Get ready for those warm summer nights with this simple outdoor bench made with cinder blocks. We all love those warm weather nights around a campfire. The more friends, the merrier. With various seating options, this simple outdoor bench will provide comfort for your guests and will last for many nights to come!
The evening is warm. A steady 65 degrees after the sun goes down. You go grab your favorite over sized sweatshirt but remain in the same shorts you had on all day. Then, you grab your favorite drink… maybe your favorite craft beer, a glass of iced cold lemonade, who knows but all you know is that you need a refreshing drink over ice. All of your close friends are gathered around the camp fire and sweet summer memories are had tonight.
There is simply nothing better than those sweet summer nights! My husband and I especially enjoy them. We created our fire pit patio early in the spring of 2020 so that we could have our own little oasis to escape from whatever we might be facing.
This spring, we decided to upgrade this little space we loved so much. We currently have four black Adirondack chairs out here but we always ran out of seating last summer when we had company. I’ve been dreaming of an outdoor bench for back here but we didn’t really have an plans in the budget for something like this.
I created this budget-friendly outdoor bench for seating that will cost you under $55! You just can’t beat it.
Materials Needed for Simple Outdoor Bench Made with Cinder Blocks
+ 2 treated 4x4s – 8FT (we got ours from Home Depot)
+ black spray paint (we used Satin All Surface Paint + Primer in black from Rust-Oleum)
+ outdoor cushions with tie downs (optional)
Organizing Your Materials for the Outdoor Bench
First, I put together the bench so that I could figure out how I wanted it to look. I wanted to have an idea of how long of a bench I wanted before cutting the wood. We had bought 8 feet 4x4s but I didn’t want the bench to end up being 8 feet long. I kind of played around with the placement of the cinder blocks and adjusted the wood posts until I got it to the size that I wanted for the space we had.
Spray Painting the Cinder Blocks
Before I placed the posts into the cinder blocks, I covered them in a few coats of spray paint. I used “All Surface Paint + Primer” in the color black from Rust-Oleum. If you choose to use another spray paint, just be sure that it can be used on a masonry surface and that it is a paint that can be used for indoor/outdoor.
I chose this one from Rust-Oleum because it was a paint and primer all in one (if I can create less work for myself, I will!). It did a fantastic job at covering the cinder blocks. After the first coat dried, I noticed I would need another coat because the block soaked up some of the color. It took a total of two coats to get the blocks all covered in black.
You’ll want to wait until the cinder blocks are completely dried before handling them and attaching the posts to them.
Note: We have had our painted cinder blocks outside on our patio for about a week at this point. During that week, it has rained, been windy, and the sun has shined down on them. They have held up wonderfully and the paint has stayed on the cinder blocks without chipping or wearing away!
Cutting the Treated Wood
Once the cinder blocks were finished, it was time to begin cutting the treated 4x4s so that they were the size we needed for the bench. For our patio area, we decided the we would make each board go 4 feet across. We cut the boards using my husband’s circular saw.
We made sure the two boards we had cut were even and then we got ready to assemble everything together!
Putting together the Outdoor Bench
We took the painted cinder blocks, treated 4x4s, and outdoor cushions down to the patio to assemble.
We recently decided to purchase a golf cart to use to hangout with around our house. It’s been fun to ride around but also actually pretty useful to get some little chores done around the yard. Our patio is a short walk from the house and it was so so nice to be able to haul all of our materials for this bench down with the golf cart (we love a good efficient way to get things done). Work smarter not harder, right?!
We set up the cinder blocks vertically. You’ll want to space out the blocks to the size you have planned for the bench. There might be some minor adjusting from there. The treated 4x4s will then go through the square holes on the very top of the blocks.
And, that’s it! No other assembly needed. We didn’t need to secure anything else down for the bench because it was already secure as is! I think this was one of my favorite parts of this bench; little to no assembly!
The Final Look for the Simple Outdoor Bench Made with Cinder Blocks
I am such a fan of how this turned out! We wanted an outdoor bench that was modern, within budget, and easy to assemble. This bench accomplished all of that and more. We are in love!
If you really want to spice up your seating area, you can add outdoor cushions to the bench like we did! I bought inexpensive outdoor cushions in the color tan from Walmart. It was another simple addition that will allow for a complete look and added comfort for our friends!
Note: If you decide to add outdoor cushions, be sure to purchase ones that have ties. This will be so that they don’t move when sitting down and also so that they won’t blow away in the wind.
What do you think of the final product? Would you try this DIY on your own for your outdoor patio?
If you make this project, tag me on Instagram @thehappyhome.project with your beautiful creation!
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That is super easy!! Great idea. I’ve just now discovered spray painting outdoor things for furniture. This looks great. Thanks for sharing!
It’s so fun spray painting things for outside! Glad you enjoyed!