Building a workbench without a workbench

I've been learning to use hand tools and I've quickly realized that a good workbench is essential.  With power tools, like a table saw or drill press, the tool itself often supports the wood.  But with hand tools you must have something to support the wood while you bring the tool to the wood.

So I've started to build a workbench (more on that later).  The first problem I've run into is that I'm using hand tools to build a workbench, so...  Chicken or the egg...

Here's some tricks that I've come up with to hold boards while I work on them.

The simplest trick is to use a table against a wall stud.  The board butts up to the stud for face planing.  The board can be offset from the wall stud with scrap wood so that you can plane up to the end of the board without running the plane into the stud.  If the board is long, the far end can be supported with a sawhorse.

If the board is the same thickness or thinner than the scrap wood blocks then I've found it handy to put a small wedge under the board to raise it above the level of the scrap blocks.

The last trick is useful for edge planing a board.  Turn the board on edge and butt it against the scrap wood blocks and wall stud, as before.  Then to secure it in place I put more scrap wood blocks on either side of the board and clamp them in place to keep the board from tipping in either direction.

These tricks work, but they're not ideal, and it's really making me look forward to when the bench will be done and ready to use.