4 DIY Step Stool Ideas

Modern Step Stool 

I had some leftover wood from the glider bench project and wanted to use it to modernize a few small pieces around the house. First up, the step stool that my dog, Stella, uses to hop on and off our bed. Our bed isn't even that high but she is so small and at first she was jumping on and off just fine, but then one day, she winced as she landed and I realized it was a bit too high of a jump for her joints for how frequently she hops up and down. At first, I just used an extra plastic stool, but that quickly starting annoying me since it didn't tie in with the rest of the room.

So I was excited to take on this stool project. Here is the best part. All the wood I used was less than $10 and the whole project took just a couple hours! 

Once I was all done, I loved the design, but realized that it does have a little tendency to tip if you put too much weight on one corner without a balance on the other side.. Luckily, Stella always steps right in the middle so it was fine for her (and she only weighs 13 lbs), but I came up with a few other options for you guys that have a more stable design and are still super cute and modern. 

Here's what you will need:

SUPPLIES:

• Circular or Miter Saw or Miter Box & Saw - For this project I use the saw and miter box but it would have been even faster with an electric saw (wish I owned one, one day ::-))
• Tape Measurer
• Wood Glue
• #6 1 - 1/2 Wood Screws -  ~8 needed
• 1 - 1/4 Inch Nails  - ~8 needed (I used the ones linked but here is a great resource from Home Depot on choosing the right nail for your project)
• Electric Sander
• 80 Grit Sandpaper, 120 Grit Sandpaper
• Power Drill - you can rent this at Home Depot too
• Philips Head Screw Driver and Drill Kit

WOOD:​

• 1 pieces of 1″ x 3″ x 8′ clear pine
• 1 pieces of 1″ x 2″ x 8′ clear pine
• 1 pieces of 2″ x 2″ x 8′ clear pine

PLANS & INSTRUCTIONS:

Start with the stool top. I used 1 x 3's and cut 3 x 12" segments (straight angle).. Use wood glue to join them on the "skinny side" and let dry 20-30 min. 

While the wood dries, I cute the angled pieces needed for the border. Use the 1x2's and cut 2 x 13.5" pieces and 2 x 9" pieces using the 45 degree angle on the miter box. You can modify the length of these and the base depending on how big you want your stool to be. 

Once the glue has dried, nail the ends of the border into the main step.  

Here's the part where you can totally make it your own. I wanted a super modern look so went with the angled legs stemming from the center (P.S. This stool holds my full weight jumping up and down on it so it is very sturdy.), but like I mentioned, if you don't step relatively center on this stool, it does topple, so I have a few other ideas for the legs. See all 4 options and dimensions below. 

For option 2, and 3, I would use wood glue to make the L-shape legs , similar to the glider bench, and then used the 1x2's to make the lattices in option 2. 

That's it! A simple DIY that I would recommend for beginners. It takes less than 2 hours and under $10 dollars to personalize a little piece of your home. Let me know which one of the leg options you come do, or even better, a new style that you come up with! 

xoxo, 
​Jessica

P.S. Since I know everyone loves a good before and after, here it is: