DIY Vintage Step Stool (Plans by Ana White)

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Several years ago, the first woodworking project I finished was the Vintage Step Stool built with plans by Ana White.  I use the step stool just about every day.  I had some scrap lumber taking up space in my garage, so I decided to use it to build another step stool.

The Tools and Supplies

Here’s a list of some of the tools and supplies I gathered to build the step stool:

• Kreg K5 Pocket-Hole Jig – It makes joining two boards a breeze!
• Rockwell JawHorse – This is my second pair of hands!  I love using this tool.
• Bosch Jigsaw
• Japanese Mini Saw Guide –  I love using my handsaws.  They are easy to setup, simple to use, and best of all quiet.
• Charles Neil Pre-Color Conditioner – To prevent blotching
• ECOS Paint Woodshield Stain (Special Walnut) – There is seriously  no smell with this stuff.
• ECOS Paint WoodShield Varnish (Satin) – There is a tiny odor when you first open the can, but it’s nothing compared to your traditional varnishes.
• Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint (Boxwood)
• Silhouette Portrait – For cutting out my footprint stencil

Building the Step Stool

Building the step stool was pretty easy and simple.  The most time consuming part was using the jigsaw to cut out the shape of the sides.   I used pocket holes to join my 1×2 boards to the 1×12 boards.  This was a very tight fit for my drill and made for a very frustrating experience.  I enlisted the help of my husband to drive in the screws.

Finishing the Step Stool

For my stool’s finish, I first applied a layer of ECOS Paint WoodShield in Special Walnut.  Once the stain dried, I covered the edges of the stool with a coat of Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint in Ironstone.

Once the paint dried, I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out a set of footprints from Contact paper.  I followed the Shanty sister’s tutorial on creating a stencil with contact paper to get the perfect cut setting on my Silhouette.  I sized the footprints to a height of 5 inches.

Next, I applied 2 coats of Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint in Boxwood on the entire stool.   After the stain dried, I first distressed the edges of the stool and then I applied two coats of ECOS Paints WoodShield Stain Varnish.

The Completed Step Stool

I am happy with how the step stool turned out.  I took my time with the finish and it really shows when the stool is compared to the first stool I built.