Simple Step Stool

Good morning sunshine(s)!

The sun is out, I saw a robin last week and even though the grass is still a dead-brown colour and the temperatures are barely above 0°, I’ve been working in my she-shop with the garage doors open!!

Wahoo! (I’ve been freezing my kibibees off, but just being able to open the doors to let some sunlight in has given me a shot of Vitamin D happiness!)

I have some pretty big projects coming to the blog in April (like say.. two different coffee tables!) but Sunday was all about a simple step stool for my Aunt.

I took a couple of different plan ideas I found online and then tweaked them to fit within the scrap pile of wood I have sitting in my she-shop/garage – so today I’m sharing my scrap wood, simple step stool.

Simple Step Stool

2 pieces 1″ x 12″ rough pine (so it really is a full inch thick) cut to 15″ long
4 pieces 2″ x ¾” ply or scrap wood cut to 13″ long
1 piece 1″ x 12″ cut to 8 ½” by 16″
1 piece 1″ x 12″ cut to 7 ½” by 16″

The first thing to do is cut out the riser section from your 12″ x 15″ boards. The 15″ side will be the horizontal to give enough room for feet to step up, so measure in 8″ on your 15″ side and down 6″ on your 12″ side and cut with a jig saw.

Repeat on both boards and you should be left with two side pieces similar to this:

I had some rough pine scraps leftover from my super-sized shoe rack, and while they do take a fair bit of sanding, it is a much cheaper cut of wood and they polish up nicely (top boards are before sanding and the bottom ones are after)

Next, you’ll need to attach your cross-braces to one of your side sections. I pre-drilled pocket holes into either end of my 2″ x 13″ boards and attached to the risers with wood glue and 1 ¼” pocket hole screws. You could drill in from the outside of the risers if you don’t have a pocket hole jig and use regular wood screws.

If you are using a pocket hole jig, now is a good time to drill pocket holes along the upper horizontal edges of your steps (where you will add the step itself.

I attached my cross-braces as seen in the diagram below.

Attach your steps using wood glue and 1 ¼” pocket hole screws drilled up from inside of your DIY step stool.

That’s it! You’re done!

Okay, I might have brought my birthday router out to round the edges of the steps a bit – not necessary, just pretty.

Do you believe those steps are the same boards from the first image? After sanding with 60 and 120 grit and then finishing with a nice 220 grit they are gorgeous! I love sanding, so this was no hardship for me.

I stained the steps and painted the sides and braces for a nice two-tone look.

My Aunt won’t admit to being short (and shrinking) instead she requested this step stool because she says her “cupboards are too tall”. Sure, sure (wink).

The bow is because it is her birthday next week, so I thought I’d give it to her as part of her birthday gift.

I know a lot of step stools online are for children, so I wanted to make sure that this bad boy was sturdy enough for an adult and wouldn’t tip. The thick 1″ x 12″ rough pine was perfect for this, and while it adds a bit of weight to the piece, it is sturdy. I bounced around on it myself and I am no lightweight, so I feel safe in giving it to an 81-going-on-60 year old.