How to Build a Simple Step Stool

When you reach to put dishes away on the top shelf or to change a light bulb, you may wish you had a step stool. Novice woodworkers can easily build a simple step stool out of just three pieces of wood. You can paint and decorate it in a way that matches your home's decor. Building a simple step stool is also a viable family project and is well-suited for introducing kids to carpentry.

4-foot-by-4-foot sheet 3/4-inch thick hardwood plywood
Tape measure
Pencil
Jigsaw
80-grit sandpaper
220-grit sandpaper
Wood glue
Weight
Drill
8 L-brackets with screws
Primer and paint or clear wood finish
Paintbrush
4 furniture glides

Instructions

- 1
  Cut a 13-inch-square piece of 3/4-inch-thick hardwood for the top of the stool, using a jig saw.
- 2
  Cut two pieces of 18 1/4-inch-by-5 1/2-inch wood for the stand. The pieces will crisscross, forming an X-shaped stand.
- 3
  Measure and mark 9 1/8 inches down of the long sides of the stand pieces. At that point, cut two 3/4-long, 3/4-inch-wide notches.
- 4
  Smooth all the cut edges on the pieces of wood with sandpaper. Start with 80-grit sandpaper and finish with 220-grit sandpaper.
- 5
  Fit the notched stand pieces together to form an "X" shape. Set the stand on the floor or on a worktable. Apply a bead of wood glue along the top edges of the stand. Center and place the stool top on the stand.
- 6
  Place a weight, such as a can of paint, on top of the stool to compress the wood glue. Leave the wood glue to dry overnight.
- 7
  Turn the stool upside down. Screw two L-brackets on either side of each end of both stand boards, connecting the stand boards to the bottom of the stool top.
- 8
  Prime and paint the stool or treat it with a clear wood finish if you want to preserve the natural wood tone.
- 9
  Apply self-adhesive furniture glides to the bottom outer four corners of the stool to prevent it from scratching the floor.

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