A stool is a comfortable and compact piece of furniture familiar to everyone, which is most often used in the kitchen or in summer cottages. Chairs purchased in a store and made of wood composites do not always meet all the requirements of consumers in terms of aesthetics and practicality for such conditions, and at the same time they are quite expensive. That is why the question arises of how to make a stool with your own hands from wood so that it is reliable and lasts for many years.
Anyone who started making furniture with such a simple product as a stool, having stuffed his hand on it, may later want to make more complex and large-scale structures, for example, a table, a wardrobe or, which will save decent money for the family budget.
Popular types of stools
Even such a simple piece of furniture can be made in different variations and used for different needs. To decide which model you would like to receive as a result of the work, you should consider several similar products.
Children's stool
This version of the stool will not become superfluous in any home, as it is convenient not only for children, but also for adults. It is light in weight and compact in size, so it can easily be moved to any convenient place in the yard or at home, where it is needed at the moment, and even a small child can move it.
It is best to make such a model from a massive board, which must first be well processed. If it is required that the stool be very light, then dry linden is used for its manufacture, which has a beautiful textured pattern and a very low density.
If the thickness of the board taken for a small stool is at least 25 ÷ 30 mm, then only three main parts will need to be made - these are two legs and a seat that can be fastened with dowels, even without the use of additional reinforcing elements.
All parts of the product must be free of sharp corners and burrs. The blanks must be rounded and well polished so that there is no risk of injury or planting a splinter.
This piece of furniture can be used not only for sitting, but also as an ottoman, substituting it under your feet - this is especially often used by older people. Therefore, having made such a stool, you can please both kids and grandmothers by showing them your care.
Stool - drawer
It's not uncommon in a kitchen or workshop to run out of space for small items, and this stool is perfect for clearing out some currently unused items on your desk. The boards that form the walls of the box strengthen the entire structure well and at the same time create a box where things can be placed that should always be easily accessible.
For example, women can use such a box to store needlework, as it is roomy enough and there is room for balls of yarn and knitting needles, as well as everything you need for hand embroidery or sewing.
The male half will calmly hide in a drawer under the seat some items of their household “arsenal” that are most often needed in the household - a hammer and nails, pliers and other not too large tools.
For the manufacture of such a product, you will need a well-crafted timber 50 × 50 mm, a board 200 ÷ 250 mm wide and 20 ÷ 25 mm thick, plywood for the bottom of the box and fasteners.
Folding stool
For small apartments with small kitchens or for small country houses, a folding stool is suitable. It can be kept constantly in the unfolded state, and if necessary, removed into any cabinet or niche between furniture and the wall, since when folded its thickness will be approximately 60 ÷ 80 mm, depending on the material chosen for manufacturing and design features.
The seat for this stool model can be made round or square, but each option has its own leg attachment design. The legs for such a stool are made of a board or thick, 20 ÷ 25 mm high-quality plywood. The base of the product consists of two frames, one of which must freely enter the other. The frames are fastened together from one side and the other with special screws with bushings or an axle-stud, which allows the structure to fold.
step stool
Another version of the stool, which can serve not only for sitting, but also act as a stepladder. Such a model is always useful both in a private house and in an apartment. For example, it is difficult to do without a stepladder during general cleaning, and it is also not easy to get the right thing from the top shelf of a tall cabinet without it.
When folded, this design will not differ in any way from a conventional stool, since the steps will be under the seat. Turning a stool into a comfortable ladder is not difficult - you just need to pull the top of the temporarily inverted steps and carefully place them on the floor. The result is a sturdy and stable ladder that can also be used as a comfortable footrest when sitting on a stool.
To make this model, you will need massive boards for the seat and steps, as well as thick plywood for the legs and stringer under the steps.
Stool for giving
If you plan to use a stool in a summer cottage by type, only in a portable version, then you need to prepare a wooden beam for it, since plywood will not work in this case. Under the influence of moisture, it will begin to exfoliate, and the product will soon be hopelessly damaged.
For manufacturing, larch or oak is best suited. If other wood is chosen, then it will need to be well impregnated with moisture-repellent compounds, and then painted. Moreover, the process of pre-treatment of lumber is carried out even before the assembly of the structure.
Furniture used outdoors differs from that which is located indoors in that between the parts from which the seat and back are assembled (if a bench is made), gaps must be left so that rainwater does not linger on their surface, and details were ventilated faster.
Stool drawing
Having decided on the model of the future product, they make up its sketch-drawing, according to which all structural elements will be manufactured. When drawing up a drawing, all the necessary dimensions are immediately calculated and put on the figure. It is not at all necessary to make a diagram, observing all the canons and rules of drawing science - it will be enough even just to draw it by hand. The main thing is to be able to visually evaluate what will happen in the end, to see all the parameters of the necessary materials and the principle of their connection.
In the presented diagram, you can see the names of some of the parts that are included in the design of the stool - these are drawers, prolegs and "crackers". About them - a little more, so that in further descriptions it is clear what is at stake. All these details are necessary to fasten the structure and give it the necessary strength.
- Tsargi are bars or boards located under the seat of a stool and fastening the legs together with spiked joints, creating a strong support for the seat.
- A proleg is an element designed to increase the stability and rigidity of the structure. It is located in the central or lower part of the legs (according to their height) and also fastens them together with tongue and groove joints.
- "Crackers" are bars, boards or metal corners, installed diagonally on the inner corners of the structure under the seat and fixed to the sides and legs.
When drawing up a drawing, it is important to calculate not only the parameters of all visible details of the structure, but also the size of the internal connecting elements, such as the spikes cut out at the edges of the sides and the grooves in which they will be installed, selected in the legs of the stool.
Tools for the job
Without carpentry tools, making any piece of furniture from wood simply will not work. Professional master furniture makers have workshops fully equipped with special expensive machines. But in order to just try yourself as a carpenter, of course, you should not immediately purchase professional equipment, however, you still have to prepare some tools.
The list of the most popular tools for working with wood is as follows:
- It's great if the farm has a set of cutters that will help to process the edges of boards, timber and plywood, drill holes of various sizes or carefully select grooves and grooves on any of the details.
- To get rid of tedious operations, you will need a grinder with interchangeable wheels of varying degrees of grain size - to make the surface of the wood smooth. This work can be done manually, but it will take much more time.
- Electric jigsaw. This tool, of course, can be replaced with a hand saw, but after sawing the boards with it, the edges of the parts will not turn out neat, and you will have to work on them well using a milling cutter. Again, sawing the material by hand will take much longer.
- will be necessary not only for screwing fasteners, but also for drilling holes in parts. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a set of screwdriver bits and drills of different diameters. Instead of a screwdriver, you can use any drill and a set of manual screwdrivers.
- Clamps of various sizes. If you want to make a really high-quality and durable thing, then clamps must be on hand without fail, since when gluing boards into a solid panel or individual parts together, they must be strongly compressed and left in this position for a sufficiently long time, and besides these No other tool can do this.
- You always need a hammer and chisels of different sizes. Sometimes you have to resort to using a planer - it can also be manual or electric.
- Measuring and marking equipment is being prepared - a tape measure, a construction square, a wooden ruler for 500 ÷ 1000 mm, a simple pencil, thickness gauge, etc.
In addition to these tools, for convenient work, you will need a fairly large and durable table - a workbench.
Making stools
folding stool
Traditional simple stool
The designs of even the simplest products may differ from each other by some elements, which, as a rule, are designed to give the stool additional strength.
Materials for manufacturing
A simple model of a stool looks like this and consists of parts indicated in the drawing by numbers:
1 - Legs.
2 - Stool legs.
3 - Tsargi.
4 - Seat.
5 - Connection elements - supports for installing the seat.
6 - Connecting grooves.
7 - Connecting grooves.
For the manufacture of traditional stools with a height of 500 mm, a seat of 450 × 450 mm and straight legs, the following parts will be required:
- Four, well processed, to smoothness, beams for legs, section 50 × 50 mm, height 485 mm. They can be straight or tapered downward cuts on the inside.
- For the seat, you need to prepare two or four boards 12 ÷ 20 mm thick, 450 × 225 mm or 450 × 112.5 mm in size, or a plywood panel 450 × 450 mm, 12 ÷ 20 mm thick.
- To give the stool strength, in different types of structures, 4 footrests and 4 drawers made of timber with a section of 30 × 30 and a length of 441 mm can be used, or only drawers - 4 boards with a section of 30 × 60 and a length of 441 mm.
- Additionally, connecting elements can be used, in the form of small pieces of bars fixed on the inside, in the middle of the sides, but you can do without them if bars of sufficient thickness are taken for the base under the seat.
- A beam of 30 × 30 mm for the manufacture of "crackers", if they are supposed to be installed.
- Wooden dowels (chops) for fixing the seat to the finished base - 4 pieces, 30 mm long and 8 ÷ 10 mm in diameter.
- Self-tapping screws.
- Joiner's glue.
Stool assembly
| Illustration | |
|---|---|
 | The first step, in order not to waste time, is to glue the boards for the seat if it will consist of several elements. To do this, well-fitted and polished end sides of the boards are smeared with glue, connected to each other and pulled together in clamps. This design should dry thoroughly, and while it sets, you can start assembling the frame base of the stool. |
 | Next, prepare the bars for the legs. They must have perfectly even cuts and be the same in height, which can vary, depending on the desire of the master, and range from 450 to 500 mm. |
 | The next step is marking on the legs and determining the place for selecting the connecting grooves for installing the spikes of the footboards and the tsarg (or only the tsarg if the footrests are not included in the design). Holes are selected using a milling cutter or chisel. |
 | Next, the edges of the tsarg and footrests are processed. Spikes are cut out on them with a width, height and depth less than 1 ÷ 1.5 mm than the openings of the grooves in the legs intended for them. The spikes should be loose enough, but still tightly fit into the grooves. |
 | After that, the legs are assembled in pairs, fastened together by means of footrests and tsarg - their spiked parts are glued into the grooves of the legs. Each of the resulting frames is pulled together in clamps. Then, after they dry, the legs connected in pairs are also connected by drawers and legs into a single design of the base of the stool and again compressed in clamps until completely glued. After the glue dries, all connections are additionally fixed with self-tapping screws. |
 | If it is supposed to strengthen the stool with “crackers”, then they are screwed to the tsargs and the leg of the stool. This element, flush with the top edge of the drawer side, will provide additional support for the seat. |
 | The next step is to mark and secure the seat of the stool. To do this, glue is applied to the reverse side of the panel according to the marking, and then it is laid on the finished base of the stool, leveled and pressed. Further, in the corners, through the seat panel, one hole is drilled, the diameter of which should be 1-2 mm larger than that of the prepared dowels, and the depth should be 5 mm less than their height. Glue is poured into the hole, and then the dowels are clogged. The glue that comes out is wiped off immediately. The top of the dowel is cut off with a milling cutter, and this place is polished to smoothness. In addition, the seat must be pulled off with clamps until the glue dries completely. |
Glue can be designed for different drying times, and this is usually indicated on the packaging by the manufacturer. It is possible to operate the products only after the full expiration of the specified period.
Folding stool
The folding version of the stool is convenient because, due to its compactness, it can not only be stowed away in a small space of residential premises, but also easily fit in the trunk of a car for its transportation to the country house.
baby stool
Materials for manufacturing
To make such a model of a stool, you will need slightly different materials than those used for a traditional product. So, some craftsmen prefer to purchase finished processed furniture panels made of natural wood. They are great for cutting structural details, since, having cut them out of this material, it remains to process only their edges.
For the presented version of the stool, the master needed a panel measuring 1120 × 400 × 24 mm, and in addition to it, in addition, the following materials:
- Stud with threads cut on both sides and end nuts, 250 × 8 mm in size, for through installation, or stud with blunt ends - for installation in blind grooves.
- Butterfly furniture hinges with a size (opened) 350 × 400 mm - 4 pieces.
- Dowels or chopsticks 50 × 8 mm.
- Joiner's glue.
- Stain and colorless varnish or tinting varnish.
- Self-tapping screws 15÷20 mm long.
The dimensions of all structural details are clearly visible in the presented drawing.
The folding stool consists of the following parts:
- The seat is round, 350 mm in diameter.
- Frame 166 mm wide, consisting of two bars, 500 × 48 × 24 mm in size, and a cross member 122 mm long.
- A frame 122 mm wide of two bars 500 × 48 × 24 mm with cuts at the upper ends at an angle of 30 degrees, and crossbars 70 mm long.
Making a stool
Processing of parts and their assembly is carried out in the following order:
| Illustration | Brief description of the operation to be performed |
|---|---|
 | It must be said that the seat can be round or square with rounded corners, the choice of the master. In this case, a round seat with a diameter of 350 mm is selected. For the convenience of folding the stool, a curved hole should be made in the upper part of the seat, about 120 mm long and 20 ÷ 25 mm wide, so that it is convenient to take it by hand. It can be cut with a milling cutter or drilled at a distance of 120 mm from each other two holes with a diameter of 20 ÷ 25 mm, and then connect them by sawing the wood between them with a jigsaw, making two cuts. In order for the hole to turn out neat and smooth, its edges must be immediately processed. |
 | The processing of the edge of the seat and the inner edges of the “handle” hole is most often done using a semicircular cutter. But if this tool is not available, then they are put in order, first using a file with a large notch (rasp), and then sandpaper of different grain sizes, gradually bringing the wood to smoothness. |
 | The next step is to process the prepared bars of the legs. In two of them, which will form the outer frame, you need to cut a groove 180 mm long and 8 mm wide, and 42 mm deep, along which the stud will go. Sometimes the grooves are made through - it is for this case that a threaded stud is selected at the ends, onto which a special plug nut is screwed. In the other two bars, according to the scheme, through holes with a diameter of 8 mm are drilled through which the pin will pass - these elements are intended for the manufacture of a narrow frame. |
 | The grooves are cut using a milling cutter, or holes with a diameter of 8 mm are drilled along the intended line, which are then combined into a common groove using a jigsaw. The work is carried out on a special machine, or the beam is rigidly fixed in a vice, and then holes are drilled in it using a drill or screwdriver. |
 | The bars that will form the inner, narrower frame of the stool, in the upper part, must be carefully sawn off at an angle of 30 degrees - this process can be done on a machine tool or using a miter box. The corner must be cut perfectly precisely, so you can not do this work "by eye". On the bottom of the legs, the corners and edges are recommended to be slightly rounded. |
 | The crossbars installed between the legs are mounted on dowels, which are glued into the drilled holes. This process can be done in different ways. Most often, first, a jumper for glue is installed in the place intended for it, the legs are compressed in clamps, and left to dry completely. Then, through the outer side of the legs, through holes are drilled, which go deep into the end sides of the jumpers, at least 20 ÷ 25 mm. After that, dowels are carefully driven into the holes on the glue. Two fasteners are required on each side of the jumpers. |
 | On the back of the seat, according to the drawing, the markings are made of the places where the butterfly loops will be attached. Then, the loops are laid on the marked place and outlined. Further. from this place, a landing "nest" is selected with a depth equal to the thickness of the loop, that is, the loop, when fixed, should be flush with the main wooden surface. |
 | Next, the loops are fixed on the upper end sides of the legs. They are screwed with self-tapping screws, the caps of which should be in the same plane with the surface of the hinges. In the next step, the second side of the loops is fixed in the nests prepared for them on the back of the seat. |
 | To make the design look neat, it is recommended to close the hairpin with a tube carved from wood. You can also replace the wooden version of the element that masks the hairpin with a plastic tube, since it is not so easy to carve this part out of wood. The length of the tube should be 68 mm, the inner diameter is 9 mm, the wall thickness of the tube can be from 2 to 10 mm. |
 | Further, the hairpin is inserted into a narrower frame through the prepared decorative tube, and its ends are inserted into the grooves of the outer, wider frame, along which they will walk when folding and unfolding the stool. |
 | I must say that the folding stool may have a slightly different design. It uses not one, but two studs, and instead of an internal frame, a solid board is fixed, and it serves as an equally reliable leg for a stool. The second, outer frame has a jumper in its lowest part, at such a level that when the structure is folded, the leg board fits neatly into it, creating one panel. The fastening of such legs to the seat is carried out in exactly the same way as in the first version of the folding stool. |
 | For comparison, you can see how one and the other model of the finished product looks like, and choose the one you like for manufacturing. It is probably not difficult to understand that the second design option is simpler in execution. |
Stool with wicker seat
A stool with a wicker surface can be made in a low or full, high version - it will be convenient in any case. Its seat can be made of various materials - durable fabric, belts (including old car seat belts), cord and even a plastic-braided cable. It is quite possible to come up with your own version.
Materials for manufacturing
The frame for such products is mounted, in principle, according to the same scheme, however, if a high stool for an adult is to be made, then the design should be more reliable, that is, it is desirable to strengthen it with strong drawers and legs. We must not forget that the seat of a traditional stool is also a reinforcing part of the structure, and its wicker version itself requires a particularly strong frame.
So, for the frame of a rectangular stool, having a size of 500 × 400 mm, you will need:
- Wooden blocks 50×50 mm for the legs – their height can be chosen individually.
- Bars for drawers and footrests, section 50 × 25 mm.
- Metal or wooden corner elements - "crackers".
- Self-tapping screws.
- Leather or synthetic straps, or strong rope in one or two colors.
We note right away that the model shown in the example has a fairly large seat, which reduces the overall strength of the stool. Therefore, it may be more reasonable to make this structural element a little smaller, for example, 350 × 300 mm.
Find out by reading the options from "classic" to "transformer" in a special article on our portal.
Making a stool
The manufacture of such a stool is carried out in the following order:
| Illustration | Brief description of the operation to be performed |
|---|---|
 | From the bars prepared for work, the structural elements of the stool are cut. The legs are available in heights from 300 to 500 mm, and the model shown is 400 mm high. In order for the legs to be stable, their end parts must be perfectly even. Therefore, they should be marked on a construction square, and it is advisable to saw them with a circular saw, which will give a perfect cut. |
 | The next step is to prepare the bars for the legs and the tsarg. In this case, 4 beams are cut out with a length of 450 mm and 4 beams - 300 mm each. These elements should also have smooth edges for a snug fit to the legs. |
 | To make holes for fastening structural elements at a certain angle, a special tool (jig) is used that can direct the drill bit in the right direction. This device is fixed on a bar, and two holes are drilled through its guide holes on each side of the wooden part. After all the elements of the stool are ready, they should be cleaned well - this process is best done before assembling the structure, since it will be easier to see all the problem areas on the wood. |
 | This photo shows how such holes look inside the timber. |
 | Additional fastening of the tsarg and footrests with legs can also be carried out with the help of “thorn-groove” fasteners, and then, for maximum reliability, also with metal corners - “crackers”. These parts must be selected according to the width of the wooden bars. |
 | If the first mounting option is chosen, using self-tapping screws, then the assembly and fixation of all parts of the stool look as shown in the presented photo. |
 | At the end of the assembly, the stool frame should be strong and stable. When relying on it, it should not swing. |
 | If it is planned to be painted or tinted, then this process is carried out before the seat is made. |
 | To equip the seat for the model shown in this example, it took 17 leather straps, 35 mm wide. As already mentioned, seat belts used in cars can be used instead. The belts are screwed with two self-tapping screws 10 mm in size at a distance of 9 mm from each other, on the wide side of the beam, which goes inside the stool frame. The length of the belts must be measured in advance using a tape measure, “going” with its flexible tape all the way the belt is located. First you need to fasten the straps, which will be located along the length of the rectangle. Having fixed the belts from the inside, they bend around the beam, pull it through the seat frame to the opposite beam-side, go around it and also fix it on the inside with the help of the same self-tapping screws. |
 | After the longitudinal belts are fixed, the belts should be fixed in the same way, which will intertwine the already stretched elements across. They are screwed along one of the long sides of the frame. Then, each of the belts is passed across through the longitudinal belts, in the form of weaving. After that, they are also wrapped on the inside of the opposite side, stretched and screwed. After completing this operation, you can proceed to the "tests" of the product. |
 | Another design option for a flexible stool seat is to pull a strong rope or cord onto the frame. In this case, paper rope was used. In addition to it, it is necessary to prepare furniture nails with wide hats and a hammer, as well as clamp pliers and an awl. |
 | You can purchase a rope of different colors for weaving and display one of the selected patterns on the surface of the seat, getting a stylish piece of furniture that will complement the interior design. |
 | The end of the rope of the same color is nailed to the back side of the drawer with the help of two furniture nails. |
 | Further, two long opposite sides of the frame are carefully wrapped with a rope. If the frame is square, then the process of laying the rope can be started from either side of the structure. |
 | Braiding opposite tsars with a rope, its loops are pressed against each other as tightly as possible and pulled. Having covered approximately 100 ÷ 120 mm of the seat length with a braid, the rope is temporarily fixed with tongs so that it does not weaken. So they continue to work until the entire surface of the seat is covered with a wound rope. |
 | Having finished the tight-fitting of the seat in two drawers in one color, you can proceed to weaving it across with a twine of a different color. To do this, in this case, a white rope is taken and also fixed on the back of the drawer, which runs parallel to the already wound rope. |
 | With the help of a white cord, any pattern can be “highlighted” from a red background. This process is relatively simple, and will be accessible even to a beginner. |
 | In this case, white cords are pulled between the red rope so that the result is a herringbone pattern, that is, stripes are obtained that turn diagonally from the center of the seat. |
 | Having interlaced 6 ÷ 8 rows and pulled them, the white rope is grabbed on the reverse side of the tsargi with a furniture nail. If this is not done, the seat during operation of the stool will quickly stretch and sag. This procedure must be carried out every 6 ÷ 8 rows, hammering nails on one or the opposite side. |
 | The result should be a sturdy seat, four threads thick, with an interesting design. If you want to choose a different pattern, woven from three or even four colors of rope, then on the Internet you can always find exactly what suits a particular interior. |
It should be noted that in the second version, where the seat is covered with a rope, the frame is not very strong and is unlikely to withstand heavy people, but such a stool is perfect for a child's room or as a footrest. If you want to make a full-fledged product for the seat, you need to choose a more massive beam for the frame and strengthen it especially reliably.
Find out by exploring several available options in a special article on our portal.
In conclusion, it is worth saying that making a stool on your own, without having experience with wood and a special tool, is not so simple as it seems at first glance. However, if there is a desire and enough patience, then it is quite possible to try yourself as a carpenter. The main thing is that you need to tune in to serious work, and not do it “slipshod”.
Video: a master class on making a simple wooden stool
If you decide to master the process of making home furniture, you should start with the simplest designs. First, try to make a stool with your own hands. You can quite cope with this task, even if you do not have special skills in working with wood.
Drafting
To avoid mistakes, it is worth making at least a schematic drawing of the future design. Our stool will consist of the following parts:Seats: its side can be equal to 350-430 mm;
The main details of the stool
Tsarg - bars under the seat, creating a solid foundation; it is to them that the legs are attached;
Legs (supports) 45-50 cm high and 35-50 mm in cross section;
Prolegs, which serve to give the structure additional stability; it is better to place them not exactly in the center of the legs, but a little closer to the bottom;
Crackers: corners made of wood or metal, mounted in the corners under the seat (we will talk about them below).
A simple do-it-yourself stool
Advice! A household stool can be made small - up to 260-280 mm high with a seat size of 260x260 mm.
Required tools and materials
To work with wood we need:Ready-made bars or a dry board 200 mm wide (it will be more convenient to work with this size, it can easily be sawn lengthwise into several bars of 50 mm each);
Roulette;
Square;
A hacksaw with fine teeth or an electric saw for sawing wood;
Rasp;
Chisel;
Drill or screwdriver: they not only fasten parts, but also drill holes; you can replace it with a set of screwdrivers;
self-tapping screws;
Sandpaper.
It is great if there is a milling cutter available, with which you can quickly prepare the grooves and process the edges. Experienced craftsmen also use grinders - with circles of different grain sizes. However, you can also use the usual old-fashioned way - choose grooves and make spikes only with a chisel, jigsaw and rasp, and then sand the tree with sandpaper.
Grooving
Sawing and processing parts
1. First, we need to get 4 equal-sized blanks for legs, tsargs and prolegs.2. To obtain a stable structure, cut the bars strictly at 90°.
3. When calculating the dimensions of the drawstrings and prolegs, do not forget that the length of the spikes must be added to their length (see the figure below).
Marking the prolegs
4. Our design should not have chips and scuffs, otherwise it will be easy to catch a burr during use. Therefore, after cutting the parts carefully we process with sandpaper No. 40-60, wound for convenience on a bar, edges and cuts of blanks. It is also necessary to clean out pronounced irregularities.
5. With sandpaper with a finer abrasive No. 80-120, and then No. 160-320, we again go through the entire plane of each part twice.
How to choose a groove and make spikes?
1. The connection with self-tapping screws is very unreliable - the stool will loosen very quickly. Therefore, for fastening the prolegs and the tsarg, we will use a tenon-groove connection.2. The simplest option - rectangular spikes. Their width should be 1/3 of the thickness of the part, and the length should be about 80% of its thickness. That is, if the thickness of our proleg is 20 mm, then we must make spike 16 mm long and 7 mm wide(multiply 20 by 1/3 and get 6.67 mm, round the figure to 7).
Rectangular spike for connecting prolegs
3. So, we mark the location of the spikes on the sides and prolegs.
tongue-and-groove connection
4. Since the spike is much easier to fit than the groove, we start with making grooves.
5. It is more convenient to use a drill or a screwdriver to drill them. After making several holes (see photo), we select the excess wood between them very sharp chisel(A blunt instrument can only hurt you.)
6. To make the walls even, you can fix a small bar at the groove selection line - in this case, you can easily select a groove at 90 °.
7. Of course, it is much easier to make spikes on a milling machine. But you can cut them out using the old-fashioned markup method using the usual jigsaw and rasp, and if the house has a jigsaw, then things will go even faster.
8. Check the connection. It should be tight enough, and the spike should fit tightly into the groove to the very end.
Stool assembly
1. We assemble the legs in pairs, fastening them with drawstrings and prolegs. To check, first we assemble a stool dry without the use of glue. We check the accuracy of the dimensions of the parts and the fidelity of their fit. We eliminate the identified shortcomings.
We check the evenness of the parts in pairs
2. If there are no errors, we disassemble the structure and drip several grooves into the holes drops of glue, and then smear it with thin chips along the walls. After drying, you can additionally fix the connections with self-tapping screws.
3. To seat it didn’t warp quickly, it’s better to pick it up from several (5-7) boards up to 80 cm wide.
4. We glue the seat boards, smearing them with glue on the sides, and tighten them clamps(tools for tightening and tightly pressing parts to each other).
We tighten the glued seat with clamps
5. We are waiting for the glue to dry completely.
6. We apply glue again, but already on the back of the seat, apply the seat to our stool, align the structure and press it tightly. Remove excess glue immediately.
7. In principle, the seat can be screwed or fixed with wooden dowels (chops) 3 cm long.
8. To strengthen the back of the seat, we attach small corners to the legs and sides (they are called breadcrumbs) or use a furniture corner screed.
In the corners we fix the corners (crackers)
Furniture coupler for tsarg
You can also strengthen the structure with the help of ordinary bars attached to the inside of the stool in the tsarg area.
Plywood stool
You can make the simplest construction from scraps of 3 mm plywood for a summer house or garage in a couple of hours. Thinner sheets under the weight of the human body will quickly break. It is better to use birch plywood. It is easier to process, and products from it are painted more evenly.There is no point in explaining the manufacturing process in detail - the figure below shows in detail the order of cutting and assembly. All blanks are cut with a hand saw or a jigsaw and carefully cleaned. The finished product can be varnished after assembly.
The simplest plywood stool
Plywood children's stool
Video: How to make a folding stool
A stool is an integral element, a must-have fixture in any home. You can't call it too expensive or rare to be taken for hand-made, but a hand-made stool is sure to be more durable and elegant than a standard item from any store. This is what we will talk about today.
As with any more or less serious work, you need to be well prepared to create a stool. List of required toolsThe first step is to prepare all the tools that you might need. You need to prepare different tools, as we will look at various photos of stools, from which you can do the work yourself. The list looks something like this:
Materials for making a stoolIn addition to tools, of course, you will also need materials for making a stool. Their list can be limited to the following items:
Possible stool optionsSince stools are considered a fairly common option for seating devices, there are many varieties of them. We believe that it is necessary to consider the most convenient and popular ones in order to know for sure what you can do with your own hands. The most popular options are below:
To dot the "i", we suggest you look at the photos of the stools that we have given in the classification.
The stool, which we want to consider first, is ideal for both the kitchen and the glazed loggia, where you can sit down to relax and drink tea. It will have crossed legs, fastened with timber for greater structural stability. The seat of the stool will be covered with fabric, under which foam rubber will be located. This upholstered stool is the perfect seat for any kitchen. Naturally, in order to do everything right, it’s not enough just to follow the instructions, you need to carefully study the drawing, which we recommend that you do.
Characteristics of the barsTo make a stool, we need to prepare the bars. Their characteristics will be as follows:
Making a wooden stoolWe make legs and base
The first thing you need to take on is the legs of your future stool. Let's get down to business:
The legs are ready and it remains for you to paint their base in the color that you like best. We perform sittingWhen making a stool for the kitchen, a soft seat is something that must be present in its design. Luckily, it's not that hard to make. In order to make a durable seat, you need plywood. Its thickness is not too important, but a thickness of less than 12 millimeters is not recommended, since such a seat will be too flimsy.
Let's get down to business:
Congratulations, the part you will sit on in the future can also be considered finished. We collect a wooden stool with our own handsFinally, a few details of the future stool, your own production, are assembled. But by "assembled", we mean that they are made. And now they have to really be assembled so that the stool can begin to be used. Let's just say - the work is very simple. You just need to attach the finished base to the seat.
Your kitchen stool is made and ready for a long and reliable service.
DIY folding stoolEveryone knows what a folding stool is, and this, by the way, has been known for a very long time. This is an indispensable assistant for fishing, outdoors, this is something that you cannot do without in the country. And instead of going to the market and spending money on a stool of suspicious quality, you can also make it yourself. Stool: dimensions and drawingThe design of such a folding chair is painfully simple, but still, it is necessary to use the drawings so that everything comes out clearly and without unnecessary snags. Therefore, we offer you the ideal drawing for consideration.
Necessary materialsTo create all the necessary elements separately and assemble them into a single whole in the end, you will need the following devices:
How to make a stool from prepared materialsWhen all the materials and tools are collected, you need to start making a chair.
Suitable materials and a small nuanceIn the process of making a folding stool, in general, you can use almost any type of wood. But mainly pines or birches are recommended. By the way, a pine stool will have a very small weight, which is convenient for carrying it often, for use on fishing trips and to the country. True, such a pine stool tends to loosen quickly, and requires periodic tightening of the bolts that hold the structure together. There is another interesting design refinement that will make an already convenient device even more convenient. You can attach a portable handle to the structure of a folding stool. Such a handle is fixed between the inner legs. If you initially take bolts not 4 centimeters each, but 6-7 each, a very convenient handle for carrying the product can be fixed between the inner legs.
Making a stool with your own hands. VideoAt the end of our conversation, so to speak, in order to reinforce the work done, we offer you an entertaining video that tells you how to make a stool with your own hands. The video describes in detail all the nuances and subtleties of making a high-quality, durable and reliable chair at home. After spending half an hour of your personal time, you will finally figure out all the necessary operations and will be able to get to work with confidence. After all, it is not for nothing that they say that you can read it 10 times, but having seen it once, you will surely know how everything is done.
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Reading time ≈ 3 minutes
The stool is a compact and convenient piece of furniture, while it is quite easy to make it yourself.
Modern stools: what they are made of and where they are used
The variety of shapes and sizes of modern stools allows you to significantly expand the scope of their use, not limited, as before, to the kitchen (at home or in the country). Now, in addition to the already traditional square models, you can find options for various shapes (for example, oval, round, etc.), as well as high bar ones, which are also made according to the principle of an ordinary stool. Various materials are used for the production of these products. The most popular of them:
- wood;
- plastic;
- metal;
- acrylic etc.
Stylish stools made of modern materials and decorated according to the chosen style can be a worthy addition to the arrangement of modern housing, cafes, restaurants and bars.
At the same time, no matter what stools we consider, one principle lies at the heart of their manufacture. Next, consider how to make a stool out of wood yourself.
Step by step instructions for making a stool
Below is the information, using which you can easily make a stool with your own hands.
To make a stool you will need:
- wooden bars (for legs) - 4 pieces;
- tsargi-frames made of wood - 4 pieces;
- material for the stool cover (in our case, it is a wooden board (it is advisable to use hardwood)) - 1 piece;
- materials for seating equipment - foam rubber, leatherette, leather or upholstery fabric;
- carpentry tools, as well as plastering.
Then you will need to do the following:
- We process all the workpieces with a planer until they reach the desired size.
- Each detail is carefully sanded to achieve maximum smoothness of the surfaces.
- To ensure greater stability, the legs of the future stool are connected by drawers. The drawer side is a frame that connects the legs of a stool. It should be noted that the drawers will be needed in the manufacture of any stool, the legs of which will have a height of more than 15 cm. At the same time, if the height of the legs of the future product is not higher than 20 cm, then only two drawers can be mounted (opposite each other), and for higher stools, four should already be installed.
- The connection of the tsarg with the legs of the stool is carried out using round plug-in spikes and glue (you can use self-tapping screws). The process of connecting the legs must be carried out very carefully, since the stability and reliability of the future product will depend on it.
- Next, install the seat. At the same time, depending on the chosen design, it is sheathed either before installation or after (it is convenient to fasten the sheathing with a stapler). The casing is formed from 1-2 layers of foam rubber and a decorative coating applied on top.
- Next, it remains to cover the surface of the stool with a decorative coating. As such a coating, you can use both special paints and enamels, and furniture varnish, which should be applied in two layers, allowing each of them to dry completely (drying time is always indicated on the package).
(Of course, only the legs of the stool and the outer surfaces of other parts can be processed, but the finished product will look much more solid, impeccably processed from all sides.)
When all layers of the decorative coating are completely dry, the stool can be used.
In conclusion, I would like to note that, as can be seen from the article with a photo, there is nothing complicated in making stools on your own. At the same time, you will not need any special materials and tools for work.
A comfortable and compact stool is one of the most functional and mobile pieces of furniture in the house. Trying to make the atmosphere of the apartment more luxurious, we often choose elegant armchairs, chairs or banquettes, forgetting that an ordinary stool can also look stylish. Unlike bulky furniture, you can always make wooden stools with your own hands: photos and drawings posted on thematic sites provide ample opportunities for home creativity.
We will try to dispel the myth that these excellent products are unsuitable for modern living and do not fit into a fashionable interior.
Stool as a necessary piece of furniture
First, let's remember that a stool is a piece of furniture designed for sitting. In the traditional interpretation, it has 4 legs and a seat - a cover that rests on the legs.
A variegated kitchen company - there is enough space for all family members
In order for the supports to stand firmly and not to move in different directions, they are fixed among themselves with an additional belt of rails. But this applies more to homemade samples - the seats and legs of factory models, which are often made of polyester plastic or metal, are attached in a different way.
A handy, portable WIKL masterpiece designed by Austrian designer GerlindeGruber
Many are accustomed to doing in the house exclusively with chairs. This is especially true for owners of spacious homes who prefer a full-fledged dining area: a large oval or rectangular table + a set of 6-8 chairs with high backs.
Manufacturers go to meet customers and release hundreds of new collections for the dining room. But if you search well, you can also find great sets with stools - plastic and wooden, high and low, for children and adults.
Modern kitchen in Scandinavian style - lots of light and space
As furniture for sitting, comfortable products are used in kitchens, but in other rooms their functions are expanding. Comfortable horizontal surfaces of seats replace tables, shelves, flower stands.
A set of multifunctional tables from India, which are also used for seating
Stylish stepladder for home library
Tall model - a great stand for ampelous indoor plants
A stool of standard sizes can be placed in the hallway to make it more convenient to put on shoes, in a corner in the kitchen - if there are more guests than chairs. If it is periodically needed, but does not fit into the surrounding interior in style, it can be put away in a closet for a while - its compact dimensions allow you not to take up much space. In addition, you can place other items under it and on it.
What material are stools made from?
If you do not take into account designer models made of plastic, metal and even glass, then these comfortable pieces of furniture are most often made of wood. For production, valuable species of wood (yew, beech, cedar, oak) and budgetary species (pine, alder) are taken. The peoples of different countries skillfully make products of various shapes from bamboo and jute, stone and stumps.
Rustic wooden set
Wood is a malleable, easy-to-work material, therefore, in the manufacture of stools with their own hands, it is this natural raw material that is used. Products are beautiful, environmentally friendly, comfortable and warm at home.
The naturalness of the interior as the main trend
Models on forged legs look great. True masterpieces, made by masters of hot forging, can be proudly installed in the living room, in the hall, and on the summer terrace.
Openwork forging: reliability and convenience
Various soft materials are used to finish the seat: from sisal ropes to printed textiles and faux fur. Leather is a more practical and aristocratic option, while braid is ideal for summer cottages.
Types of stools
The cheerful family is diverse: multi-colored products for children and pretentious models with velvet upholstery coexist perfectly in it. Let's take a look at interesting photos. Perhaps you can buy one of the stylish options at the nearest IKEA boutique, and make a simple wooden stool with your own hands - for a summer residence or a veranda.
Stylish bathroom design
To the children's room
Kids are very fond of compact pieces of furniture, as they can be moved to the table, moved from place to place, used as building material for barricades. For young hostesses, a small stool quickly turns into a table for their favorite dolls, and for boys - into the seat of a sports car or liner.
A colorful proposal from IKEA: a nautical theme loved by children
Children's models differ from adults in their bright design, unusual performance, and originality.
The height is selected according to the height of the child: when sitting, his legs should not hang in the air, but stand confidently on the floor. If the model assumes an overestimated seat position (like bar stools), then a special stand must be made.
library ladder
Practical owners love multifunctional devices and devices. The habit of making the most of the surrounding objects touched the subject of our discussion. If you add one or two steps to a rectangular structure, you get a comfortable stepladder.
A cute two-tier stepladder - the first assistant in the house
Housewives do not need to be told about the benefits of a simple-looking item - they often face inconvenience when they need to get something from the mezzanine or top shelves of the cabinet. It’s hard to bring a construction stepladder every time, and a beautiful comfortable device, on which you can still sit, is always at hand.
folding model
Fans of traveling by car, barbecues in nature and just gatherings in the country garden will appreciate the simple and successful design of the folding model. When assembled, the transformer is more like a box or a set of parts, and when disassembled it turns into a comfortable stool. Pay attention to these solutions if you want to make a stool with your own hands: drawings and diagrams can be found on thematic sites.
Convenient folding model made of wood with X-shaped legs
In addition to wooden options (painted, simply polished, with drawings, patterns and ornaments), you can find "folds" made of plastic or aluminum. All of them are united by light weight and ease of transportation.
Country option
Dachas are different: someone is satisfied with a small house with amenities in the yard, others prefer to relax in comfortable conditions. Accordingly, stools may also differ. For garden work, tightly knit simple models without unnecessary decoration are suitable, for evening tea parties - more sophisticated options, for the kitchen - comfortable products with high legs or designs that are more reminiscent of benches.
Minimalist design suitable for home, garden and gazebo
Before you make a do-it-yourself stool for a city hall, practice on a summer cottage made of wooden planks and beams. There will always be a place for him - in the summer shower or in the bedroom, as a table for an alarm clock or a stand for a grandmother's ficus.
Convenient drawer
Another use for a regular stool is to use it as additional storage. The design with a hinged lid allows you to store useful household items in a small box - a box with sewing supplies, cleaning and hygiene products, a first aid kit. Children can put toys and favorite books there, and a home craftsman can put essential building tools (hammer, pliers, screwdriver).
In the seat "with a secret" you can arrange a cache
If we assume that the stool has lost its legs, then a worthy and entertaining model can turn out.
Great idea to use an old wooden box
The design should be chosen, focusing on the style of the room or the environment. For example, stools made from old vegetable crates can decorate the interior of a pirate-themed treehouse.
Bedside table
If you equip a simple wooden stool with a drawer, it will immediately turn into a comfortable bedside table without losing its basic qualities. In the drawer you can store books, tablets, nose pads, a flashlight and various useful little things that are sometimes needed at night.
Simple but stylish nightstand made on the basis of a stool
If a light wood does not fit the interior design, it is covered with stain, varnish or painted, focusing on the surrounding palette.
How to make a stool with your own hands
Making a stool used to be part of the school curriculum: 10-year-old boys created fairly strong and safe models in a couple of lessons, and then gave them to their mothers on March 8th. This means that anyone can make a wooden stool with their own hands, even if they have never taken a plane or a chisel in their hands before.
We choose soft and pliable wood, not plastic or metal, because wooden blanks can be easily and inexpensively purchased at the nearest hardware store, and besides, wood is easy and pleasant to work with.
For the practical implementation of the idea, you will need tools for processing:
- hacksaw;
- plane;
- screwdriver;
- jigsaw;
- screwdriver;
Sandpaper will definitely come in handy to give the wooden surface a perfectly smooth look, as well as a set of decorative finishing products: varnishes, paints, stencils, brushes, rollers, etc.
Competent drawings of a wooden stool for making with your own hands can be borrowed from professional craftsmen or drawn on your own, based on the dimensions of factory products. We choose the configurations, sizes and style of the model, starting from the purpose of the stool and the place where it is planned to be installed.
Drawing of a kitchen stool with forged legs
Folding stool
Master classes on making simple models
We offer several photo instructions for making stools on your own. Our options are quite simple, but if you wish, you can complicate the creation process and decorate, for example, paint.
Mobile transformer for summer cottages and trips
A convenient folding model will always come in handy at home, on a trip, and in the garden. For work, you will need wooden planks 1.5-2 cm thick and self-tapping screws as fasteners.
A hacksaw can be used to cut a long board into several identical pieces of small size, but a jigsaw will increase the speed of the process. Even and accurate holes will help to make a drilling machine. One of the conditions for the correct functioning of the product is the correct order of parts when stringing on the holder.
The workflow for processing parts and assembling is well represented in the photo:
Photo of the finished model
Folded product
Turned parts with holes
Using a drill press
Part of the parts is put on the holder
All necessary items included
If you liked the process, and the product turned out to be beautiful and durable, we suggest assembling a country table in the same way, as in the following photo:
Folding table - an enlarged twin of a folding stool
If you want to treat all parts with a protective stain or impregnation, it is better to do this even before assembly. However, when using a stool in the house, protection can be ignored - natural wood without processing is more environmentally friendly.
Stool-table with hemp or nylon weaving
The next model was created not so much for sitting, but for another function. It plays the role of a bedside or sofa table, on which you can put a light thing. A wicker seat is unlikely to withstand a seated person.
Finished product in the country interior
The diagonal weaving technique is clearly visible in the photo: the contrast cord is not passed in a checkerboard pattern, but with a regular indent in one direction or another. By experimenting, you can create a unique pattern in the form of braids, chevrons or oblique stripes.
You need to prepare a wooden frame in advance - take it from an old stool or make it yourself. Any decorative cord or twine will do. In this case, to create a contrasting pattern, they took a synthetic cord of red and white.
For work you will need:
- hammer;
- ticks;
- awl;
- scissors;
- self-tapping screws, furniture nails or staples.
Decorating a wooden surface can be done with paint or varnish.
Assembly materials and tools
We wrap the intended seat of the stool with a red cord, then we create an ornament using a contrasting cord. The manufacturing process is beautifully presented in the photo:
Beginning of work
Tool instead of assistant
Contrasting weaving - the beginning of the process
View from above
Red and white drawing
Excellent result
Instead of synthetic cord, you can use hemp rope:
Natural rope seat
Similarly, you can decorate a wooden frame and hang it near the stool - for a set. The frame is useful as a basis for a collage, herbarium or children's drawing.
Stylish stools in the home interior
Elements of rococo and baroque styles in modern interiors are extremely rare, but the classic (not always pure) furnishings are typical for every second city apartment. But the stool is more suitable for rustic styles - country, provence, rustic. Models of a simple design, without unnecessary decor, fit perfectly into a marine decor, loft or Scandinavian style.
A small photo gallery will tell you which type of stool is suitable for your environment.
Charming turquoise bedroom set
Minimalist modern dining room
Blue and white nautical style
Exotic Chinese stool
Stylish bar models
Cozy wicker set
A little sunshine for breakfast
When choosing stools, do not forget that the performance of products should not be inferior to their aesthetic embodiment.
Video instructions for making a stool
Classic stools with machine tools:
An elegant product in the Art Nouveau style:
Step-by-step instructions for assembling a folding model:
As you already understood, a stool can be simple to manufacture and versatile in use, stylish and comfortable, decorative and useful. We hope that beautiful photos of stools will encourage you to independently create a unique and practical model.