How To Build A Footstool Out Of Wood: A DIY Guide

A footstool is a perfect thing to have when it comes to helping short people at home. This is to help them access some places in the house that are hard to reach, such as high shelves, high cabinets, top of the refrigerator, and many more. It can also help your kids in reaching the sink to wash plates or brush their teeth. A footstool offers a big help, and you can make it on your own if you learn how to build a footstool out of wood. 

A DIY footstool is easy to make, and it saves you money rather than buying a ready-made in stores. In this article, I am going to help with an amazingly easy and fast project about how to build a footstool out of wood. Check out these nine useful steps in making your footstool. This simple footstool plan will walk you through the simple woodworking project that can give you a much-needed upgrade in and around the house.

House Decoration 

Footstools are a great choice for decorating your house because it comes with a lot of shapes, styles, materials, and textures. They are usually made durable, especially when you use wood to make it. It simply adds an appeal to your house.

Gives Comfort 

One of the best features of footstools is that it provides you comfort. It is designed for your feet and back to rest. Footstools can be used for sitting and standing with ease and comfort. If you're up to learning how to build a footstool out of wood, you are making a smart move.

Best for All Ages

Footstools are handy for their purpose. It can be used as a cute table to place things or a seat, and it can be a good spot for children to sit. Adults can also use it to relax their back and feet comfortably. 

Building a Footstool: What Are the Materials Needed?

Before proceeding to the process on how to build a footstool out of wood, you should know first what are the materials needed. It’s just a low-cost project, and it’s an advantage if you have an old table with you. Check out these materials so that you’d figure out what you already have and what to buy.

•  1 and ¾ oak board for table legs  
• Plywood 
• Stain 
• Wood Glue  
• Polyurethane  
• Screws 
• Wood Filler that is Latex  
• Sandpaper 
• Nails  
• Table saw 
• Compound miter saw 
• Router with a round-over bit  
• Hand sander  
• Clamps 
• Brad Nailer  
• Brushes and Rugs  
• Belt sander  
• Ruler 

Detailed Steps on Building a Footstool 

A footstool is a useful and appealing addition to most parts of your home. It comes in many designs and shapes, and you can decide which one you prefer if you know how to build a footstool out of wood. These instructions will take you through the procedure of building your wood footstool based on your interests and being economical and fun.

Step 1: Carefully Cut the Plywood to Your Desired Size 

Once you gathered all the materials, you begin with cutting the upper surface of the stool. You can have it into 40 cm x 40 cm, a standard design as a one-person footstool. If you’ve decided how large you want for your footstool, cut it down a little to the top dimensions. You can use a compound miter saw in cutting, or some hardware shops will cut the wood for you.

With the appropriate cut to size, it’s an advantage to easily sand the edges so there will be no splinters or scratches in the next steps. 

Step 2: Trim the Legs and Proper Positioning 

Next is cut parts for the legs, and then add the brackets for the DIY footstool legs. Place the four brackets at the corners of the wood. You must see to it that they are at least a few centimeters from the edge, and it’s better to measure their position so that all are even.

Step 3: Glue the Woods 

Grip the legs against the brackets and see to it that they are positioned. Once they are positioned, stick the leg strips and some parts using the wood glue. You can do it closely, but not too skin-tight to the edges. You can also spread abundantly in the center to make sure a fair bond and support with clamps.

Step 4: Let It Dry and Clean Using Sandpaper 

Once the glue is dry for hours, you can remove the clamps. The edges should be smoothed using sandpaper until it’s the glue is gone that are visible on the sides. A belt sander can also be used for it finishes quickly, and it eliminates any glue from the edges nicely. 

Step 5: Clamp and Paste the Trim Strips to the Footstool’s Top 

Position the trim strips from the stool top’s edges. You can do it whichever side, and one at a time. Let it dry for hours or days again. 

Step 6: Attach the Legs 

After the trim is dry, remove the clamps carefully. You can sand all leg sides to make it certain with identical lengths. Glue some parts of each leg that would come in close with some side of the stool surrounding the trim. Use 18 gauge brad nailer and go through the side of the trim. This is to make sure it’s going to be sturdy to keep the legs in the proper place.

Step 7: Seal Small Gaps and Round Edges

You must fill small spaces that were noticeable because of glue. Use a little amount of wood filler that is sandable latex and push it into the thin layers with sharp tools like a knife, and let it dry for an hour. Once it’s dry, just keep on sanding until it looks like a finished footstool. 

Step 8: Stain

Once you’re done cleaning the sawdust, then you can stain it already. Stain it off with a cloth and reapply it for a total of three times. 

Step 9: Applying of Polyurethane 

This is the last step to give the full piece of footstool protective coat polyurethane. However, this is non-compulsory if you prefer to have a flat stain appearance. You can just use a sponge and coat it in the entire footstool in little coats, at least three times. 

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