Do you have an unused bathroom that you are not using? Or do you want to remodel your bathtub, but the timing is not right? Well, why not turn that old bathtub into a bathroom bench?! Find out how in today’s bathtub DIY!

We have been living in this house for almost three years…and almost every day for those three years, I have been lamenting that the old tub in our master bathroom is an eyesore.

Neither Don nor I are bath takers, so there it sat – empty, taking up LOTS of room and gathering dust (and all other kinds of weirdness) with no useful purpose whatsoever.

The best option (for us) would have been to remove the ugly tub, but we were told by our realtor that we couldn’t take it out. So, due to that, I scoured the internet and even an online form for some useful ideas (surprisingly – “unused bathtub” isn’t a high traffic topic on the world wide web), came up with a vague idea for a seating area, but mostly I’d resigned myself to staring into the vastness of the empty ugly bathtub for all eternity.

Until my friend Erin came along.

LET’S TALK ABOUT ERIN!

Erin is one of those people who will tell you she isn’t crafty, but who one day just casually mentioned that she builds furniture for fun! So after hearing me whine for the 69000th time about my bathtub, she said, “I’m coming over to measure, I’m going to build you a bench”. Now – it should be noted here that my hubby (Erin’s too) was deployed at the time. I don’t want his manhood (ie, ability with power tools) to be called into question – I’m sure he would have built me a lovely bench 7.5 years from now.

Build she did – with some plywood cut just shy of the length of the tub and a few 2x2s around the base of the bench and across the width, she created EXACTLY what I was looking for! 

So, if you can’t get a new bathtub or don’t have the time to do a bathroom remodel at the moment, then you will have a good time making this simple bathroom bench!

{FTC disclaimer – this blog post contains an affiliate link. I might make a few pennies if you buy something!}

BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT OUR BATHTUB DIY, LET’S TALK BATHROOMS:

Bathrooms come in all shapes and sizes! Whether you have a small bathroom or a large one, this DIY project can easily be added to your existing tub. For example, in our bathroom, we have a standard tub, but you could make this bench for freestanding tubs, acrylic tubs, a natural stone bathtub, or even a custom tub. Also, the other thing to keep in mind is that even though we are working in our master bathroom, this project would also be ideal for a guest bathroom or for covering up minor damages that might be on the bottom of the tub.

However, before we get to the building, we have to talk about every’s favorite subject – cleaning (LOL)!

Before building your bathroom bench, I highly recommend that you clean your entire bathroom first and get the tub ready for the bench. This is because we won’t be doing any work in the bathroom besides adding the bench to the tub. Due to that, and the fact that this will be a sitting area, you want your bathroom and bathtub surfaces to be clean. So if you are wondering what to clean, below is a list of the main things I would do/consider cleaning:  

Clean

• The sides of the tub
• The shower walls
• The tub drain
• The tile floors

Tasks To Do

• Remove the shower curtain
• Remove or organize products (shampoo, soap, etc.) 

Doing all this before building the bench will give you peace of mind because all the ”cleaning work” will be out of the way, and you can enjoy the process of decorating or developing the look of your bathroom!

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

• 1/4 or 3/8 piece of Plywood (the thickness of the wood is up to you, but it needs to be big enough to cover your bathtub)
• 2×2 Wood Pieces (you will need enough to ”frame” your larger wood piece that will cover your tub)
• Saw
• Nails and Hammer, or Nail Gun, or Wood Glue (you can choose which option is best for you)
• Spray Adhesive
• Urethane Foam Sheet
• Craft Knife
• Measuring Tape
• Upholstery Fabric
• Fabric Scissors
• Staple Gun

DIY BATHTUB: HOW TO CREATE A BATHROOM BENCH FROM AN UNUSED BATHTUB

BUILDING THE BENCH:

The first thing to do when creating our bathroom bench is to look at our bathtub (LOL)!

Since our bathroom did not have a ”luxury bath”, creating a bench with a few 2x2s from the Home Depot was fairly easy. However, depending on the type of tub you want to cover (a garden tub, soaking tub, etc.), you may need to make a few adjustments. Also, if your bathtub has features like grab bars, towel racks, or soap holders, you may need to take those into consideration when cutting the wood.

If you are unsure about how things might look, you can always cut out a bench template from some foam board or cardboard. This could be a good idea for those of you who feel that your bathtub is either oddly shaped or you simply want to see a visual of what the bench could look like.

To build our bench, Erin measured our bathtub and cut a piece of plywood that was just a bit shorter (about 1/2 -1 inch) than the length of our tub. Then she cut some 2x2s and nailed them to the base and width of the bench (see photo below).

For us, this was the easiest way to build a bench, but you could make your bench as fancy as you want.

ADDING THE FOAM:

Next, I applied spray adhesive to the top of the bench, then laid a urethane foam sheet on top of the spray adhesive and cut the sheet to size with a craft knife.

ADDING THE FABRIC:

I (actually we – thanks to my mom, who was visiting for the weekend) added some upholstery fabric to the wooden bench. To do that, we did the following:

1. Laid some upholstery fabric face down on the table.
2. Flipped the bench (foam-side down) on top of the fabric and pulled the fabric taut.
3. Folded the edge of the fabric under and used a staple gun to staple the fabric to the wood around all four sides of the bench.

ADDING THE BENCH TO YOUR BATHROOM:

When your bench is all covered, all you need to do is slide it over your bathtub, and you are done!

Having the bench slide over the tub is great because it’s easily removable, and you can easily access the tub. Plus, since the bench covers the tub completely, you now have extra space that can be used for hidden storage.

To add some finishing touches, I placed a few pillows on the bench and added some wall art above. Doing this extra step added that extra coziness and allowed us to create a place where we could lay out our clothes, I can sit to give myself a pedicure, or the cat can commandeer it for yet another place to take a nap.

So while I can’t lend you, Erin, if you ever find yourself staring woefully at an unused bathtub, you can round up a handy friend (or hubby) and create your a little piece of crafty goodness right in your own tub!

WAIT, BEFORE YOU GO, DO YOU WANT SOME BATHROOM DECOR IDEAS? 

As I mentioned before, I added a few finishing touches to our bathtub bench to bring the whole look together. Personally, I really enjoyed this process and had fun picking out the pillows and wall art. However, if you want to save money on those accessories and want to keep crafting away, check out the 3 fun projects below that would be perfect to add to your bathroom!

Oyster Shell Decor: How To Make DIY Trinket Dishes

Watch out, Anthropologie! We’re making our own oyster shell decor with just a few inexpensive supplies. These trinket dishes are so on trend (and so expensive), but we’ve discovered how easy it is to turn oyster shells into some cute home décor using decorative paper napkins and Mod Podge! – These trinket dishes would be perfect to decorate a navy blue or natural-themed bathroom. Plus, they are perfect for holding rings. 

DIY Farmhouse Decor: How to Paint a Large Basket

As we’re spending more time inside, I think we’ve all started to look at our decor in a new way. Come on in and see how easy it is to turn a plain old large basket into a useful piece of farmhouse home decor! – Updating a basket and adding it to your bathroom would be ideal for holding towels, toilet paper, or even a fake plant. 

DIY Flower Vase with Recycled Glass Jar

Are you looking for a fun diy project? Then grab a few old jars from the recycling bin and some Rust-oleum spray paint and get crafty! Make an upcycled DIY flower vase for fresh spring blooms! – Speaking of fake plants, if you love flowers, these vases would be fun to make for your bathroom counter or shelves. 

OK, I SAID 3 BUT HERE IS A BONUS PROJECT!  

Easy Customized Hostess Gifts – Monogrammed Tea Towels

Add a monogram to any plain tea towel by using the Cricut Explore! These monogrammed tea towels can be made in just a few minutes and make the perfect hostess gift! – Even though this project is about tea towels, you can recreate this project to make your own custom bathroom towels.

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Bathtub DIY: How To Turn An Unused Tub Into A Bench

Do you have an unused bathroom that you are not using? Or do want to remodel your bathtub but the timing is not right? Well, why not turn that old bathtub into a bathroom bench?! Find out how in today’s bathtub DIY!

Author: Beth Kingston

Materials

• 1/4 or 3/8 piece of Plywood (the thickness of the wood is up to you, but it needs to be big enough to cover your bathtub)
• 2×2 Wood Pieces (you will need enough to ”frame” your larger wood piece that will cover your tub)
• Saw
• Nails and Hammer or Nail Gun or Wood Glue (you can choose which option is best for you)
• Spray Adhesive
• Urethane Foam Sheet
• Craft Knife
• Measuring Tape
• Upholstery Fabric
• Fabric Scissors
• Staple Gun

Instructions

• Measure your bathtub and cut some plywood that is the length of the tub (this will be your main bench). Then add some 2x2s around the base and width of the bench.

  Note: When adding the 2x2s you can either use a hammer and nails or wood glue.
• Applied some spray adhesive to the top of the bench.
• After you have applied the spray adhesive to the top of the bench, lay a urethane foam sheet on top of the spray adhesive and cut the sheet to size with a craft knife.
• Add fabric to the bench. To do this you would do the following:

  1. Lay upholstery fabric face down on your work surface.

  2. Flip the bench (foam-side down) on top of the fabric.

  3. Pull the fabric taut and then fold the edges of the fabric under.

  4. Using a staple gun, staple the fabric to the wood around all four sides of the bench.
• Slid the covered bench over the top of the bathtub.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR ANOTHER DIY HOME FURNISHING PROJECT? THEN CHECK OUT OUR HEADBOARD PROJECT MADE OUT OF OLD DOORS!