Need a little help reaching the higher branches of the Christmas tree? Reach for one of these!
We absolutely love tuffets and footstools. They are the perfect accessory for she sheds and homes, the times when you need a little lift for those aching feet or to reach a bit higher. Of course you can find footstools at any home goods store but why not make one just the way you want it?
This darling footstool was a Rose Bowl Flea Market find. It is probably from the 1960s and very rustic, maybe used in a store or factory. The legs are on castor wheels so someone used it to pull around heavy boxes, maybe? Or maybe a shoe salesman sat on it to help his little clients tie their shoelaces. Every piece has a story, which is why we love old things so much!
Anyway it was a three-hour project to turn a rough little factory piece into an adorable painted stool. Of course we used our signature She Shades exterior chalk-based paint in Pastoral Rouge to make it festive and added a lightly padded seat cushion covered in ticking.
Step 1. Clean and lightly sand the surface. Remove any protruding nails and replace old wood slats with new if necessary.
Step 2. Paint with an exterior chalk-based paint or another paint of your choice. Allow to dry.
Step 3. Lightly brush with an antiquing stain (we used transparent black) and allow to dry.
Step 4. Cut a piece of plywood the same shape as the stool top.
Step 5. Cover a piece of thin foam padding cut slightly smaller than the plywood piece. It’s nice to bevel the foam a little around the edges (simply trim the foam at a slight angle inwards).
Step 6. Use fabric of your choice to cover the padding and use a staple gun to secure tightly.
Step 7. Position padded top onto the top of the stool. Carefully turn stool over and drive screws into the bottom of the stool seat, using screws long enough to get through the seat and securely into the plywood. Not too long, though, or it won’t be very comfortable to sit on!
Castor wheels might be a little unstable, so you may want something without them if you need something to stand on. Keep your eyes open for diamonds in the rough next time you’re out junkin’ and get painting. Please show us the fabulous result in the comments or on Facebook.
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