| Easy-to-Build Footstool |
From "DIY Crafts"
episode DIC-157 |
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Katie Hamilton, owner of HouseNet Inc., constructs an easy Shaker-style footstool out of pine, dowels and belt cording. Materials:
6' length of 2" x 2" pine
Four 3' lengths of 7/8"-diameter wooden dowels
Sandpaper
Wood glue
Paint or stain
Sealer or varnish
Two colors of belt cording
Power drill
Paintbrushes
Rags
Clamps
Upholstery tacks
Hammer
Ruler or combination square
Pencil
Safety glasses
- Cut four 12 1/2" legs from 2" by 2" pine. Cut eight 13 1/2" rungs from 7/8"-diameter wood dowel.
- Lay out the holes for the dowels on the legs. Using a ruler or combination square, draw a line across the face of the leg 1" down from its top. Draw another line 6" down the leg from this line. Mark the center of these lines (3/4" from either side of the leg) to indicate the center of the rung holes. Mark the other three legs in the same way, determining the placement for the rungs at the front and back of the stool (figure A).
- The rung holes located on an adjacent face of the legs are slightly lower than the rungs in the front and back of the stool (figure B). Before marking these holes, pair the legs by turning them on their sides so that the upper holes face one another. Make an X on the side facing up. Lay out the location of the lower holes on these sides so that you have matching pairs of legs. The lower rung holes for the sides of the footstool are located 2 1/8" from the top of the leg and 6" below that measurement (figure C).
- Wearing safety glasses, drill a 7/8" diameter hole 1" deep through the layout marks. Make sure the drill is straight. Wrap a piece of tape around the drill bit 1" from the tip of the drill as a guide, and stop drilling when you reach the edge of the tape (figure D).
- Apply a small amount of wood glue to the holes, and spread it around the sides of the holes with a paintbrush. Stick the dowels in the holes, making sure they're inserted all the way. Place the stool on a flat surface to check that all legs touch the ground and the stool is properly aligned. If not, twist the stool into correct alignment. Clamp the legs, and let the glue dry (figure E).
- Sand the stool, and stain or paint as desired. Coat with sealer or varnish.
- Next, you'll string the seat. Begin by tacking the end of the belt cording just under the lower rung with an upholstery tack. Wind rows, or the warp, around the lower pair of rungs. The number of rows will depend on the width of the belt cording. You'll weave an upper row of cording on the top of the seat and a lower row on the underside. When the weft cords are added, tack the end at the corner dowel (figure F).
- Begin weaving the opposite, or weft, cords. They will also be woven on both top and bottom for added strength. Anchor the end of the weft cord with an upholstery tack under the lower rung. Weave the cord through the top strands and return it underneath, weaving it through the bottom layer, alternating the weave (figure G).
- Pull the cording over the lower rung, loop it around, and run it under the seat to the nearest upper rung. Continue weaving above and below until you reach the other side. Tack the end at the corner dowel.
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