As my daughter is getting older and more independent, she's trying more things on her own. And that's good! That's how kids learn!
But...
At the same time, it's very bad because she's not being super safe with her climbing and exploring. In fact, this past weekend, she was climbing some furniture and fell and split her chin open. No big deal, but it could have been!
So, I wanted to try and make something for her to eliminate some of the risk, especially around tiled areas. I decided on a compact step stool...
If you follow my posts at all, then you know that I built her a toddler tower in a previous post. That one is still going strong, and is the best option for extended standing activities. But, it's a little bulky for everyday use, so it's time to come up with something a little more compact!
Oh, and not to mention that this needs to be done before the weekend starts, since I have a lot of projects I need to get done!
Let's go!
I started with a piece of 4 foot X 1 foot pine. I already had it on hand as stock wood. The rest of the wood I'll be using will be scrap wood from various projects that I have left over.
The idea, as always, is to use up the scraps and buy as little as possible!
First, I cut the sides of the stool out of the wood. The bottoms are 14" long, and the backsides are 11.25". Each step will be 7" wide as well.
The next step was cutting out handles to carry the bench around easier. I used a 2" hole dozer bit; I made 2 holes that overlapped, and then evened out the holes using my scroll saw to make oval openings.
Now, to connect the sides to each other...
The pieces that connect the sides will make up the sides of the storage compartment. The pieces are 12.5" X 14" and they are attached using pocket screws. I really want to make sure that no screws are visible on this one!
You may also notice that I had to use 2 different kinds of wood! I used pine for most of it, but I also used some leftover spruce!
Now, it's just a matter of piecing everything together using wood glue and strategically-placed pocket holes!
I had to use clamps at times to keep everything together while I was screwing in the pocket screws. I had to use strips of wood to make the first step simply out of necessity; I didn't have a solid piece of wood big enough to make up the step! But, I think it'll still look great!
I left the clamps on overnight just to make sure the wood glue dried under pressure.
Then, I turned my attention to the top step (AKA: the secret door)...
I cut the piece of wood for the top step to have a small overhang on the front so it's easier to open. Once I test fitted the top step, it was time to attach it to the stool...
I attached the top step to the stool using hinges and made sure everything works properly. Then, I went ahead and took the top step off and set it to the side; this part needs to be taken off and stained individually. It'll be reattached at the end!
Last step was installing the "floor" to the secret compartment. I used pocket screws on the underside with wood glue as well.
At this point, all the woodwork is done!
Off to sanding!
The next morning, I used my palm sander with 120-grit sandpaper to smooth out al the edges and sand every bit of the stool down.
I also rounded the edges as much as possible to make it safe. After all, this is going to be for a 2-year-old!
I gave the whole piece a wipe down with a damp rag and prepped for stain!
I decided on Minwax Dark Walnut stain for the piece. Most of the pieces in the guest bathroom (including the new toilet paper holder you should check out) are dark walnut in color. I applied the stain with a shop rag to make sure and get in all the tight spots and let it dry fully overnight.
Once it was fully dried, I applied spray-on, semi-gloss water-based polyurethane over the whole surface. Semi-gloss is the finish on most furniture pieces in our home, so it'll fit in nicely. I let the clear coat fully dry before handling, which was only about 15 minutes per side, thanks to quick drying poly!
Now that the poly is dry, it's time to reassemble the step stool and add a couple finishing touches...
After screwing the hinges back on, I added 2 of these clear bumpers onto the bottom of the compartment door. These will make sure the door doesn't slam down loudly and will protect the wood as well!
I also bought these anti-skid pads to attach to the bottom of the stool...
These are a good way to make sure that the piece stays level while also not sliding around. Since it's going to be in the bathroom, on tile, it's important that it doesn't slide around. We are going for more safety; we aren't building a deathtrap!
To attach the pads, I drilled pilot holes in all 4 corners, then screwed the feet in using my electric drill.
And that's it!
1 compact step stool with hidden storage: READY TO GO!
I had it sitting in the bathroom waiting for my daughter when she woke up in the morning. She absolutely LOVES it! She used it to get up to the sink and wash her hands. She also moved it to the "big toilet" and used it to climb up there to do her "business." She can't get enough!
I'm so glad that I was able to do this with the wood I had on hand and use it up! Plus, I was able to make something really useful and helpful...
And, it's SUPER SAFE. Because of the pocket hole system and the wood glue clamping, this piece is solid. I stood on it and did some gentle hopping and weight shifting to test it's durability, and it didn't even budge!
And, it was easy to do! I was able to get the wood all cut and pieced together in about 2.5 hours. And, It only cost me the money for hinges, clear bumpers, and the rubber feet! Can't beat that!
Until next time!
-Kevin
Comments