Designing your own storage bench

Football season is almost upon us again!

And, ultimately, it’s not just the football we’re looking forward to, but all the flag waving, car honking, meeting up with friends and cheering our teams on from in front of our TVs.

With a special storage bench that’s perfectly kitted out to meet the needs of football fans, following the individual matches becomes an even more enjoyable experience. During the game, the bench serves as a comfortable seat with place to keep drinks cool and storage pockets for football paraphernalia; after the final whistle, it is a decorative place to stash seat cushions, paraphernalia and much more.

A real home game.

You’ll need the following materials to make the football-themed storage chest:

4 wooden boards (120 x 50 x 1.5 cm), “A-panels” in the text
2 wooden boards (50 x 50 x 1.5 cm), “B-panels” in the text
2 hinges
foam (120 x 50 x 5 cm)
sturdy green fabric (approx. 2 x 3 m)
soft fabric in a colour of your choice (approx. 1 x 1 cm)
4 polystyrene boards (covered with aluminium foil), slightly shorter than the A-panels
2 polystyrene boards (covered with aluminium foil), slightly shorter than the B-panels
tacker, e.g. NOVUS J-165 EAD, with A14 fine wire staples
electric drill
scissors
paintbrush and paint
screwdrivers and screws
adhesive
Screw clamps
4 castors with parking brake

And it’s this simple to make:

1. Glue together three A-panels and the two side pieces (B-panels). Use screw clamps to keep the frame firmly pressed together while the glue sets. After the glue has set, screw the boards together with two wood screws on each side, for more hold. You can then paint or stain the wooden body however you want.

Instructions, storage bench — Step 1: Glue and screw the wood into an open box

2. Use the final A-panel to make the lid of the chest. Lay the foam and fleece on this panel. Cut the green fabric to size, stretch it over the foam and fleece, and staple it to the underside of the lid with the NOVUS J-165. When covering the board, it is important to start by stapling the fabric in place on two opposite sides, pulling it taut.

Workshop on making your own storage bench — Step 2: Staple the foam, fleece and fabric to the lid

3. Attach the hinges to the inside of the chest’s rear wall, 20 cm from the edge. Now screw the lid on to the hinges so that it closes flush.

Building a seat box with a tacker — Step 3: Screw the hinges on

4. Next, line the inside of the storage bench with polystyrene and hot-glue it in place.

The polystyrene will keep your drinks cool.

Attaching polystyrene with glue gun for storage bench — Step 4: Glue the polystyrene panels in place with the Steinel hot-melt glue applicator

5. Cut out an approx. 30-cm-long and 5-cm-wide strip from the soft fabric and shape it into a loop. Staple the loop in the middle of the top edge of the lid, to enable it to be opened easily.

Instructions for storage bench — Step 5: Tack the strap handle on

6. Attach the castors with parking brakes to the underside of the case, to make it easier to move around.

Stapling wooden storage benches — Step 6: Attach the castors to the bottom of the bench

7. Now cut storage pockets out of the remaining fabric and staple them to the side walls of the storage bench.

Building outdoor seating — Step 7: Cut out the bottle holders and tack them in place

8. Finally, simply fill the storage bench with drinks and the necessary football paraphernalia, and you’re ready for the football fun to begin!

Building a storage bench — Step 8: Just fill the chest and let the fun begin!