Simple furniture for every home - we make a stool from plywood with our own hands according to a drawing and diagram describing the subtleties of choosing a material

Furniture stores have a large selection of stools, designed in different stylistic directions and made by professional craftsmen. When making stools, different materials can be used, for example, plastic, metal, wood or plywood.

The latter is considered one of the most affordable, and a plywood stool can become an original decoration for any design solution. The cost of finished products cannot be called low, so many craftsmen decide to make a plywood stool on their own. This will be discussed in more detail in this article.

Plywood stool

Buy or make it yourself

There are many advantages of furniture (including stools) made by yourself. These include:

• the ability to make a stool with a unique design . In furniture stores, the choice of models is limited, so you can only get a unique design that no one else has by making it yourself;

You can make truly unique stools

• saving money . When making a chair or other furniture, the material is chosen by the craftsman himself, so if plywood is used for this purpose, the finished product will be relatively inexpensive;
• gaining experience working with wood . Every day, template furniture is losing its popularity, and original designer products are gradually taking its place. Therefore, making chairs with your own hands is a unique opportunity to practice a new craft;

Design features of the stool

• ease of manufacture . For some people, the process of creating a stool from plywood may seem very difficult, but if you strictly follow the instructions and follow the recommendations, then even without special skills you can create a masterpiece in just a few hours;
• an opportunity to pleasantly surprise loved ones . Furniture made by yourself can be an excellent gift for a loved one. It is much more pleasant to receive such products, because they are made with your own hands.

Plywood stool - photo

Note! To ensure that the finished product matches the design of the room, it is recommended to use the same upholstery fabric that is present in the house. It is not necessary to look for an identical material - you can choose a fabric of a similar color or with the same pattern.

Stools should match the style of the room

The benefits of making it yourself

Making children's furniture yourself has many advantages:

• the ability to make an item using only environmentally friendly materials chosen at your discretion;
• noticeable savings in money (except for cases of creating overly “sophisticated” structures);
• you can use parts of old furniture and other items to create something new;
• the color scheme and decor of the chair are also easy to match to the style of the children's room;
• the product turns out to be high-quality and unique, and the child will like the fantasy design in the form of a car, house, horse, dog, etc.

Types of stools

The design of the stool consists of legs, a round or square seat and fasteners connecting all these parts. But there are several types of stools, each of which has its own design features. Below are the main types of stools, which can be made from different types of materials.

Different types of stools

Table. Main types of stools.

If a country version of a stool is made from plywood, then during its creation it is necessary to leave small gaps between the elements. The presence of such gaps will avoid moisture retention, which will significantly extend the life of the product.

Small fishing chair

A small homemade stool will be useful not only for those who like to fish. It is so small and compact that it can easily fit in a tourist’s backpack or just for a walk in the park. It is very important to choose the right materials for making a high chair - durable, light and wear-resistant.

The design of the stool is the simplest. It consists of only three elements and does not contain complex joints or hinges. The parameters of the chair proposed in the drawing are designed so that when folded it can be put into a backpack. If you need a larger product, they can be changed.

Materials and tools

• A piece of plywood 40x30 cm with a thickness of at least 12 mm.
• Dense wear-resistant material measuring 30x35 mm. You can use a tarp or a small piece of carpet.
• Jigsaw.
• Milling cutter or sandpaper.
• Scissors.
• Wood paint, brush.

What to consider when choosing a design

A stool is a versatile piece of furniture that can be hidden in a closet or garage if desired. But in order for the finished product to be truly functional, the choice of design must be approached competently . Factors such as the shape and size of the stool, as well as the type of upholstery, must be taken into account.

Stools with different upholstery

Form

When choosing a stool design, you need to pay attention to the shape of the finished product - it should match the shape of the table. For example, if the table is rectangular, then round stools will not go well with it. Furniture items should complement each other.

Homemade folding stools

Upholstery type

Due to the fact that the plywood stool will be used intensively, it is advisable to select types of materials for upholstery that do not require special care. Such materials include eco-leather, flock and other washable options. Of course, the color of the upholstery should be combined with the interior of the room.

The upholstery should be durable and low maintenance

Chair dimensions

Another important criterion that you need to pay attention to when choosing a stool design. To make the products convenient to store and use, their height and width should allow stools to be placed under the table. This rule does not apply to bar stools, because they should initially be high.

DIY stool ladder

How to determine the optimal dimensions

The main dimensions of furniture are chosen in accordance with the average anthropometric data of an adult. Functional dimensions are designed for an average height of 175 cm. Parameters for children are calculated depending on height.

The correct bending angle of the knees when sitting should be at least 90 degrees, while the feet should be fully on the floor.

To make a stool with your own hands, you need to take into account only two dimensions: the height from the floor and the width of the seat. Ideally, the height of the seat should reach the knees of a standing person. The full height of the chair is calculated depending on the dimensions of the kitchen table. If it provides a level of 680-750 mm, then the comfortable height of the stool will vary from 420 to 450 mm. With a kitchen countertop height of 680 mm, the stool’s parameters will increase to approximately 650 mm. For the size of stepladders, the height of wall-mounted kitchen furniture is taken into account. With the average height of the housewife (158-160 cm), it is 450-650 mm. Comfortable seat width – at least 360 mm. The design of the stool requires a strict balance between the height, width of the seat and the shape of the lower part. Failure to comply with these parameters will result in poor stability of the product, falling and injury.

Preparatory stage

Making a stool from plywood is not at all difficult, especially if there are a large number of examples and drawings on the Internet. But for everything to go smoothly and fairly quickly, before starting work you need to prepare tools and materials:

• plywood (one sheet will be enough);

Preparation of tools and materials

• carpentry corner;
• a simple pencil or marker for making marks;
• jigsaw or hand saw;
• a set of sandpaper with different degrees of grain;
• screwdriver and set of screws;
• wood glue;
• foam rubber and upholstery fabric (if the seat of the stool is soft);
• special construction stapler;
• wood varnish and brush.

Plywood

On a note! It is not necessary to use foam rubber and upholstery fabric, because the seat of the stool can be hard. First of all, a hard surface is required for furniture that is intended for household purposes.

Preparing the necessary tools

To make a wooden product you will need the following carpentry tools:

• a manual router, complemented by a set of cutters that allow you to process the edges of timber, boards and plywood, drill holes of the required size, or carefully select grooves and grooves on parts;
• a grinding machine equipped with interchangeable wheels of different grain sizes, which allows you to quickly make the wood surface smooth;
• an electric jigsaw, which can be replaced with a manual hacksaw, although with a decrease in efficiency;
• a screwdriver used for screwing in fasteners and drilling holes in parts, for which a set of drills and screwdriver bits of different diameters is useful;
• clamps of different sizes, designed for strong compression of parts during gluing;
• hammer;
• chisels of various sizes;
• plane, manual or electric;
• marking and measuring equipment - construction square, tape measure, simple pencil, surface planer, etc.;
• durable workbench.

To make a stool you will need tools.

Making a “slat” stool

Once everything you need is at hand, you can start making a stool with a unique and modern design. In common parlance, such a stool is called “slat” because it is assembled from slats.

Step 1 . Draw a sketch of all the details of the future stool on a piece of whatman paper. This is not difficult, because there are only two types of parts.

Sketch of future details

Step 2 . Carefully cut out the drawn shapes on whatman paper using scissors. It is not necessary to use whatman paper for work. The required parts can easily fit on A4 sheets.

Cut out templates

Step 3 . Transfer the finished templates to a sheet of plywood and, using a simple pencil, trace them. The number of large parts is 2 pcs., and the number of thin parts is 1 pc. If the dimensions of the plywood sheet are small, then try to place the templates in such a way as to save space.

Transferring templates to plywood

Step 4 . Once all the pieces are traced on the plywood, cut them out using a handsaw or electric jigsaw. Using an electrical appliance will significantly speed up the cutting process.

Stool parts are cut out

Step 5 . The finished elements for the future stool should look like in the photo. To ensure that the cut areas are smooth, they must be sanded after working with a jigsaw. For this purpose, use a grinder or regular sandpaper.

Ready-made elements for the future stool

Step 6 . To make it more convenient to work with the crossbars, fold them together and secure them with clamps. This will speed up the sanding process. The finished surface should be perfectly flat and smooth after processing. If necessary, use a file (if the unevenness is too large).

The crossbars are secured with clamps

Elements after grinding

Step 7 . Start assembling the parts. Before joining, apply a small amount of wood glue to the joints. It will increase the strength of the stool. When assembling, experts recommend using spacers and a rubber hammer.

Assembly of structural parts

Build process

Assembling the stool parts

Step 8 . Make sure that all installed parts are on the same level. Only with maximum evenness will the finished structure look high quality. This is an important stage of work, so there is no need to rush when assembling plywood parts.

The slats must be at the same level

Step 9 . The finished stool looks something like this. After assembly, sand the surface of the product with sandpaper and coat the whole thing with varnish. Once the stool is dry, it can be used. This stool looks quite fragile, but in reality it is not so.

Finished plywood stool

Another photo of the product

Once the stool is dry, it can be used

How to make a three-legged stool

Features of the material

Widespread use has given rise to a large number of varieties of plywood . They differ from each other in the following ways:

By type of wood used:

• 
  from deciduous trees (mainly birch);

• from coniferous trees (mainly pine);
• combined (includes both hardwood and coniferous veneer).

By brand (they differ in the adhesive composition used):

• FBA – albumin casein;
• FC – urea;
• FB – bakelite;
• FSF – phenol-formaldehyde resin.

By grade (depending on the presence of various defects):

• 
  grade E (elite material);

• first;
• second;
• third;
• fourth.

By environmental safety class:

• E 1 (releases no more than 10 mg of volatile formaldehyde per 100 g of dry weight, acceptable in residential premises);
• E 2 (for exterior use only).

Reference : the thickness of the slab depends on the number of veneer layers and ranges from 3 to 30 mm.
To make a stool, we choose combined plywood, since it is not inferior in strength to birch, but is much cheaper . Let's take FBA or FC brand. These types, although less moisture resistant than FSF and FB, are included in class E 1 for environmental safety, which means they are acceptable for use in residential premises. We will choose the first or second variety, since the elite one is too expensive, and the third and fourth have many defects. Let's take the smallest sheet 1220x1220 mm, by the way, two stools will come out of it, 18 mm thick.

Collapsible stool

A famous designer from Amsterdam has designed a unique stool design that can be disassembled if desired. The product is easy to manufacture, transport and assemble. In addition, the finished stool looks very stylish. To work, you only need one material - plywood. Next, you just need to follow the step-by-step instructions.

Step 1 . Make marks on a sheet of plywood and cut out such parts. The triangles that serve as legs can be larger, but their sizes must be the same. Once all the elements have been cut out with a jigsaw, the cut areas must be treated with sandpaper.

Design details cut out

Step 2. Connect the plywood legs together by inserting the elements into the grooves. They must create one strong structure. There is no need to use wood glue here.

Connection of stool legs

Step 3 . Check the reliability of the resulting design. If everything is done correctly and the grooves are cut to the required dimensions, then the connected lower parts of the stool should be tightly fixed.

Checking the reliability of the design

Step 4 . Attach the seat and, turning the stool upside down, install the lower part of the structure. It should be made in the shape of a triangle.

The lower part of the stool is in the form of a triangle

Step 5 . Screw the triangular part using self-tapping screws. To make the task easier, make holes in the top of the product using a drill.

The part is screwed on with self-tapping screws

Step 6. This is what the finished collapsible stool should look like. Its dimensions can be adjusted to suit you, but this is done at the design stage.

Ready-made collapsible stool

Step 7: Paint the stool some color. It is advisable that this color be combined with the interior of the room. Once the paint has dried, the stool can be used for its intended purpose. If necessary, it can be easily disassembled.

Stools after painting

Note! By following this technology, you can make not only a stool, but also a folding table. But this will require a lot more plywood. This table is perfect for a summer house or outdoor picnics.

High chair

A children's high chair is a much more complex product. To connect parts together, it is better to use confirmats instead of conventional self-tapping screws, which will provide additional reliability. Cut out the necessary parts from plywood and drill holes for fasteners, accurately observing the dimensions. Sand the edges and surfaces of the parts themselves. Assemble the product.

Particular attention must be paid to sanding the edge parts remaining from the jigsaw.

Important! When tightening the confirmations, do not tighten them too much.

Paint is rarely used, mainly for children's furniture. Products for adults are coated with wear-resistant varnish as standard.

Decorating Tips

Just 20 years ago, practically no attention was paid to the interior of an apartment or house - people bought various furniture that suited their taste. But with the advent of original design solutions in modern fashion, people began to approach the issue of interior design more responsibly. Nowadays you won’t surprise anyone with an ordinary chair made of plywood, even one made with your own hands , but its appearance can be slightly improved by decorating it.

Decor of an old stool from the USSR

To improve the appearance of products made from plywood, you can use varnish. It will make the surface more attractive. If you want to add color, you can paint the stool with brown, red or blue paint. Although it is advisable to choose the paint color taking into account the design of the room in which the stool will be used. Once the paint has dried, the product can be coated with a layer of varnish.

Self-adhesive film for furniture allows you to update the appearance or change the color of any surfaces

Applying a pattern to the surface of plywood is another popular way to decorate furniture. But drawing ornaments is recommended only for people who have certain skills. Otherwise it can only get worse. You don’t have to come up with a design for a stool yourself, because everything can be found ready-made on the Internet. It is recommended to use waterproof paints for painting. They will last much longer, and the appearance of the finished product will, accordingly, last longer.

You are able to create a unique unique thing that will not be in any home

About the seat

Sitting on a hard stool for a long time is uncomfortable, so something softer will do just fine. How the soft seat of the stool is arranged is shown in pos. 1 pic. You should immediately note that it is better to make the external upholstery from burlap, and sew capes for the stools from decorative furniture fabric. The stool is used intensively, often carelessly, and expensive jacquard, etc. It will soon get oily. And the cape can be washed, and sewing it is much easier than a cover for a chair or armchair.

How to make a soft stool seat

The inner lining is installed on glue with a wing turn of 60 mm, pos. 2. Glue is applied only to the base and the wings are applied, drying it until it sticks. Foam rubber is chosen “by snap”: compressed to the limit with your fingers and suddenly released, it should straighten sharply, and not pull up smoothly.

The outer skin is also installed with glue, with the inner wings overlapping by at least 30-40 mm. To prevent it from creeping, its edges are tied lengthwise and crosswise with harsh threads, and the threads are sealed with thick paper, thin cardboard or just tape, so as not to accidentally break. Upholstery nails, if necessary, are imitated with push pins, pos. 3. The seat is attached to the base when it is completely ready.

The wicker seat pos. does not irritate the “fifth point” at all. 4, but it requires a reliable frame, like a classic stool. Lightweight stools and stools without a tightly attached seat are not strong enough. Modifying cabinets and box stools by replacing the top board with a frame is not worth it for the same reason.

Note: the dimensions of regular, not bar, stools are 420-450 mm in height; the seat is from 350x350 to 400x400 mm square and with a diameter of 300-450 mm round.