Build your own barstool: a great way to rest your weary legs

You need: Cordless drill/driver, 25 mm Forstner drill bit, The Bosch Routers, Router Bit Sets, Jigsaws, The Bosch Vacuum cleaners, pocket rule, pencil, 1 wooden board (28 x 350 x 350 mm), 1 wooden board (28 x 250 x 250 mm), 1 MDF board (25 x 320 x 320 mm)

Start by cutting the two wooden boards that will later form the seat of the barstool to size. This works best with a jigsaw. Both boards are square. The larger wooden board (28 x 350 x 350 mm) is used for the seat. The smaller wooden board (28 x 250 x 250 mm) is for underneath the seat. You can round off the corners so the finished product looks nicer. It’s easy to do if you use a jigsaw.

After sawing the boards to size, be sure to sand the cut edges either by hand or using a sander. You can find useful tips in our sanding guide if you have any questions regarding the topic.

Next, use a saw to cut the ring for the footrest (25 x 320 x 320 mm) from the MDF board. Start by drawing two circles on the board: one with a diameter of 320 mm and one with 200 mm. A jigsaw is also excellent for cutting out round shapes. To cut out the inner part, first drill a hole as close as possible to the marked circle using a drill with a Forstner drill bit. Watch out that you do not cross over the line you marked. Then you can easily cut out the inner circle using a jigsaw.

You can also bevel the edges using a router with a router bit (6.3 mm radius) if you want to add a nice touch to the ring that will later serve as a footrest. This makes the finished product look nicer.

You need: Cordless drill/driver, 25 mm Forstner drill bit, g-clamps, pencil, 1 MDF ring for the footrest from step 1

Next, you need to drill four holes in the ring for the footrest. You will push the legs of the barstool through these later. For the holes, determine the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock positions on the ring. There you place a mark in the middle between the inside and outside edges of the ring. Use a drill and a 30 mm Forstner drill bit to drill the holes.

You need: NanoBlade saw, pocket rule, pencil, g-clamps, vice, 4 broom handles with a rounded end, 28 mm, 4 broom handle brackets, 28 mm

First, cut the four broom handles to a length of 700 mm using a NanoBlade saw. You should be very careful when doing this to ensure that your chair does not wobble later on. A word of caution: Saw off the handles so that the rounded end forms the foot of the stool leg.

Simply clamp the bracket tightly in a vice so you can bend it to the right angle. Then insert one of the broom handles into one of the holes. The broom handle can provide good leverage for bending the handle bracket. Tilt the handle until it is at an angle of about 5° to the top. You’ll need to carefully gauge everything here to ensure the stability of your stool legs. However, you can easily readjust it later.

You need: Cordless Tacker, pocket rule, box knife, scissors, 1 wooden board (28 x 350 x 350 mm) from step 1, 1 piece of foam (30 x 350 x 350 mm), 1 piece of faux leather (500 x 500 mm), 10 mm staples

Start by cutting the foam piece to the same size as the wooden board. In this manner, the entire seat surface will be nicely upholstered. This is easily done with scissors or a box knife.

Then place the faux leather for the seat cover with the outside facing downwards. Place the piece of foam you just cut on top of it. Finally, place the wooden board exactly flush with the upholstery. Attach the protruding ends of the faux leather to the underside of the wooden board with the tacker.

Tip: Start with the sides where there is little faux leather overhang and work your way to the areas where there is a little more material. You can use many staples, if you want, for a more secure hold. Use a box knife to cut off the extra faux leather once you’ve stapled it in place.

You need: Cordless drill/driver, hammer, 1 seat from step 4, 1 wooden board (28 x 250 x 250 mm) from step 1, 1 ring for the footrest from step 2, 4 stool legs from step 3, 4 brackets for stool legs from step 3, 16 raised-head screws (5 x 30 mm), 4 countersunk screws (5 x 30 mm), 4 felt gliders with a nail

The final step involves attaching the seat to the board that goes underneath it. To do so, screw the wooden board (28 x 250 x 250 mm) to the upholstered seat from below. Take a drill and four countersunk screws (5 x 30 mm) for this part.

Tip: It’s a little easier if you prepare the drill holes in advance with a 4 mm Brad point drill bit. This will give your screws the guidance they need and prevents them from slipping in the material, enabling you to screw them in nice and straight.

Next, take two raised-head screws (5 x 30 mm) each to attach the brackets for the stool legs to the flat edges of the wooden board. Insert the stool legs into the opening of the bracket and secure them using one raised-head screw (5 x 30 mm) for each leg. Finally, only the ring for the footrest needs to be attached. To do so, insert the stool legs through the holes provided in the ring. Secure the ring in the desired position with one raised-head screw (5 x 30 mm) for each leg for a more secure hold.

Tip: You can paint the wooden ring in the same colour as the seat before final assembly if you want to add a nice touch. It’s easy to do if you use one of our paint spray systems. Watch our video in our paint spray guide to find out how to go about it.

Now your DIY barstool is finished and you’re ready to host your next party! If you still need the right bar for your new stool, we explain how to do it quickly and easily in this step-by-step guide. We also show you how to make other furniture to use as seats such as a corner bench or a pouffe from an old tyre. You can find even more inspiration for DIY furniture here.