What can I make with 5 leftover 2×4s?
If they are five full 8-foot boards, you have 40 raw linear feet of stock before saw kerf, defects and end cleanup. That is enough material for several small frame-style projects, but the actual cut list decides what fits.
Check five 2×4s in the project finder →What five full 8-foot 2×4s can potentially support
Feet of planter-frame cuts
Eight 2-foot frame pieces total 16 finished feet, leaving substantial stock for other parts before kerf.
Feet of bench-frame cuts
Two 4-foot rails plus four 1.5-foot supports total 14 finished feet and fit comfortably within five 8-foot boards.
Raw linear feet maximum
Five 8-foot boards contain 40 raw feet, but no cut can be longer than an individual board.
Forty feet of lumber does not mean every 40-foot cut list fits
Board-by-board allocation matters. Long rails, repeated cuts and saw kerf can force an additional board even when the total footage appears sufficient.
Use the lumber cut list calculator to enter each cut and quantity. If your leftovers are shorter offcuts rather than five full boards, use their measured lengths instead of this example.