There are a few companies that I love to draw inspiration from and Lulu & Georgia is definitely in the top 5 for me. When I ran across this stool, I instantly fell in love and what’s even better, I had a ton of scrap 1x2s laying around! This stool is originally made with teak, which would be great for a bathroom or somewhere with a humid climate but for my bedroom, good ole pine will do the trick. Not to mention the price of teak right now is about $30 a board foot! Here are the steps I took to build each stool, along with my free plans!
SUPPLIES:
- Tape Measure
- Speed Square
- Safety Glasses
- Pencil
- Ear Protection
- Drill
- 1/2″ Drill Bit
- Miter Saw
- Sander
- Rubber Mallet
- Lumber
STEP 1:
Cut lumber to the dimensions in the plans. I recommend using a jig/guide to make this process easier since there are so many boards to cut at the same length.
STEP 2:
Drill holes using your drill and 1/2″ drill bit. Using a good quality drill bit will work wonders here. Use as many clamps as necessary to get a tight hold on the wood. Always use a scrap piece of wood that is larger than the board you are drilling to clamp your board to. This will help eliminate tear-out when the drill bit exits the board. Drilling slowly will also help.
24 of your boards will have three holes and 11 boards will have two. My advice is to measure and drill one board each and use those as a guide when drilling the rest. For example, I would stack three boards together (with my pre-drilled board on top) and then clamp and drill to save time. This also helps to make sure all of the boards line up perfectly together. You just need to make sure your clamps are very tight to avoid any movement or sliding when drilling. Do whatever you feel comfortable with. If you happen to have a drill press, you are a lucky gal/fella.
STEP 3:
Sand your boards with 120 grit sandpaper. Normally I would wait until the project is completed, but there are so many pieces involved in this project that it will be much easier to do ahead of assembly.
STEP 4:
Stain your boards. Again, I would normally do this last, but this project is unique and I chose to do it first to make my life easier. I used Varathane’s American Walnut stain to match the furniture I already had in my room. I would love to see these in a light stain to give them a modern twist!
STEP 5:
Assemble your puzzle! I stacked all of my pieces in the shape of the stool so I wouldn’t have to think about the design as I assembled. This is totally personal preference. I then started shimmy-ing the pieces on the wood dowels. I did have to bore out some of my holes that were too snug. A good sanding bit would help here but you can also carefully use your drill bit. If you need a little extra force, a rubber mallet is perfect.
That’s it! A super easy project with minimal supplies and tools. Here are the printable plans again if that’s easier for you. I ended up making two stools for the foot of my bed and I love them! Check out the finished product below. If you have any questions just ask!
