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About Project
A vintage look step stool featuring two steps and a decorative footer.
Dimensions
Materials and Tools
1 – 1×12 @ 32″ (Sides)
1 – 1×2 @ 50″
1 – 1×8 @ 32″ (Treads)
2″ screws or 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws
wood glue, wood filler and finishing supplies
Cut List
2 – 1×12 @ 15 1/2″ (Sides – cut out in step 1)
4 – 1×2 @ 12 1/2″ (Supports)
2 – 1×8 @ 15″ (Treads)
Step 1
Sides
Use the measurements above to cut from the 1x12s sides as shown above. Use a jigsaw. Once you have on side cut out, use it as a pattern for the other side. Take note of which side of the line you should cut on and take your time cutting. Sand edges so the two pieces are the same.
Step 2
Bottom Supports
Attach the bottom supports with screws and glue. I used pocket hole screws, but you can also use 2″ wood screws and a good old countersink bit.
Step 4
Top Supports
Now attach the top supports in the same way as the bottom supports.
Step 5
Tops
Now add the tops. I simply screwed through the tops, but you could screw from the supports (with glue of course) to hide your screw holes.
Step 6
Finishing Instructions
Before Christmas, I drew up this plan and meant to get to it by the Holidays. But reality happens, and I just don't get as much done as I could hope. So a printout of this plan got burried on my steel magnet wall for a month or two . . . until yesterday.
I'm working on a photo shoot for Fresh Home magazine (so excited that they have asked me to do another project for their fabulous magazine! You can go here to get signed up to get your free issue.) and the shot just needed . . . something. Something a tad vintage, a little not perfect, and a lot useful.
I wanted this stool to look well-used and far from perfect, thus the heavy distressing and uneven jigsaw cuts and exposed screws. To get this finish, I simply painted one coat of flat honeysuckle pink paint (Premium Paint by Behr in Flat) with a brush and let dry overnight. This is very important. If you begin distressing too soon, the paint will come off in gooey chunks, as opposed to a-little-wear-over-alot-of-years looking. Then just started sanding with a power sander and medium grit sandpaper, concentrating on the areas that would get natural wear. If you wanted to stain the exposed wood, you would need to apply a clear coat before sanding. The clear coat protects the non distressed areas from accepting the stain, with the exposed wood area accepting the stain. You can go the other route - stain before paint, but you would need to add primer because it's difficult to put paint over stain.
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Cute, Anna. Reminds me of
Cute, Anna. Reminds me of one my brother made for me many, many years ago.
I'm going to be making
I'm going to be making something like this, but hoping to add another step and some guardrails (side walls?) on the sides so that our just turned 1 yr. old can find his way down off of our tall bed. This gives me some more ideas! Oh, and I know I'm going to build it b/c I've heard my hubby tell my girls, "Mommy is going to make him something so that he can down safely"--he believes in me!
I have some beautiful square
I have some beautiful square cut nails that would be perfect for this!
I have been wanting something
I have been wanting something like this ever since we've been considering potty training our toddler. And now... I want to paint it pink, even though we have a boy. Ana you are amazing.
Oh... how... cute... I
Oh... how... cute... I dont have any small children (or grandchildren yet) anymore, but I still want to make this, and paint it pink! I have all kinds of places where a stool like that will be useful in my house! I like how your stool is flaired at the base too. I love the exposed screw heads too. Makes it look, like you said, well used and far from perfect. Love it. Thanks again Ana!
I've been waiting for
I've been waiting for something exactly like this. My niece is pregnant and this is something I planned on making for the new baby!! Thanks for the plan, Ana!
So so perfectly vintage! Love
So so perfectly vintage! Love it and the colour choice. This is such a great piece, thanks Ana!
I have a very tall bed and a
I have a very tall bed and a step stool like this with an upholstered top would be soooo lovely. I'll have to get on that :)
I LOVE this finish!! That is
I LOVE this finish!! That is SO cute!! I have boys, so mine would have to be blue but I'm SO taking sand paper to that baby!! (The stool, not my actual baby.)
I love this and I need this
I love this and I need this for me !!!!!! The finish info is very helpful. Thank you Ana. i need to start collecting scrap and recycle wood for these little projects.
I totally need this since I
I totally need this since I am short. :) Thank you sooooo much.
I am excited to make this,
I am excited to make this, might need two or three for all my boys :) unfortunately not pink :I
This is adorable but it looks
This is adorable but it looks like the one you built has angled legs. Do you have the angles? I love the look.
Hi Barbara, I was thinking
Hi Barbara, I was thinking the same thing and thought they looked angled. Did you angle any of your cuts? If so do you mind sharing what angle you used?
Just finished this step stool
Just finished this step stool and it turned out great! It feels very sturdy and is super cute. I wanted an easy project to test out my new Kreg jig (which, by the way, I LOVE). It took me about 2 hours and less than $20. Now I just need to decide on a color. This will be a great gift and cheap if you use scraps!
So cute! What is the height
So cute! What is the height of the step stool? It says 1/2", so I'm guessing a number is missing before the 1/2. Thanks! :)
Thanks Ana for the great
Thanks Ana for the great plans! I built this on Sunday. Pictures here. http://amykayparnell.wordpress.com/2011/02/08/super-stool/
@ Amy--great job! What
@ Amy--great job! What finishing technique did you use?
Well I know next to nothing
Well I know next to nothing about finishing, so it's probably all wrong. But I stained it dark then painted it yellow. Oops paint FTW! Then sanded it. Everyone thinks it's really old, not a few days old!
my 1st build!!
I decided to tackle this step-stool as a first build as an OMG moment. When my husband’s almost 4 yr/old granddaughter was taken just a little too much time in the bathroom washing her hands, cuz' she is "big enuf' to do it by herself", she was standing on the toilet washing her hands. All I could picture was her slipping and busting her chin or head on the countertop or toilet. So, after a quick trip to town, I had all my wood. Out to the barn and started cutting, it took me all of 15 minutes to cut everything out and sanding, well that took a few days. I had to clean out the storage building in the hunt for my sander. Which amazingly sprouted wings and flew away. After another trip to town to purchase a new sander, I finally had it sanded. I asked my husband to use his new (Valentines present, purchased with motive) Kreg gig, to drill the holes for me. Now it was together, what to do for the finish?? After having it sit on my kitchen table for about a week (nope don't use table much) I decided to stain the little step stool. I had oak stain and black stain (both from previous projects), oak stain first ... ugh, hated it; try the black stain, not a good look. Paint? Why not?! First some white then a touch of red and lastly turquoise. OMG again, that looks like one Hot Mess!! Sand like crazy, O' O' that is starting to look like something. But what? Old barn wood. Turned out great!! Woo Hoo! Husband thinks I did it purpose, little does he know. I have tried to post a picture but unable, not because of site, but because my lack of know-how. Love the new site!! Love all that you do!!
Woo Hoo!
Firgured it out, see the picture on the Blog Brag!
question
I just bought the wood and started cutting for the foot stool. I only have a circular saw, not a jigsaw. Do you think I should buy a jigsaw - will it make the cuts easier for this? Also, should I buy a cheap one ($30-$50)or is it worth it to invest in a more expensive one ($100 -$150). Any advice would be appreciated!
Erin
Hi Erin, definitely having a
Hi Erin, definitely having a jigsaw is well worth the investment. You'll need it for all sorts of cuts, like finishing circular saw cuts or cutting curves. I'd definitely invest in one. I had an inexpensive one for years and it did just fine.
Another thought - and would love other reader's input here - is using a router or rotozip or dremel for cuts like this. Then you could use the dremel tool to finish edges as well.
Just some thoughts good luck! Just admiring my step stool today, still LOVE it and it's really the jigsaw work and the distressing that makes me love it so much!
Routers and Dremel Tools
There's really no replacement for the jig saw, unless you decide to drop the big bucks on a bow saw or band saw.
Dremel tools are great if you're making models or doing fine detail work, but I hardly every use mine. Routers are better for duplicating an existing curve.
The only other option you might consider is a coping saw. It will take slightly longer, but it's quite inexpensive and perfectly capable of making these cuts.
question answered
Thank you so much for the advice. I do have a coping saw, which I was thinking about using for the curves. I think I will invest in a less expensive jigsaw anyway. I'll try to post pictures when I'm done. Thanks again to Anna and Clay.
Erin
Side measurement
Shouldn't the length of the side pieces be 16 1/2"? 8 + 7 1/2 + 1= 16 1/2. Right? Or am I missing something, which is ENTIRELY possible. ;)
Misreading plans
That 1" you're trying to add isn't and additional width. It's the inset from the edge for the back of the top step. It's irrelevant to determining the length of the side piece.
really?
I would agree but the problem comes with looking at the picture. Because the back cut is at an angle, terminating at the full length of the cut board I think it does matter. In the picture, across the top it has 3 measurements which add up to 16 1/2 inches.
Look closer
The 1" measurement is inside of the 7 1/2" measurement. That's common notation in plans.
If you want to make it 16 1/2" long in total that's your choice, but you'll have to adjust other measurements if you do. It's not really a problem, in practice you don't actually fit everything exactly to plan dimensions anyway. In fact unless I'm building machinery I very rarely use a detailed measured plan, but instead measure from the piece to fit my needs.
Lightbulb!
Ahhh, okay that makes sense. Thank you so much Clay! I'm not a skilled or experienced woodworker by any means so I appreciate the assist!
Back when I was a kid
In the dark ages before there was an Internet, shop class was a mandatory part of the educational curriculum, and drafting was about half of the introductory class. Unfortunately schools are defunding vocational training like shop class and home economics.
stepstool
this is a great thing to build with youre dad because you get quality bonding time
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