We’d always wanted a tree bench seat in our garden so that the space could be functional, but had never got round to it. So we finally got our creative hats on and began our very own DIY tree bench seat project! It was really easy to put together and it’s a great new outside seating area. I have put together a simple step-by-step guide to show you how to build your own tree seat.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- Your bench kit
- A mallet
- Screwdriver / drill
- Paint / Stain (optional)
- Flowers/Plants (optional)
BUILD YOUR DIY TREE BENCH SEAT
STEP 1: PICK YOUR TREE BENCH SEAT
First, choose your bench kit from ManoMano that will fit your and your tree’s needs – I chose this medium tree seat / planter.
STEP 2: LEVEL THE AREA AROUND THE TREE
Ensure that you are creating the base for your DIY tree bench seat on a flat surface. Ours was slightly raised due to the tree roots which made it difficult to get the base to sit flat. In hindsight, we should have leveled the surrounding ground first.
STEP 3: BUILD THE BENCH BASE
We got all of the pieces out of the tree bench seat box and counted them to see that we had everything that we should (we did). We then followed the instructions to build the base, which detailed how each piece of wood had two grooves in, one at either end. The idea is that you start with the first piece of the wood and then attach the next piece into one of the grooves, it doesn’t matter which end you choose, that just determines which direction you take when making the base. Once the first two pieces are attached to each other, you follow the same method until you meet the original piece and then your base is built.
STEP 4: THE ONLY WAY IS UP
We found it useful to have two people to put the tree bench seat together as there were occasions where one piece would un-slot on one end when we were trying to fix in the other end. It worked well when one person held one end in place whilst the other hammered the other end down. Once the bench’s base was built, we simply just followed the same method to build upwards. All of the pieces easily slotted into each other and we used the mallet to gently tap them into place.
STEP 5: ADD THE BENCH SEAT!
We continued with this method until all of the pieces of the tree seat had been put together. The last part was to attach the seats to the top by simply screwing the provided screws into the pre-cut holes to secure it in place. We used a drill for ease but the same outcome can be achieved by just using a screwdriver.
STEP 6: THE FINAL TOUCHES
And that was it! Simple…The tree seat comes untreated so you can paint it or stain it a colour of your choice. I recommend doing this to protect the wood against weather damage. There is also a gap between the bench seat and the tree trunk which can be filled with flowers, plants or both. I plan on planting some pretty bulbs that will bloom in Spring such as Bluebells, Hyacinth and Tulips.
Did you enjoy this article from All Things Interior on how to make your own DIY tree bench seat? Why not read more about outdoor garden living or even our guide on garden landscaping, decor and style!
Are you building your own tree bench seat? Share your finished results with us on instagram using the #mymanomanoway, #manomanouk and #youvegotthis hashtags!
