How to Build a Padded Footstool With Legs

Cut 3/4-inch plywood to the size you want, using a table saw. Place the plywood flat on your worktable. Position a leg bracket in the corner of the plywood 2 inches from each side. Screw the leg bracket to the plywood with a screwdriver. Repeat for all four corners.

Turn the stool right side up. Spray the plywood with spray adhesive. Position 6-inch thick foam over the plywood, and press the foam into the adhesive. Trim the foam around the outside of the plywood using an electric carving knife.

Place quilt batting on the worktable. Center the stool, foam side down, over the batting. Pull the top batting to the back center, and staple 2 inches from the underside wood edge. Pull the bottom batting to the back center, and staple. Pull the left and then the right sides to the back. Staple from the center and then out. Return to the top, and pull more batting to the back and staple. Continue with the same top, bottom, left, right pattern, stapling every inch. Clip the corner just outside the seam allowance to reduce bunching. Trim off any other excess batting as well.

Measure the length of the foam, and add 1 inch for seams. Measure the width, and add 1 inch for seams. Cut out the top of your cover. Measure the height of the cushion area from the top of the foam to the bottom wood edge. Add 3 inches for seams and staples. Cut two pieces using your length and height measurements. Cut another two pieces using your width and height measurements.

Place a long side piece and a short side piece face-sides together along the height measurement. Sew a 1/2-inch seam. Repeat for the second set. Join the two sets together in the order long, short, long, short with a 1/2-inch seam. Iron your seams.

Place your side fabric face-side down over your cover fabric. Align the corners. Pin a 1/2-inch seam around all four sides, and sew a 1/2-inch seam. Iron your seams, and clip the corners at a 45-degree angle in the seam allowance to ease the corner and reduce bunching. Turn your cover right-side out.

Pull the cover onto the footstool so that the corners are aligned and snug. Turn the foam upside-down. Pull the center of one long side to the back underside and staple. Pull the center of the other long side to the back underside and staple. Pull the left and then the right, stapling in the center. Follow the same pattern of top, bottom, left and right, moving your staples from the center out in both directions. Clip the corners.

Cut cambric to fit the underside of the stool. Cambric is a black fabric used to finish upholstery pieces. Trim off any excess fabric or batting left on the underside of the stool. Fold the sides of the cambric under 1/2-inch, and staple evenly to cover all of your earlier stapling. Make holes for the leg openings. Screw the legs into the footstool.