Build a tree bench

In the summer, every backyard should have a cool place to lounge. I saw a potential spot around our willow tree. More like a tree deck than a tree bench, the dimensions of this design are loosely based on a bench I admired on a visit to Sedona's Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village in Arizona. It was the only tree bench I've seen without a backrest. This simplifies construction: the tree trunk itself is a natural support for your back. The flat surface is wide, with room to stretch and relax. There's even space to spread out a meal, although the similarities to the Arizona bench end there.

I chose an open-legged base vs. the closed-in base of the original. And while the Arizona village benches were painted a pleasing shade of blue, I opted for clear-coated, natural cedar-a better-looking choice for my yard.

Download the detailed tree bench illustration here!

Start with the legs. Cut all four to length, then lay out the mortises on the inside faces of the legs. This two-part process begins by removing most of the waste material for the mortises using a 1"-dia. Forstner bit in a drillpress. Clamp a scrap wood fence on the drillpress table to help you make overlapping holes 1 5/8" deep along the length of each mortise. I used a 1/2"-dia. bit in a table-mounted router to remove the rest of the waste. Careful paring with a razor-sharp chisel also does the job.

Cut the rails to length, then lay out the tenons on the ends of each one. The tenons are 1 5/8" long. I made them using a sliding compound mitre saw, set to take 1/4"-deep cuts. Make multiple passes on each side to form the cheeks of the tenons. I also added a temporary auxiliary fence to the saw to make sure the cuts were flat. Test-fit each tenon in its own specific leg mortise, adjusting tenon size with a sharp chisel as needed.