How to Construct a Footstool

A footstool can be a functional and aesthetic addition to any area of the household.  It can be used as an ottoman, or as a simple boost while mitigating the dangers of climbing on barstools, chairs, and fold-out ladders.  A do-it-yourself footstool can also be tailored to your wants as well as being economical and fun. 

This Instructable will take you through the procedure on constructing and upholstering a footstool in entirety (from “scratch”).  It will provide you with the required list of materials and tools used in the entire instruction set. 

There are two major sections in this instruction set: Construction and Upholstery.  Each section is divided into steps (Construction into eight steps and Upholstery into three steps).  These steps are further subdivided into smaller, digestible mini-steps.  Photographs supplement the instructions.  The Construction section involves measuring, cutting, constructing, and cleaning up the frame of the footstool.  The Upholstery section includes detailed steps on padding and adhesive, fabric application, and finishing touches (stool feet and decorative nails).

Step 1: Materials and Tools

Materials List:
1.   3x-  8’x1.5”x.75” board
2.   2x - ½” 2’x2’ plywood sheet
3.   3x - furniture feet
4.   1 box(30) - 1.25” wood screws
5.   1yd - heavy duty material (of appropriate matching color)
6.   1yd - furniture batting
7.   2’’ foam (I purchased a 23”x18” piece)
8.   5 boxes decorative nails (24 count/box)

Tools List:
1.   hammer
2.   drill
3.   staple gun w/ staples
4.   tape measure
5.   speed square
6.   pencil
7.   screwdriver
8.   sander
9.   adhesive spray
10. pliers
11. scissors
12. marker
13. miter saw
14. circular saw
15. level
16. ruler