This is a reader-supported site. When you buy through links on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Thanks for your support! :) African Animals Pattern Set.
Save $10 when you buy this three-pattern set. Use the patterns to create memorable gifts, or to bring a little bit of Africa to your own home
Last weekend my dad, Pete Havekost, and by brother Ken brought me a wonderful present – one of my father’s custom-made concrete benches. They traveled all the way from Bellingham, WA to bring me my bench, which is made in three pieces. Then they put the bench together with bolts and put into place. I took a few photos so you could see them in action:
My Father Adding the Bolts
My Dad and Brother Lifting it Into PlaceNow I need to use some imagination with my landscaping so the bench will have the setting it deserves.
Pete made several benches for a new park in Bellingham, and he’s now working on some benches for a local cemetery (they will have the word “Peace” on the bench top). He also makes benches with figures instead of words, like the horse bench below.
Bench with Horse on TopI’ve been nagging my dad to write a book to show people how to make their own custom-designed concrete garden benches, and he’s finally agreed to do it. He and his wife, Dianne, have already taken almost 100 photos showing how the mold is made, how to put the designs into the mold correctly, and how to pour the top.
He has delivered benches that he made as far as Tacoma, but they’re so heavy that shipping them on a commercial carrier would be insanely expensive. That’s why he thinks everyone should make their own. As soon as his book is finished, people will be able to…
I’m still working on my Halloween mask. I got a little carried away, as usual, so it’s taking a bit longer than I thought it would. The only thing left to do is painting it, so I should have a new tutorial up tomorrow, if it turns out OK.
When can we buy your dad’s book? Love his work! Thank you
It is a beautiful bench, isn’t it? I have tried to get him to write a book about it, but so far no luck. Maybe we could get some how-to videos — but no promises!
The “fern” is a cedar branch. Pete
Hi Pete. Thanks for clearing that up for us. You’re the expert here, since you’re the one who made the benches.
Here’s a photo of my dad that I stole from his Concrete Garden Leaves website: he’s a pretty good looking guy, don’t you think?[img]http://concretegardenleaves.com/images/Petewithbench.jpg[/img]
Yup. Can’t wait to meet him! It’s such a small world!
So, the fern impression is on the bottom of the bench? How zen! I love it.
Can’t wait to see your halloween mask. 🙂
That fern is the way he “signs” his work. Since it’s hidden on the bottom of the bench seat, I’ll bet a lot of the people who now have one of his benches don’t yet know it’s there.
The mask is done.
I’m imagining different reasons one might end up looking at the underside of one’s garden bench, and cracking myself up. When I used to do housecleaning (bleh!) professionally, I had to think about such things as different and unusual perspectives that surfaces might be seen from, like from below, or from taller than myself (which isn’t saying much). I used to amuse myself thinking about situations where things might be seen from floor level as I worked.
Off to enjoy the mask!
How funny. Now I have unprintable images of activities out in my front yard that might scare the neighbors, if not the horses.
I tried a housecleaning job once, too. Talk about a mismatch! I had an interesting excuse for quitting after day 3 – I found myself locked inside a bank with mops, brooms, dust rags and a convicted felon (my coworker) who didn’t think it was fair that she was arrested for grand theft auto when all she stole was a dune buggy. I think the new term for that is “ethically-impaired.” (But of course I really quit because I hated the job).