Daybed Porch Swing Bench

Every yard should have a daybed porch swing bench like this! This daybed porch swing bench is functional and makes a great statement piece in your yard!

I built this daybed porch swing bench for an annual school auction & it did not disappoint! It was so much fun having a couple of people in a bidding war.

Building this daybed porch swing bench started with an idea more than a plan. I will share how I ultimately made this daybed porch swing bench. I hope it will save you from the late nights and redos that were a part of my process.

Oh, see those cute metallic wine glasses? To see how I made them using dollar store plastic glasses visit the blog post here.

My plan revolves around having the seat back of the bench, be its own artwork. A wood quilt pieced together using reclaimed redwood. 

I love when Becca helps me in the garage!

• Cut a piece of 3/4" thick outdoor rated plywood to the size needed for the bench back.
  • Our bench was somewhere around 60". The 2x4 sides were 3.5" each. I subtracted 7 from 60 to get the 53" for the seat back.

• You can vary your height based on your needs.

• Find the center of your board and begin building from there.

• I made a line all the way across the center length and across & then the center length down. This created 4 quadrants and straight lines to work off of

• For the center I chose 2 triangles together, a square would do the same thing. Position them point side up to sit like a diamond to create the same pattern.

• Using a table saw, rip your reclaimed wood boards down to the width you want your seat back wood quilt built from. I ripped mine to 1.5".

• You can, and should get creative with this process. I cut one end of my wood at a 45-degree angle using my Miter Saw on one end and built a pattern as I went. Line the 45-degree cut end up against the triangles in the center. I built my pattern from there. You will wish you paid more attention in geometry, lol! I did use a little trial and error in cutting these pieces.

• My first attempt I tried to cut my edge end to the exact right size. I learned that it was best to overhang the ends and square it up at the end.

• Dry fit the pieces. Cut and place them on the plywood backboard with the ends overhanging the plywood. Once you have the design how you want it; use Titebond III to glue the pieces in place. Add the glue to the backs & attach them with nails, I used my Ryobi Airstrike

• Let this part dry. 

• You can use a jigsaw or a circular saw depending on your comfort level. I am not great at cutting a straight line. I like to line up a piece of 1x material clamped as an edge guide, you can see how I do this on my shiplap tutorial here.

This photo shows the edges mostly squared up. I think those 2 pieces shown overhanging are replacement pieces for 2 that a nail shot sideways through.

• I love the look of wood and paint together. I sanded the entire piece and painted select 1.5" pieces to create a beautiful pattern. I used Pure Home Paints Metallic Copper, White Linen, Slate, and Chestnut Stain to create the final look. The pieces were also top coated using Matte finish.

You have the pretty back of your Daybed porch swing bench built.

Cut 2x4's to the length for the front and back of the daybed porch swing bench (60") in this case. Cut your side (29") and attach them using glue & pocket holes/screws. Add center supports (also 29") . Added the first support at the center point, and then 2 more between the center support and the end piece.

Remember when I said I had some do-overs in this project? The photos are in an odd sequence for that reason. I realize this post may be more inspire an idea than step by step I will do better on future builds. I do a lot of my building in stolen moments and that can compromise the final tutorial. PLEASE ASK IN THE COMMENTS OR EMAIL ME ANY QUESTIONS!!!! I owe it to you to make this as comprehensible as possible!!!

Cut 2x4's to make the upright sides of your seat back. Choose the length based on how high you want your seat back to be. Line the tops up with the top edge of your wood quilt seat back. Attach the 2x4 sides using pocket holes. Drill pocket holes into the back side of your seat back using the Kreg Pocket hole jig. Choose the screws and settings based on the materials you are using.

Cut a piece of 1 x 2 trim to run along the bottom edge of your wood quilt seat backing. Cut to the exact size of our seat back minus the 2x4 sides (53" in this case). Drill pocket holes into the ends to attach the trim section to your 2x4 sides. Add glue to the ends and top side of your trim where it will line up with the edge of your plywood and your 2x4 sides. Nail this trim piece to the edge of your plywood & reclaimed wood seat back and add your screws into the 2x4 sides.

Cut a piece of 1x3 to trim the top of the bench seat. This piece will stretch the full 60". It will cover from the edge of the right side 2x4 to the left side 2x4. Line it up flush with the front of your seat back and overhang the back.

Screw the side supports from the back side of the side support rear into the rear of the base frame. Make sure you are creating a right angle. This daybed porch swing bench is daybed style by design. It has a 90-degree back as opposed to a slanted back on other porch swing types.

On the front side of the daybed porch swing bench, cut 2 x 4's for the right and left side arm support uprights. Cut them flus with your bench seat base frame. Predrill and screw these 2 pieces into the front corner of the right and left side corners. These uprights would hold the arm supports.

Cut 4 more arm supports for each side. These arm supports need to be the final height of your front arm support height, minus the 3.5" of the base frame. I hope that makes sense. The first two, front pieces, measure from the floor to the arm support height. These next ones will stand on the base frame and not the floor. Add pocket holes to the base and screw then down into your base frame.

Make the top surface of the arm support using a 1x4. You can leave this square or use a router and a round over bit to create a nice finished edge around the arm. You may see in the photos the wine glass holders notched in. You could also add in a hole to hold a beer mug. The arm supports get placed on top of the arm support uprights. Use glue in all contact spots. Drive screws down through the arm support surface and into the arm support uprights.

Cut redwood slats to length (I used well sanded fence boards). This should be 60", but please measure edge to edge. From the outer top of one side of the base frame to the outer side of the opposite side of the base frame. These redwood slats are your bench seat bottom. 

You need to map out where the notches need to be cut out. Cut the notches into the ends using a jigsaw. The notches are to fit around your arm support uprights. A small gap, 1/8" to 1/4" is also left between the slats to allow water to fall through without puddling after rainy days. Eye balling this should be enough.

If you recall, we left an overhang from the top trim on the seat back. Cut the same type of redwood slats you used for your seat base to the length of your seat back. Glue and screw these redwood pieces into the back of your bench from under the top trim piece to the base trim piece. (this is not shown. If I find where I save the images from this step I will add them in)

Get a professional look, by adding an outdoor, paintable caulking to the joints. Paint your Daybed porch swing bench. 

These photos show a bright white using White Linen. The seat base and the stained pieces of the seat back were stained using the same Chestnut Brown Stain.

Now add the hanging hardware. The chains and hanging bolts were the most intimidating part for me. I got lucky, the person working at Lowe's when I went in was very helpful. I did end up making the chain and hooks heftier than necessary. I like an industrial feel. These large hooks and heavy chain can support an entire family.

Not everyone has a porch to hang an amazing daybed porch swing bench from. You can build a daybed porch swing bench frame with plans. I purchased plans from April Wilkerson at Wilkerdos.com. These plans were inexpensive and easy to follow and include an optional roof if you need one.

Again, I hope this is enough information to help you plan out your Daybed porch swing bench. You can ask questions in the comments are of this page. This will help everyone because I can go back in and add the details. Thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts on this project. If you make a daybed porch swing bench, come back and share a photo with me!