This was my husband and mine's first DIY project! We started off using a miter box, and quickly caved and bought a miter saw. We also had trouble getting the X's to fit correctly, so we redid them and made it in a different order than Ana--we lined them up on the boards they would be attaching to and drilled in there. So we didn't make X's and then attach, but rather did it all at once. This made sure everything fit together!
Also, we didn't stain the top pieces of wood before we assembled, and it was hard to get in-between the boards, definitely recommend at least one coat of stain before attaching the top!
Had a great time making this bench, and love it!! Everyone that sees it is so impressed!! We made this one for outdoors, but we are thinking of making another in nicer wood for our indoor dining room table....