Build a simple DIY Upholstered X-bench using 2x4s. The simple 2×4 bench plans are easy to follow even for the beginner woodworker. This DIY cross leg upholstered bench makes a great addition DIY entryway bench or an end of bed bench.
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This upholstered X-bench has totally added the perfect finishing touch to my bedroom!
It fits right in with the rest of the furniture in my master bedroom. with its cross-legs like the X-base nightstand and Pottery Barn inspired Clara bedside table. 
The best part is that this bench is built from only two 2 x 4 boards making it really easy on the budget. It comes in under $10 for the lumber! Can’t beat that!
I decided to upholster the top with faux fur. It is simply so soft and gorgeous! 
Let’s talk about the finish… I am crazy about it right now… and it is so easy to achieve. I have a video tutorial about that for you later in this post.
If you are a beginner woodworker, this 2×4 bench is the perfect project for you! Click here to download the printable pdf plans
RELATED: Check out the indoor/outdoor version of this bench with a full how-to video.
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Materials for building a simple bench –
- Lumber per the plans.
- 1″ Foam
- Polyfil – if you want to save money on this, I have a secret for you… read about it in the part where I upholster!
- Batting
- Fabric for upholstery. I used this faux fur from Joann. It is so amazingly soft!!
- Kreg Jig
- 2 1/2″ pocket hole screws
- 2″ Spax screws
- Drill
- Staple gun
- 3/8″ staples
- Stain or paint of your choice (I used Weathered Gray and Dark Walnut)
How to build the DIY upholstered X-bench –
This bench is super easy to make! Just follow the plans! Here are a few quick tips and tricks-
- Once you make all your cuts and pocket holes, be sure to sand the boards down before proceeding to assemble. Here is a full tutorial on how to use a Kreg Jig.
- I get questions about how to make those pocket holes on the angled pieces. You simply lay the bottom flat against the Kreg Jig. Here is a picture of how to do that!
- Make sure you lay out the pieces first before proceeding to join them to make sure all the boards align well.
- While assembling the legs, make sure the pocket holes are facing inside. You don’t want the pocket holes to be on the outside of the bench.
- If you would like to use wood filler to fill up the pocket holes, you can. I chose to leave mine alone and just filled them with stain to camouflage them in. They are hardly visible.
How to stain the bench with a custom stain color
I used weathered gray and dark walnut stains mixed together to create the beautiful effect. I demonstrated how to do this in my Facebook Live video. Here is the video clip for you –
How to upholster the bench –
I decided to add an upholstered top because I wanted a nice soft seating place in the bedroom. You can totally skip this and opt for a planked top made from 2×4 boards – which I show you in this indoor/outdoor version of this bench.
Below are the steps to upholster the top –
- Cut out 1″ foam to the size of your plywood. I used a bunch of leftover foam from various projects.
- Glue the foam to the plywood using spray adhesive.
- Cover the foam with polyfill. Wrap with batting and staple from the back. Here is a secret and a money saving tip – instead of the polyfill, I used the filling from a couple of pillows – they are about $1.50 at Walmart and much cheaper than buying a bag of polyfill!!
- Cover with the upholstery fabric and staple from the back. I chose this beautiful Faux Fur from Joann’s.
Once the bench top is upholstered, attach the top using 2” Spax screws to the frame we built using the plans.
Don’t forget!
You can get the Printable Plans for this Upholstered X-bench!
See all the amazing benches built by readers like you!
If you are a beginner woodworker, this is the perfect project for you!
Not quite the upholstered bench you were looking for? Or maybe you’re not the DIY type? Here are some great options for the same look!
Just click on the photo to check them out!
Love this? Need a console table?
I designed a version for you! Take a look at the X-leg Console table!
Need more X-leg furniture project ideas? take a look at 20 of my favorite X-leg projects!
Janine says
Hello Anika! I am building this beautiful piece. But a correction to your cut list–for the long side leg you have it as 14 3/4. It should be 15 3/4. Cutting it 14 3/4 makes the X off by an inch. Also, it would be nice to add exactly how many 2×4 needed for the project 🙂 I am following your plans but tweaking to make it my own. I decided not upholster and am using 4 2×4 as the top. I cut my top 2×4 out to 34″, which brings the whole price measuring out to 41″ long. (I have a king size bed and needed longer) Have a great day!
Anika says
Thanks for pointing it out Janine. I am so sorry about the error. The printable plans list that there are 2 boards needed for this project. Of course, that is for the upholstered version. I would love to see when you finish the build. You can email it to me or upload it to the reader project section. Happy building!
Evan Tracy says
Where did you use the two different plywood sizes? Where does the 1/2in go and where does the 3/4in go?!
Anika says
Hi Evan, The 1/2″ plywood is used for the upholstered base. There is no 3/4 ” lumber used in this build. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Trish says
Beautiful! Love the easy tutorial and plans.
Anika says
Thanks Trish!
Erlene says
Thanks for sharing your plans. Sometimes building something can be intimidating, but you make it look really easy.
Nigel William says
Hi! What kind of stain did you use for the bench?
Anika says
Hi Nigel,
I used a mix of grey and brown stain. There is a video tutorial about it in the post. Thanks,Anika