How to Build a Child's Step Stool

You don't need to use wood to build fun furniture pieces for children. Many whimsical items can be built using recycled materials. You can build a child's step stool using coffee cans and duct tape for the basic shape. Then recycle a bedspread for the upholstery. The size of this step stool is just right for a nursery or small child's room, and it makes a wonderful little tuffet a child can sit on when reading her books.

Things You'll Need

• 11.5 oz coffee cans with lids, seven
• Duct tape
• Scissors
• Measuring tape
• Corrugated cardboard boxes
• Compass
• Craft knife
• High-loft quilt batting, 3/4-yard
• Hot glue gun
• Chenille bedspread
• Hand sewing needle and thread

Instructions

1. Build your step stool shape. Stand the cans with the open end up and the lids on. Place one can in the center with the other cans surrounding it like flower petals.

2. Wrap duct tape around the circumference of the arranged cans. Wrap three times, once in the center of the circumference, once below the center and once above the center.

3. Measure the diameter of the step stool top. Draw four circles on corrugated cardboard, using this measurement and a compass. Cut out the circles using a craft knife. Attach one circle on top of the step stool and one on the bottom using duct tape. Set the remaining two circles aside.

4. With the duct tape, wrap up one side of a can, across the top cardboard circle, down the side of another can and across the bottom cardboard circle. Repeat until you have wrapped over the sides of each can. This is the basic build for your child's step stool.

5. Measure around the circumference of the step stool and add 1-inch. Cut a piece of high-loft quilt batting 5 1/2-inches wide and as long as the circumference measurement. Wrap the batting around the step stool. Overlap the short ends and hot glue to secure.

6. Cut a piece of chenille bedspread, 10-inches wide and as long as the circumference measurement. Wrap the length of the chenille around the sides of the stool, with an even amount of excess hanging over the stool's top and bottom edges. Overlap the short ends and hot glue, including the overlapping seams above and below the edges of the step stool.

7. Sew a running stitch around the top raw edges of the chenille, about 1/2-inch from the edge. Pull the thread to gather the fabric over the top of the stool. Knot and finish off the thread. Repeat with a running stitch on the bottom of the step stool.

8. Place one of the remaining cardboard circles on high-loft quilt batting. Cut the batting, 2-inches larger than the circle. Apply hot glue to the outer top edge of the cardboard. Fold the excess batting into the glue to secure.

9. Place the circle on the chenille bedspread, with the batting side down. Cut the chenille, 3-inches larger than the circle. Apply hot glue to the cardboard, just beyond the edge of the glued batting. Fold the excess chenille into the glue to secure.

10. Position the step stool with the top side up. Apply hot glue over the top surface of the step stool and an inch from the top edge. Place the padded cardboard circle on top of the stool, with the chenille side facing up. Press and hold firmly until the glue has cooled.

11. Cover the last cardboard circle in the same way as the previous one, omitting the batting. Turn the stool over and attach the circle to the bottom with hot glue.