If you are doing any painting projects this year, here's a great way to recycle plastic paint containers / bins / cans into comfortable stools. I made stools for outdoors, but you can make them for any room and particularly for a child's bedroom or playroom.

Rather than toss out these plastic paint bins, giving them a coat or two of Rust-Oleum 2X spray paint is an easy way to turn them into fun seating for indoors or outdoors.

Pop some comfortable cushions to fit into the top of the plastic containers and you have instant seating. When not in use you can take the cushions indoors. Or spray them with Rust-Oleum Never Wet Fabric Spray.

All you need to make these comfortable stools are some empty plastic paint containers. I recently touched up my home exterior and also painted paving, the latter to feature soon on the website. so had a couple of containers on hand.

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Step 1: Prep and Paint the Containers

1. Before you start, cut off the handles as neatly as possible. I used my Dremel MultiTool and cutting disk to cut off the handles.

2. For the spray paint to adhere properly to the plastic containers you need to apply a tough all-purpose primer. Now you can buy Zinsser Bulls Eye primer at your local Builders Warehouse. This primer is excellent as a primer for most surfaces. Follow the instructions on the can to ensure proper application.

3. After allowing the specified drying time you can start applying the Rust-Oleum 2X in your choice of colour. I used satin Lagoon to tie in with the fabric colour for the cushions.

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Step 2: Make the Cushions

4. For the cushions I used a template the same size as the lid (270mm). I marked the shape onto a 70mm thick piece of medium-density foam.

5. A serrated-edge knife is great for cutting foam, especially curved pieces.

GOOD TO KNOW: Remove as much of the excess foam as you can and then cut the detailed curves.

6. With the foam circles cut out you can then cut the fabric. You need 4 circles that are 40mm larger than the foam, and 2 strips for the sides that are about 40mm longer than the actual perimeter of each piece of foam.

7. I used Alcolin sprayable adhesive (sprayed onto the foam and fabric) to secure the top and bottom pieces of fabric onto the foam.

GOOD TO KNOW: Snip the edges of the excess fabric and fold these over the edge as shown.

GOOD TO KNOW: I left everything overnight, but for good measure added some masking tape around the sides to make sure that the fabric stuck down.

8. With the top and bottom glued down, I folded over the sides and edges and sewed these onto the foam circles. My sewing skills are not excellent, but I did manage to do a decent running stitch.

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