Outdoor bench redo

I found an old crummy bench months ago on the curb. It was a blast from the past, but nothing a little elbow grease couldn't fix.

Here are the before pictures:

Lovely, right? It's kind of an odd piece and I wondered what it was originally used for. I couldn't think of a place for it inside so I decided it would work best on our deck.

To spruce it up I sanded off the old finish, brushed on deck stain, replaced the plugs, and purchased new cushions from Kohl's. The whole project cost me less than $30.

I started with 80 grit sandpaper and finished with 120. An electric sander was a must with this project.
I could have used a paint stripper, but I really hate working with that stuff.

I'm not super fond of this stain color. We bought it for our deck and it's more red than I'd like.

I had to go back and stain the plugs after hammering them in with a rubber mallet. I should have purchased the plugs earlier and stained everything together. Oh well!

Sonoma Outdoor Chair Pad from Kohl's

Here are the after photos:

I need to buy a plant to place on the middle arm rest.

I'm hoping my husband will build a big 10 person table for the deck this week. My timeline is always more optimistic than his though. That tutorial will be coming... someday...