How to make a gabion bench and stools + construction plans

May 25, 2018

A gabion is a galvanized wire basket filled with stones. Such structures look original in any garden and can be used in a variety of ways. Gabions perform not only an aesthetic role, but also have practical function. With the help of these simple wire cages, you can build a retaining wall or a privacy fence and design a lot of landscape objects, ranging from the flower bed and ending with a fireplace and a water feature. A gabion wall have also good noise insulation properties and can substantially reduce noise from passing traffic. Gabions can also be used for the design of garden furniture. We explain how to build a gabion bench and stools in just an hour!

How to make a gabion bench

The easiest way to make a gabion bench is to use the wire mesh cage filled with stones as a base and to mount a wooden board on top of it as a seat. In order to make the gabion bench a bit more airy, the stone baskets can also be used as supports only at the ends instead of the entire length of the bench. For building a longer bench, several shorter single elements should be used for better stability, supporting the seat in between.

Alternatively, you can build a L-shaped bench using three gabions and two wooden bench seats. In order for this to withstand weight, you have to create a particularly stable seat structure and secure it well to the gabion cage. If the surfaces of the freestanding gabion pillars are large enough, they can be used as side tables or for inserting flower tubes.

Of course, instead of building a gabion bench, you can also design several chairs or stools.

Are all stones suitable for gabions?

As a rule, the gabion is filled with career stones. The following stone types are perfectly suitable for this purpose:
– porphyritic rocks
– sandstone
– natural quartzite
– granite

The size of the stones should be carefully selected – about 30-40% larger than the grid cell.

Most often you can see rectangular gabions of straight lines. This is the cheapest option, but there is no limit to the imagination of the DIY enthusiasts. For example, to create a nice garden stool, you can bend the wire mesh forming a cylinder!

How to make a small garden stool

You will need:
• a piece of wire mesh with small openings
• a piece of thick plywood board
• 2 metal parts from the door bolt (or staples)
• 5 electrodes
• thin wire
• acrylic paint for outdoor use – in lilac and blue color
• stones of different sizes – they should be bigger than the mesh openings
• Jig saw
• Screwdriver
• Screws

1. Choose the perfect place in your backyard for the gabion stools. Take the wire mesh and form a cylinder securing the ends with a wire.
2. Bend the three electrodes into U-shape. Using them, attach the mesh cylinder to the ground.

3. Using the jigsaw cut the plywood seat to size (40 x 40 cm) and round the corners.
4. Paint the seat with lilac paint and let dry.
5. Draw a seat pattern with blue swirls.

6. 7. On the back of the seat, attach the two brackets or parts from the door bolt and insert the U-shaped electrodes.

8. Fill the gabion with stones.
9. Place the seat on top of the gabion and secure it by sticking the electrodes in the stone mass.

And if you make several such ottomans, they will be an excellent addition to a fire pit in your backyard!