As you may have been able to figure out, I don't really have much down time. Most of my time, especially around the holidays, is spent making gifts, or trying projects that my wife wants me to do. This is no exception.
My awesome wife sent me this project on Pinterest; it linked me over to an Etsy store selling these babies for $109 to $159!! The design my wife really liked was the one I ended up making; two toned white and dark walnut stain. She REALLY wanted it in time for my daughter's 2nd birthday party. Of course, the design she wanted was one of the more expensive designs, available for $159...I told her "no way! I can make that myself!"
We went to Lowe's and picked out all the lumber. I got 4 common board planks (3/4") that measured 4 feet X 12 inches. I also got a 3/4" dowel rod for the adjustable step. To the workshop!
I started with the base. I cut 1 board into 2" wide strips to make it all up. I cut (2) 15.5" strips, and (4) 17" strips. I also cut (2) 7" strips to serve as the vertical supports. For the front plate and the first step, I cut (2) 17" X 7" wood boards. Time to put the base together!
I used wood glue on all the joints for this entire project for some added stability and strength. It's just best practice!
I attached the 15.5" strip to the 17" strips on either side to create (2) squares with a missing side. I screwed the 7" vertical strips into 15.5" strip on the inside surface so the top and bottom were flush and the base was 7" tall. Then came the front plate; this was attached onto the open part of the base that did not have any sides. I used standard 1.25" wood screws for all fastening on this project, BTW. With the step, I placed it flush against the top of the base right up to the front plate and screwed it in. I sanded down the base to make sure there were no sharp edges for the little one. The base was done!
Moving on to the legs; I cut out (4) 3.5" strips from another piece of the common board. I cut them all to 32", as this would be the height of the tower when it's all said and done. I marked holes in the center of each leg at 16", 19" and 22". These holes are for adjusting the step platform as your kid grows, a super cool feature! I used a 1" spade bit to drill out 1" holes at each increment I marked off on each leg. 12 holes in total! With a quick sanding of the legs, they were all done! I screwed them into the base on the outside edges, 4.5 inches apart.
The top rack was next! This was made from 2" wide strips of common board; I cut (2) pieces at 20" and (2) pieces at 10.5" and made a box. That's it for this step! Just sanded it down and screwed it into the legs at the top. The legs fit on the inside of the top rack perfectly.
Lastly was the adjustable step. I cut a piece of common board 10.5" wide and 17" long. I sanded it down. The dowel rods were measured and cut at 20" each. Everything for the step was test fitted and checked for safety, but not screwed just yet!
Now that all the parts were complete, it was time for paint and stain. I stained first. Just the face plate, 1st step, 2nd step and dowel rods were stained using Minwax dark walnut stain. Once dried, I taped off the step and face plate to prepare for the white paint. The second step and dowel rods were put aside for later. I used white semi-gloss latex paint because I like the way it looks and it covers nicely. I also like its durability for long term use! All surfaces not taped off got painted white!
Once painted and dried, I installed the step using a single screw in the top of the step into each dowel rod. I went with the middle height adjustment; it was the most appropriate for my daughter's height. With just removing 2 screws in the step, I can adjust it to whatever height I want!
I added some features afterwards that were not shown on any designs that I had seen prior. I installed furniture sliders on the bottom to prevent scratching of the floors when it was being used. I also installed small wheels on the back (facing the countertop) so it could be tilted backward and wheeled around instead of picking it up all of the time. Lastly, I put 2 clear little bumpers, like the ones used on cabinet doors, on the back of the top rack to prevent it from scratching the surfaces it leaned up against.
That was it! Fun project to do, mostly because I knew that my daughter would get a kick out of it! She's always wondering what we are up to on the counter tops in our kitchen. She used to always request being picked up. Now, she just climbs up and she can see exactly what we're doing! She even helps us out making dinner! Great birthday gift for my nosy little girl who can't stay still!
-Kevin
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