Owens Corning
Shaker Style Foot Stool
TIME REQUIRED: half day (time needed for cutting, building, and assembling project; does not include drying time of glue or finish)

Our Shaker-style foot stool combines the talents of woodworking and cord weaving. Impressive looking as it is, it is not difficult to make.

The legs are made of inexpensive 2x2 furring lumber, and eight rungs are cut from 7/8 inch dowel stock. We used 6 mm. macrame cording that came in a 100-yard skein for the seat; you can choose heavy yarn, purse cording, or even heavy twine.

Construction of the stool frame is easy. Following the Cutting List, cut the legs (A) from 2x2 stock and the rungs (B) from 7/8 inch dowel stock.

Next, lay out the holes from the dowels on the legs. Use a combination square, and draw a line across the face of the leg 1 inch down from its top. Then draw another line 6 inches down the leg from this line. Mark the center of these lines (3/4 inch from either side) to indicate the center of the rung holes. Lay out the other three legs in the same way.

The lower rung holes, located on an adjacent face, are marked out next. Before you mark these holes, pair up the legs by turning them on their sides so that the upper holes are facing one another. Make an X on the side facing up. Lay out the location of the lower holes on these sides, and you'll have matching pairs of legs. The lower rung holes are located 2 1/8 inches from the top of the leg, and the lower holes 6 inches farther down.

Before you drill your holes, recheck that you have matching legs. Place them in position, and see that there are matching dowel holes, upper holes opposite upper holes. Then drill a 7/8 inch hole 1 inch deep through the layout marks. Have one member of the team check that the drill is straight.

Assembly is quick. Apply a small amount of glue to the ends of the dowels, and place them in the holes. Use a hammer and a scrap block of wood to tap the dowels until they reach the bottom of the hole. Place the stool on a flat surface, and check that all the legs touch the ground. If they don't twist the stool into correct alignment.

After the glue has dried, sand your stool withnumber 120 sandpaper, and give it several coats of tung oil.

Stringing the seat is next. Nine groups of six strands make up the pattern. Begin by tacking the taped end of the cording to a leg, just under the lower rung. Then wind 54 rows, or 'warps,' around the lower pair of rungs. When finished, you should have 54 strands of yarn on the top and bottom. At the end of the 54th row, pull out about 4 feet of cord, and cut it off. Tape one end to a pencil or craft stick, which you'll use as aweaving needle. Now you're ready to begin 'wefting' the pattern. There is a top and bottom pattern. First, weave your cord through the top strands and then return it underneath, weaving it through the bottom layer.

Pull the stick and cording over the lower rung, loop it around, and then run it under the seat to the nearest upper rung. Count over 6 strands, and tuck the stick under the seventh. Count five more (six total) and bring the stick up and over the next six, and so on. Continue weaving above and below the groups of 6 strands until you reach the other side.

You should be above the last 6 strands. Turning the stool over, pull the cording over the high rung side and over the first 6 strands of cording on the underside of the stool. Continue weaving the cording above and below, alternating six strands. When you get to the other side, continue the pattern, turning the stool right side up.

After weaving your first 6 rows, the 7th row is the opposite of it. Run your needle below the next group of 6 strands, and reverse every 6 rows until you reach the end.

When you run out of yarn, simply tie the end to another piece of 4 feet long cording. Plan your splices for the underside of the stool, and tuck the knot inside. Tack the end into a corner dowel when you're through.

Click here for the full sized building diagram:




Shopping List
Materials Quantity
2x2 pine 6 feet
7/8" dowel 4 (3-foot lengths)
number 120 sandpaper2 sheets
carpenter's wood glue small bottle
paint, stain or finish 1 pint
100-yard skein yarn 1


Cutting List
Part/Name Quantity Size Material
A/ Legs 4 1 1/2" X 1 1/2" X 12 1/2" pine
B/Rungs 8 7/8" dia. X 13 1/2"Dowel




Back to Home Improvement Preview Lawn And Garden Preview Home Decorating Shopping Center