Create a Chevron Inspired Concrete Garden Bench

Create a Chevron inspired concrete garden bench. I love garden benches and I wanted a concrete one but did not want to pay $60. Plus I wanted something unique so I decided to create one with concrete. A concrete garden bench will last for years and it will be something that you can say “I made that” or “my family made this for me”. For me sentimental value far outweighs any store bought gift.

I have directions below and depending upon the cost of materials in your area, you can create this concrete garden bench for around $25 dollars. You will need:

2 bags of concrete (I like to use the better bags such as Sakrete 5000 made for sidewalks and countertops)
large tub to mix the concrete in
water and tools to mix the concrete
screws so you can take off the form easily
2″ x 4″x 8′
- cut- 2 @ 12″; 2@ 8 1/4″; & 2@23″
1″x12″x8
- 2@ 9 1/4″; 4@ 13 1/2″; 2@ 3 1/2″ (or use a 2×4 in place cut 2@ 11 1/2″)
couple pieces of rebar or some sort of wire to reinforce the concrete (if you plan on making these benches to sit on)
flat surface, plastic or tarp, and a place in the shade for the concrete to cure for a couple weeks
sander, concrete trowel, putty knife, hammer, grout or concrete float (tools to spread and work the concrete)
WD40, Garage Door lube, cooking spray, or any oil type spray to spray the forms to help release the concrete

Mix the concrete one bag at a time and make it the consistency of cake batter. Make sure the ground or work area where you will be pouring the concrete in to forms is level. You can cover the ground with a plastic tarp or use plywood as the bottom of the form. Once you pour/scoop the concrete into the form for the top you use a putty knife, concrete float or other tool to smooth out the concrete. Then have the sander ready to vibrate the wood frame to help release the air bubbles and you may have to go back over and smooth the concrete. At this point, take a putty knife and push the edges to help make them smooth (as seen in the picture). You will see water rising to the top- that is okay- you want to keep working the concrete until air bubbles stop rising to the top of the concrete. After you get the top smoothed out, you can add decorations to the top- small rocks, metal pieces, gems, or any decorative pieces. Hobby Lobby has great sales on metal pieces that I use in my garden benches.

Moving on to the base takes a bit more vibrating to get the concrete to release the air bubbles. Run the sander (or you can use a hammer to tap) over all of the wood frame. This will take about 10 or more minutes. Use the putty knife (just as you did with the top) and smooth out the edges. Once you get done, let the concrete sit for about 24 hours before you take off the forms. Do not have the concrete in direct sun and if that is the only place to work then cover the bench with plastic and keep the concrete covered to cure for a couple weeks. I placed mine in the shade for a couple weeks to cure/dry and then placed them in the garden. My cats enjoy the benches and are strong enough to hold 200+ pounds and have been in my garden for 2 years.

Once the concrete cures in the forms for a day, you can take out screws on each side (opposite sides) of the forms so you can pull the form apart. Once the concrete cures a couple weeks you can also take a file or grinder and carefully smooth out any rough edges (if they bother you).

If you have a gardener in your life, this is a perfect gift for their garden. Thanks for stopping by and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me.