How to Make a Cushioned Stool From Wood

Place a piece of cut plywood on the work table. Most home-improvement stores carry cut plywood in small sizes and shapes. Select a piece in the size and shape you want using 1/2-inch plywood.

Position four leg brackets on the plywood approximately 1 inch from each corner, or evenly spaced for a round shaped wood base. Mark the location of attachment holes. Drill holes in the plywood. Insert bolts through the wood and secure the brackets in place with nuts and a wrench. Repeat for all three remaining legs.

Turn the plywood right-side up. Spray the top of the plywood with a spray adhesive for foam. Position 6-inch foam over the plywood, pressing the foam into the adhesive. Allow two hours for the glue to dry. Cut around the outside of the foam following the edge of the plywood. Contour the shape of the foam, if you want rounded corners, using an electric carving knife.

Place quilt batting twice the size of the stool on the work table. Turn the stool upside down, and position the foam centered on the batting. Bring the top center of the batting to the underside of the stool, and staple 2 inches from the edge. Pull and stretch the batting lightly along the bottom center, bringing the batting to the back and stapling. Pull, stretch and staple the left center and then the right center. Follow this pattern, stapling away from the center toward the corners. Trim off the excess batting at the corners to prevent bunching, and staple. Trim off any excess batting.

Measure the top of the stool. Add 1 inch to the width and length measurements. Cut out fabric to this measurement. Measure the height from the top of the foam to the bottom of the plywood. Add 3 inches for the height measurement. Cut two pieces of the width and height measurement. Cut two pieces of the length and height measurements.

Pin the short ends of a length and width side piece together with the fabric face sides together. Sew a 1/2-inch seam. Repeat for the second pair. Sew the pairs together along the remaining open ends, face sides together, so that you have a length, width, length, width circle.

Line up the side circle to the top cover face, sides together. Align the corners. Pin with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Sew a 1/2-inch seam allowance around all four sides. Clip the seam allowance corners at a 45-degree angle to remove bulk. Turn the cover right-side out. Slide the cover over the stool, pulling the fabric snug.

Turn the stool upside down. Pull the top fabric snug at the center and staple 2 inches from the edge. Stretch the bottom at the center and staple, then the left and right sides. Continue working from the center toward the corners, stapling every inch. Trim off the excess fabric. Cut cambric the size of the plywood. Turn the edges under 1/2 inch, and staple evenly to cover the earlier work. Cut openings for the leg holes. Screw the bun feet into the leg brackets.