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A Beautiful Modern Leather Bench

Beautiful design on this modern leather bench. Perfect as a bedroom bench or an entryway bench. The natural wood and brown leather make a beautiful combination! Make your own with these FREE build plans!

Custom furniture can do a lot to complete a space. Every space that we have renovated or redesigned has included a piece of custom DIY furniture. Not only have we saved a ton of money on beautiful furniture, we’ve learned a lot about building and woodworking. I have to admit that all of the complicated woodworking is courtesy of my handy husband.

Beautiful design on this modern leather bench. Perfect as a bedroom bench or an entryway bench. The natural wood and brown leather make a beautiful combination! Make your own with these FREE build plans!

This DIY bench came about as I was completing our Master Bedroom. About a week before the entire room was supposed to be finished, I decided I wanted a last minute bench, lol. In looked in some stores, but the items I wanted were in the $300-$400 range, and I just couldn’t afford it. So I drew out what I wanted, and my husband built this beauty for me in an afternoon for less than $100! 

How to Build Your Own Modern Leather Bench?

Start by download the free build plans here (you are also agreeing to our Privacy Policy):

A full list of materials and tools can be found on the build plans!

Once you have the build plans in hand, you can follow along with these directions. I’ve combined a few of the tutorial pictures into a collage, which you can follow from top left to bottom right.

Beautiful design on this modern leather bench. Perfect as a bedroom bench or an entryway bench. The natural wood and brown leather make a beautiful combination! Make your own with these FREE build plans!
  1. Cut your parts to width/height/length as shown in the diagram.
  2. Take “Part A”.  Using a 1’ Diameter Fostner bit drill a hole at the end as noted in the drawing. This step can also be completed on “Part B.”
  3. Continuing with “Part A”, cut out the notch that allows Parts A and B to join. This can be cut out using a table saw and kerfing, or a router with a flush cut bit. This step can also be completed on “Part B” – ensure you cut the notches on the correct side to allow Part A and B to create an “X” shape when fitted together.
  4. Continuing with “Part A”, cut out the Mortise (for the Mortise and Tenon joint) as shown in the drawings. Pay attention to which side you cut the mortise from, as it should be on the inside face of the leg. This step can also be completed on “Part B.”
  5. Take “Part D” and cut out the Tenon on the end. Once cut, dry fit and lightly sand Tenon as required to ensure a tight fit into the Mortise of Parts A and B. You may want to mark the Tenon end of Part D and the Mortise you are dry fitting to make re-assembly easier.
  6. Take your dowel which was cut to length and nail two 1” wide square blocks on each end – ensure the dowel is mounted flush with each side of the square block. This will allow you to safely route the groove on the dowel. Route the groove as detailed on the drawings. Once groove on dowel is completed you can remove the square blocks for either end.
  7. Sand all pieces prior to assembly.
  8. Glue, fit, and clamp the piece together. Start with assembling Parts A and B to create an “X”, then glue and install the bottom braces, followed by the dowel with the groove facing upwards and inwards, the dowel will need to be nailed into place (ensure nails do not go through the frame). Once the dowels are installed the slats can be glued and nailed into place (as per the drawings).
  9. Once glue has set lightly sand the bench. Apply desired stain and finish.
  10. Take your leather or faux leather and cut it to 24” long to 17” wide.
  11. Fold over ¼” of material on either side of the leather (width not length) and hem. This should result in a piece 24” long x 16 ½” wide.
  12. Install your leather over the dowels and slats. Start with stapling the fabric on the underside of one dowel, then stretching the material and stapling it to the underside of the opposite dowel. Depending on the material (how stretchy it is), you may have extra length. If so remove, allowing at least ¼” of material between the edge and the staples.


Connecting the dowel into the bench, is the most complicated part, but it’s also what sets this bench apart from all of the other benches out there!

Beautiful design on this modern leather bench. Perfect as a bedroom bench or an entryway bench. The natural wood and brown leather make a beautiful combination! Make your own with these FREE build plans!
Beautiful design on this modern leather bench. Perfect as a bedroom bench or an entryway bench. The natural wood and brown leather make a beautiful combination! Make your own with these FREE build plans!
Beautiful design on this modern leather bench. Perfect as a bedroom bench or an entryway bench. The natural wood and brown leather make a beautiful combination! Make your own with these FREE build plans!
Beautiful design on this modern leather bench. Perfect as a bedroom bench or an entryway bench. The natural wood and brown leather make a beautiful combination! Make your own with these FREE build plans!
Beautiful design on this modern leather bench. Perfect as a bedroom bench or an entryway bench. The natural wood and brown leather make a beautiful combination! Make your own with these FREE build plans!

If you are a builder, you may love one of these great projects:

MODERN COFFEE TABLE

Build this beautiful Modern Coffee Table with the free build plans provided. What a beautiful addition to your living room!

MODERN BATH TRAY

Build your own DIY Bath Table with this simple tutorial! Bath trays are the perfect bathroom accessories to add character and style! Love that this bathtub tray has a wine glass holder too!
Beautiful design on this modern leather bench. Perfect as a bedroom bench or an entryway bench. The natural wood and brown leather make a beautiful combination! Make your own with these FREE build plans!

Iris Nacole

Wednesday 13th of September 2017

Lindi, you need to mass produce these! Such an amazing piece! Thanks for sharing it with us at The Creative Circle Link Party!

Lindivs

Wednesday 13th of September 2017

Haha, thanks Iris! If only I liked making the same thing over and over and over again... lol.

Laurie

Wednesday 6th of September 2017

I adore the bench so much! Thanks for sharing the plans. Your awesome bench will be featured at our next Brag About It Link Party. Hope you can join us next Tuesday. Thanks so much for sharing with us!

Lindivs

Thursday 7th of September 2017

Thank you Laurie!! I'm so honored :)

Kathleen Rupp

Wednesday 6th of September 2017

Wow! he did an excellent job! Great tutorial too. My husband will be interested in this project too. Thanks! This is the first time I am here at your site....found it through brag about it link party! Pinned it:)

Lindivs

Thursday 7th of September 2017

Thank you so much!!