cleaner paint job.

Place the bench up on a pallet in preparation for painting.

Caulk all gaps

Use a paintable caulk to fill all gaps and smooth transitions.

Remove the excess caulk from the sleigh bed bench.

Remove any excess caulk with an old sock or rag. Allow it time to dry.

Apply 2-3 coats of chalk paint.

Now is when you start to really see the results. I like how the paint looks but in this case it took 3 coats to fully cover the bench.

Use sandpaper to distress the edges of your sleigh bed bench.

I always think this step is a little funny because I work so hard to fully cover the piece with paint and then as soon as it is dry, I sand it off all the corners. This gives it that distressed look that I love so much. This helps to draw out the details of the piece.

Attach hardwood flooring to the frame for the seat.

Place your tongue and groove boards for the seat. Ours was a Brazillian cherry wood flooring that we ripped out of one of the rooms a few years ago. In all likelihood, one of the boards will need to be ripped down to the correct width on the table saw so it will fit well.

Bed Bench – attach seat with nail gun

Attach the flooring to the 2×4 box with a pneumatic nailer with finishing nails.

Touch up nail holes with stain

Finally, touch up the nail holes with the appropriate colored stain. I like to use the gel because it doesn’t make as much of a mess.

That is all there is to it. I ended up donating this piece to our county fair where it will be used for years to come. That makes me feel so much better than just throwing it in the rubbish heap. Hopefully, this gave you some ideas about how to upcycle your worn-out items. We’d love to hear about them below.