Stool With Storage
7 Materials
$70
2 Hours
Easy
I may be more excited about this project than any I've made recently, because it's a gift for my daughter and I can't wait to see her reaction on her birthday! My wife spent months looking for stools online that would fit under our daughter's desk, provide extra storage and have a really "fun" look. She found a few similar to this, but we didn't like the prices and knew that by making it ourselves we could get the perfect dimensions and the most bang for our buck with space and storage. The best part? This is a pretty simple project and only took about 2 hours from start to finish.
I used a piece of 3/4" plywood to build the box. I had this wood sitting in the shop, which was great for us. But, if you need to purchase the wood, you'll need to cut 4 pieces to start. We wanted a height of 17", width of 18" and depth of 14". Our legs for the stool were 6" high. So, I cut two end pieces at 13 1/4" long and 9 1/2" tall. The two front and back pieces were 17 1/4" long and 9 1/2" tall.
Apply glue to the board ends before assembling the sides of the box.
After gluing I used a nail gun to secure the sides. If you don't have a nail gun, I'd recommend clamping the box together and securing with finish nails and a hammer or predrilling and using small screws.
Now, you have your box! As you'll see, I alternated the joints at the corners.
Next, cut the bottom and the lid. For our stool, both pieces were 18" x 14". We secured the bottom of the stool the same way we did the sides of the box - using a nail gun and wood glue.
Cut your fabric to wrap the outside of the box and secure with a staple gun. We folded the fabric over the top and stapled to the inside of the box. We did not cover the bottom of the box, but folded the fabric and inch or so onto the bottom so we had a flap to secure it.
We bought a foam cushion for the top of the stool/lid. Cut the foam to the size of the lid.
Glue the foam onto the top of the lid.
Cut the fabric to wrap the lid.
Once again, we wrapped the fabric onto the bottom side of the lid and secured it with a staple gun.
Secure the legs onto the corners of the bottom of the box.
We used 2 1/2" hinges. Attach them to the bottom of the lid and the top of the box.
I also added a chain to prevent the cover from flipping all the way back. My hope is that this will prevent some of the stress on the hinges from typical kid recklessness.
And there you have it!
A sturdy stool with a comfy seat and great storage.
The stool fits perfectly under our daughter's desk, which is a pretty typical size.
There is plenty of room inside for colors, book, crafts - you name it!
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Follow me on Instagram at @woodyworking for more simple woodworking DIY or home improvement projects. Happy building!
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Comments
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3 of 28 comments
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I always wanted to do something like this but wasn't too sure where to start. I'm truly inspired. You made my day. Thank you very much!
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Love it! Go for it!
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That's very cute and so useful. Any little girl would love it!!
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
How did your daughter react?
Can i ask, what is the reason for alternating the joints?
Thanks in advance.