Having a large family means there is lots of bums to be seated. An average day here at Turra Lodge Farm required a table for ten. Now, that is not an issue when we are sitting inside at the kitchen table that seats twelve. But when it comes to tea in the garden it provides a bit of a challenge.
The average price of a patio set this large is two thousand euro.
Now, I love my family, but not that much. Plus, the high winds up here means that a lot of garden furniture becomes a kite during a storm so the likelihood of the investment paying off is pretty slim regardless.
I did however come up to a solution to this outdoor seating predicament. It involved a saw, a measuring tape, and some screws.
Oh, and the act of my brother building a house so I could permanently borrow the offcuts of his roof beams.
I have built planters and things in the past, but a functional piece of furniture for human use was a whole other ball game.
I gave it a go though. Worst that could happen was I hit the deck when I sit on it and then we would know I cannot build furniture. Trust me, I shocked even myself with the finished product.
I had come across this image on Pinterest, and it sparked my creativity. I am not one to follow instructions so I kind of just made up my own cutting list as I went along
Out of the offcuts of Darren’s build and some scraps we had from fencing I made a bench according to how my brain figured it should be made.
The men done that thing where they lightly kick the object for no good reason while they discuss where I went wrong in my construction.
So, I learned a few things and the design evolved when I made a second bench the following day.
It was assessed again… improvements recommended and the following day I made another.
Finally, a design that was approved. I then made six more benches giving me a total of nine two-seater benches.
Let the record show that none of the benches are identical as I was making the most of the scraps of wood available but now that they are painted and positioned in the meadow garden only an expert (or Dad) would notice the mismatch.
All in all, it was a very enjoyable project and it allowed me a way to create seating for the entire family for the cost of a box of screws.
I know I was very lucky to have the offcuts of my brother’s building material and so it saved me a massive chunk of money but making our own garden furniture is definitely something we will be doing more of in the future.
