Smooth out a seating shortage by crafting this stylish ironing board bench seat

This bench DIY is an ingenious way to upcycle a tabletop ironing board. You can often buy these boards with an appealing patterned fabric cover tied around the top, so pick one you like the look of.

By adding a pair of hairpin furniture legs, you can infuse the piece with some mid-century modern cred and sleek style. The project is customizable too. If you favor farmhouse style, use a more traditional wooden furniture leg form for the project. The bench is compact yet comfortable and will add verve to an entryway, covered porch or a kitchen that’s short on seating.

Materials
- Tabletop ironing board
- Metal hairpin furniture leg hardware -- two sets with two legs on each
- Sharpie marker
- Electric drill with a bit for drilling holes and a screwdriver bit

Instructions
1. Lay the ironing board on your work surface with the underside facing you.

2. Unfold the leg hardware on the bottom of the board that allows it to stand on a tabletop.

3. Place one of the hairpin leg hardware pieces toward the pointed end of the board. Locate it next the board’s own hardware. You'll be attaching the legs to a square panel that has four screw holes forming a square.

4. Mark a dot with the Sharpie on the ironing board’s bottom where the screw holes are located.

5. Put the hardware aside and drill four small holes where you made marks with the Sharpie. Be sure to use the bit that drills holes. Brush away any sawdust that the process creates.

6. Place the hardware piece back on top of the ironing board’s underside. Align the holes on it with the dots you just marked on the board.

7. Change the bit in the drill and screw the hairpin leg hardware securely onto the board. Brush away sawdust.

8. Repeat steps 3-7 but locate the second hairpin leg hardware piece in a spot just beyond the middle point and toward the straight end of the board.

9. Flip the ironing board over. You can now use the piece as a bench.