DIY Coastal Crab Trap Storage Bench [For Less Than $100!]

I have figured out that I can usually go a few months before I’m already masterminding my next home DIY. And it isn’t long before I’m dropping mad hints to my husband to start whipping out his drill and saw – he knows how I get. This time, on a complete whim, I wanted to spruce up the dining area. I didn’t know what exactly, but I was itching for something under our window.

For a while I had been up in arms about getting something storage related for my husband’s fishing crap – oops, I meannn “supplies”.

Not sure whether it was another light bulb idea from Pinterest or what, but within a day I was convinced we needed a seating storage bench for our dining table under the window.

This DIY is super easy to do, even if you’re looking to do without that crab trap look – just simply do without the gaps in the paneling! For less than $100 (compared to storage ottomans I was looking at for over $150), I was getting exactly what I wanted annnnd my husband gets bragging rights for more homemade furniture in our home.

Win win!

step-by-step DIY

coastal crab trap storage bench

[for less than $100!]

what you’ll need

[10] 6ft fence posts (you can find these for $1.00/piece!)

[4] 10ft 2x4s

[2] 10ft 1x6s

[1] 8ft 1×4

[3] medium sized hinges

Hammer, power drill + saw, measuring tape + pen

wood nails

2inch wood screws

1inch wood screws

sandpaper (60 grit for smoothing edges)

stain and/or chalk paint, stain rag(s), gloves + paint brush

cut your wood pieces for each side

At 4 feet wide and 18 inches tall, you will need [2] 4ft cut 2x4s, [3] 18inch cut 2x4s (as shown in the image below).

Duplicate this for both sides.

the not-a-box-frame method

It seems strange, but we didn’t exactly create a “box” frame. Instead, we connected the sides simply by [2] 24inch cut 2x4s nailed to the bottoms (as shown below).

It works, and is still just as sturdy in the end – don’t worry.

But if it matters to you, you can do the same for the top – you just need an extra 2×4.

add the fence panels, except for the back

These are so easy! I wanted this simplified, with that crab trap feel, so I went with however many panels would fit with equal gaps in between.

Do not do the back of the box until you have completed adding the hinges. These need to be applied to the 2×4, not the wood panels. This also enables you to attach the panels over the hinges for a discrete finish.

You will have to cut the tops that aren’t squared off, and then to size (at 4 feet and just over 2 feet, with an inch or so added so the corners are flush – super important to remember). Granted, these weren’t perfect by any means, but we did our best attempt.

Use wood nails to attach the panels to the 2x4s – two on the ends and two in the middle for the extra hold.

create the top of the bench

I decided to create the top of the bench with wood going vertically instead of horizontally (sturdier this way). Using the 1×6 wood, cut into 24 inch long pieces. With the bench 4 feet wide, you should need 9 pieces for this project. Using the single 1×4, cut into [2] pieces that will cover the entire width of the top – these you will use to drill across the vertical pieces (these go underneath), holding them together, and for added seating support in the middle. Just make sure these pieces don’t interfere with the sides for when opening and closing the top.

apply the hinges

I advise you use 3 hinges with a bench that is 4+ feet wide. These are the metal hinges I used specifically for this project and wood layout, and you’ll attach them using 1 inch screws. Unfortunately I did not get images of this step [face palm], but honestly if you know how hinges work these aren’t that difficult. It’s where you’re placing them that matters.

I found it easier just to complete the hinges on the ends first, then add the one in the middle very last when the top is fully attached.

You will want to first apply the side of the hinges to the top portion of the bench first. These will be drilled underneath the top (so they won’t be visible) and over the 2×4 used to create the side. You want these to be able to hold the weight of the top, that’s why you can’t attach the hinges to the thin wood paneling. Once the hinges are on you can then attach the rest of your panels to the back side.

sanding and staining

I mainly sanded the edges and the top (to avoid splinters when getting off and on the beach), but I wanted to keep the jagged rustic feel everywhere else. Sanding and staining is more up to a personal artistic standpoint, but I went with a weathered gray stain (that I applied very imperfectly using a rag) and then used a brush to grungify (yep, made that one up) the wood with a light gray chalk paint.

Home depot sells sample size containers of chalk paint for wayyy cheaper, so you don’t need to buy the pint. I barely used half the amount of a sample container for this project.

I wanted the paint to look messy, weathered, chipped and worn away like the bench had been sitting underwater…like an authentic crab trap. Once everything was dry, I went over it again with sandpaper in some places. This really helped make the wood and paint grungier-looking. 

And there you have it! A perfect seating storage bench for under any window or as an addition to your kitchen nook and dining table. Adorn with pillows or a seating pad for extra comfort and that coastal appeal!

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