How to Make Counter Stools

Counter stools add additional seating and eating space in your kitchen. By setting up a group of stools along a kitchen island or counter, you add an entirely new social and eating space for your home, making it more conducive to hosting parties and family events, as well as making guests feel comfortable. An entire set of counter stools can be built for the same price as purchasing just one stool at a store. They can be painted or stained to match the rest of the kitchen design atmosphere.

4 posts, 2-by-2-by-36-inch
Wood board, 1/2-by-8-by-12-inch
Drill
Drill bits
Wood screws, 2-inch
4 wood boards, 1/2-by-2-by-8-inch
4 wood boards, 1/2-by-2-by-4-inch
Wood board, 1-by-10-by-14-inch
Wood screws, 1-inch

Instructions

- 1
  Position four 2-by-2-by-36-inch posts upright with a 1/2-by-8-by-12-inch board on top of them to hold them in place. Have an assistant hold the boards steady and arrange the posts so that they are exactly in the corners of the top board, which is the stool support board. Drill two holes down through the top board and into each post. Secure each post in place by fastening a 2-inch wood screw in each hole.
- 2
  Position two 1/2-by-2-by-8-inch boards between each pair of posts that are 8 inches apart. Turn these boards, which are the side boards, so that their largest faces are forwards and backwards, and their long, thin sides touch the bottom of the stool support board. Drill two holes through each post and into the end of each support board. Attach the boards to the posts with 2-inch wood screws. Drill three holes through the stool support board and into the top board, and attach with wood screws as well.
- 3
  Repeat to add 1/2-by-2-by-4-inch side boards between the pairs of posts that are 4 inches apart using the same method.
- 4
  Add an additional side board between each pair of posts, positioning it about halfway up the posts. Use the same installation technique as the previous side boards.
- 5
  Set a 1-by-10-by-14-inch wood board upside down on the working surface to be the top of the stool. Set the assembled stool legs on top of it with the stool support board flush against the stool top. Drill 4 holes through the support board and into the stool top. Drill 1-inch wood screws into each hole to complete the stool installation.

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