Do you have a bar counter in your house or apartment, but no high stools for it? The assortment in stores is not that small, but does not fit into the concept of the living room or kitchen? It's OK! From today's master class you will learn how to make DIY bar stool.
Materials for bar stool legs
The first question you should ask yourself is how will the seat of your chair be soft or hard? If you don't know the best way to proceed in this case, leave it solid, as we did. If you don’t like it, you can upholster it at any time - with fabric, leather or any other material you like. Below you can see the diagrams and dimensions of our future bar stool.
Let's start assembling the legs
We make the legs of the chair from poplar wood - 5x5 cm, 71 cm long. In order for the legs to be inclined towards each other, the corners and chamfers at both ends must be reduced by 5 degrees. All connections are made using the technique described in this article.
We attach the middle and bottom strips, similarly by first chamfering them at an angle of 5 degrees.
After you have connected together two parts of the chair that stand parallel to each other, we begin to screw perpendicular partitions on one of these assembled sides - at the top and bottom. First we process one side, then the other.
When attaching partitions, you must take into account their placement in such a way that when the chair is ready, you can comfortably place your feet on them. This is a bar stool and it should be comfortable to sit on!
Seat manufacturing technology
The special shape of the seat will make your bar stools even more comfortable. First you need to make markings on one of the ends of the board, which we will use to make the seat. To achieve the desired shape, you can use a circular saw, adjust it to different cutting depths, you can use a regular saw for this purpose. We cut the grooves and then trim off the excess wood using a chisel.
Of course, this is a rather difficult way to make a recess and you may need to use some special tool, but I didn’t have one at hand. After you have used the chisel, you need to thoroughly clean the surface of the seat with a grinder.
Connecting the seat and legs
We complete our master class by connecting the manufactured seat and legs. To do this, you need to drill holes in the top of the legs and the bottom of the seat and use glue to place everything on the pins.
Use sandpaper to sand the surface of your new bar stool. If necessary, fill the holes with putty, paint or varnish if desired.
Ready bar stool
That's all, these three handsome men, three heroes settled in our living room. Thanks to the customized height, optimal placement of the crossbars and ergonomic seat, they have become the most comfortable and favorite in our family. Do you want to make the same? Nothing could be easier!
An interesting option to make bath chairs with your own hands
Many owners of private houses or apartments choose a counter and bar stools for their kitchen, because this option looks more interesting. However, in stores it is not always possible to find furniture that completely suits your taste, decor, and style. Some people make a bar stool from a profile pipe or from other materials with their own hands. You can cope with such work quite easily, you just need to follow certain rules.
Tools and materials
The easiest way to create a bar stool is using plywood or wood.
To make a homemade chair you need to prepare the following:
- workplace for making a chair;
- screwdriver;
- brushes;
- roulette;
- solvent;
- jigsaw;
- stain;
- hammer;
- sanding machine or sandpaper;
- drill;
- self-tapping screws;
- roulette;
- plane;
- bit.
It is also necessary to prepare the selected materials - plywood or wood. Some people make metal bar stools with their own hands, but such work is much more difficult. In the process of making furniture, a diagram or drawing with exact dimensions is used, otherwise there is a chance of making a mistake and damaging the product. Focusing on certain dimensions, you will be able to find out exactly how much wood or metal you will need and prepare the required amount of materials.
The height of the chair is usually determined based on the distance from the floor to the bar counter itself. The distance from the tabletop to the chair is most often about 35 cm.
Tree
Among the wood materials, the most readily available are birch and pine. You can use some elements of old furniture.
Cut out the following parts:
- 4 stiffening ribs, each 3 cm thick;
- 2 circles: the first is 2 cm thick and 260 mm in diameter, the second is 3 cm thick and 360 mm in diameter;
- 4 legs, 3 cm thick each.
The small circle will be used to make a backing, and the large circle will be used to make a seat. Make sure the direction of the wood grain in the legs is vertical. Then start assembling the furniture using self-tapping screws. Connect the legs to each other and to a small circle, screw the large circle to it, then screw the stiffeners. Tint the furniture using stain and wait until the chair is completely dry. Apply varnish to the surface (two or three layers).
The other wooden chair option is a little different. It is very simple to make and convenient to use. The seats of these bar stools can be upholstered in fabric, bent or straight.
The procedure is as follows:
- First make a drawing.
- Study the other drawing carefully. To make it easier, the two elements that are under the seat are not shown here. Remember that you will have to add them while assembling the furniture.
- To make the legs, prepare the beams (3.8*3.8 cm). If there is no solid birch or pine, you can use wood such as poplar. The length of each beam is 710 mm.
- Attach an apron (small crossbar) to the top. Attach the lower and middle bars as well.
- Then take the rack and attach a longer crossbar to the right. Then attach the lower element, it will serve as a footrest.
- The same must be done on the left side. To make sitting on a chair as comfortable as possible, when determining at what height the footrest should be, be guided by the height of the future owners.
- Attach the furniture halves to each other.
To create a recess in the seat, you need to cut it out on the surface and then plan it using a chisel. Then the seat needs to be sanded and connected to the legs, and then the entire chair needs to be sanded. As a finishing touch, it is necessary to apply paint and varnish material to the furniture.
If there is a need to stylize wooden furniture as antique, you can use special means for aging.
Another functional option is a bar stool with a recess and a backrest. This way the furniture will be as comfortable as possible.
For the back you will need additional blanks.
Metal
A metal chair is reliable and durable furniture. In the process of work, metal profiles, sheet iron, and various scraps are used.
- Take a flat asbestos sheet, which is used for welding work, and mark the shape of the seat on it.
- Based on the sketch, create blanks using 2.5 cm strips.
- To make the inside, prepare elements of the same width.
- Then the workpieces need to be welded and cleaned, the corners rounded.
- Then you need to weld the legs to the seat (use a 3*2 cm profile). When carrying out welding work, connect the elements at one point. The legs must be carefully bent until they reach the desired position.
- The crossbars for the legs also need to be created using a 3*2 cm profile. Mark on the legs the places where the crossbars will be attached. You should focus on the height of the person for whom this chair is intended.
- For metal legs, you should choose wooden footrests rather than rubber or plastic plugs. Wooden inserts will not damage the floor. If you need to change the size, they can be sharpened. The thrust bearings do not need to be fixed with glue or screws; they will hold well due to friction. You just need to sand them so that they are equal in size to the legs.
- Now all that remains is to apply paint and varnish material to the furniture. First you need to use a primer. When the chair is dry, apply black paint to the entire area below the seat. After this, the furniture should dry completely again.
- You need to cover the black legs with film so that they do not get dirty with other paint, and paint the seat using red dye.
Pipes
You can create beautiful furniture from metal pipes with your own hands. This chair will fit perfectly into loft style rooms. The furniture body itself is made from pipes. It is better to opt for chrome-plated stainless steel. You should not choose PVC or plastic for such products, since these materials are not as strong as metal.
Prepare the following:
- foam rubber, upholstery material;
- pipe benders;
- Chipboard or plywood;
- mounting bolts;
- metal pipes;
- drill or screwdriver;
- construction stapler and staples for it.
To make a chair, follow the instructions below:
- Decide what kind of chair you will make. You can look at photographs in magazines and later rely on them.
- When focusing on your bar counter, consider how tall a stool you need.
- Prepare metal pipes that will serve as the material for the base. Determine the optimal length and cut the workpieces. It is necessary to take into account the maximum load on the furniture when choosing the diameter of metal blanks.
- Using a pipe bender, make semicircles from the pipes. The workpieces must be connected to each other using fastening bolts. This will make the furniture as stable as possible.
- Using plywood or chipboard, make a seat. When choosing its size, you need to focus on how much the person for whom the chair is intended weighs.
- Using a stapler, cover the seat with foam rubber and upholstery material. The fabric must be resistant to stains, easy to clean, and suitable not only for dry but also wet cleaning.
- When the seat is ready, attach it to the junction of the metal legs. This can be done using fasteners, a drill or a screwdriver.
Decor
Many people prefer to further decorate chairs they have created with their own hands, regardless of what material they are made of. One of the most popular decoration options is the use of fabric. First you need to decide on the shade and type of material, while focusing on the overall design of the kitchen. To decorate chairs, tapestry, furniture silk, microfiber, and jacquard are often chosen. Some people prefer to decorate furniture using various decorative elements, paints, paper, and glue.
One of the most original methods of decoration is decoupage, which allows you to turn even the most daring design ideas into reality.
You can choose different materials for decoration and use decor to turn an ordinary chair into a real work of art.
Many owners of apartments and private houses equip their kitchen or living room with a bar counter - a very convenient and functional piece of furniture. A worthy addition to it will be original and at the same time comfortable bar stools. But in stores you can rarely find an option you like: they can look too official, uncomfortable, and not homely. And the prices are steep. Therefore, we suggest you make bar stools with your own hands.
Required materials and tools
The simplest version of a bar stool is made of wood and plywood.
To create these chairs you will need:
- screwdriver;
- drill with 3 and 6 mm drills;
- hammer;
- jigsaw;
- roulette;
- carpenter's corner;
- bit;
- plane;
- self-tapping screws;
- sandpaper (if possible, use a sanding machine);
- stain;
- solvent;
- brushes;
Depending on the option chosen, you need to take solid wood or plywood. You can use metal, but in this case the work will be more difficult. We will tell you more about this in a step-by-step description of the work.
Before you begin, make a drawing or diagram indicating the exact dimensions of the product. This way you will decide on the required amount of consumables.
Standard bar stool pattern
Standard dimensions of bar stools are calculated based on the distance from the bottom surface of the tabletop to the floor. The gap between the chair seat and the tabletop is usually 30–35 cm.
Based on this basic data, you can create your own product design.
Assembling bar stools
So, you have decided what material you will use. Let's look step by step at how you can make several types of chairs yourself.
Made from solid wood
When choosing wood for a product, pay attention to the most accessible species - pine and birch. They are great for this kind of work; solid wood can be bought in the store in the form of furniture panels. The required thickness is 20 and 30 mm. You can borrow some details from old chairs.
Cut out 10 pieces:
- part 1 – one circle with a diameter of 36 cm and a thickness of 30 mm;
- part 2 – one circle with a diameter of 26 cm and a thickness of 20 mm;
- part 3 – four legs 30 mm thick;
- part 4 – four stiffening ribs 30 mm thick.
The first part will serve as a seat, the second (small circle) will serve as a backing for the seat.
Chair seat and backing
When cutting out the legs of the future chair, make sure that the structure of the solid wood is vertical.
The leg of the future chair and a visual drawing for it
Cut out stiffening ribs from 20 mm thick solid wood - they will serve as a footrest.
Stiffening ribs
Now start assembling the chair. To do this you will need 3 types of screws:
- 5 X 80 – to screw the legs to the small circle and to each other;
- 5 X 40 – for attaching the seat to a small circle;
- 5 X 20 – for securing the stiffeners.
The ribs are attached to the legs using corners that are placed below, on the floor side.
Bar stool assembly process
The diameter of the holes for self-tapping screws in the plane should be 6 mm, at the end - 3 mm.
All you have to do is tint the chair with stain, dry it and paint it with varnish in 2-3 layers. The bar stool is ready!
Ready bar stool
Second version of a wooden chair
These bar stools are very simple to make and easy to use. Their peculiarity is that the seat can be made straight or bent, and subsequently, if desired, upholstered with fabric.
Solid wood bar stools
- Make a drawing;
Chair drawing
- Look carefully at the second drawing: for simplicity of the image, it does not indicate the two upper crossbars under the seat. Don't forget to add them when assembling;
More visual and detailed drawing
- for chair legs, use beams measuring 38 x 38 mm. You can take poplar wood if there is no pine or birch. The length of the legs will be 71 cm. Make cuts at their ends at an angle of 5 degrees;
Chair legs
- Attach a short crossbar, the so-called chair apron, to the top part. Secure the middle and bottom crossbars in the same way;
Securing the crossbars to the chair legs
- Attach a second crossbar of greater length to the top of the rack on the right side. Also install the lower one - it will act as a step;
Fastening the crossbars
- do the same on the left side. To make it comfortable, set the height of the footrest according to the height of the people who will sit on these chairs;
Fastening the footrests on the other side
- fasten the halves of the chair together.
Assembling the chair body
How to make a recess in a seat? There is a way to do this, although it is not easy. Make several cuts of different depths along the surface and plan out the recess with a chisel.
Recess in the seat
Sand the surface of the seat and attach it to the legs. Fill the holes for the skew screws, sand the entire chair and paint.
The chair is ready, all that remains is to paint it
Pay attention! In the first and second options, you can use plywood or chipboard to make the seat.
Video: DIY wooden bar stool
Metal bar stool
This chair will become a real exclusive, so you won’t have to regret the time spent and efforts made.
A metal bar stool will become a truly exclusive piece
Surely you have the remains of sheet iron, metal profiles and scraps. All this will come into play.
Sketch with a pencil the shape of the future seat on a flat asbestos sheet for welding. In the photo it is indicated by red lines.
Seat sketch
According to the sketch, cut out blanks from a 25 mm strip. Weld them together.
Workpieces welded together
For the internal layout, cut blanks from the same strip.
Blanks for internal layout
Weld the workpieces and clean them. Round the corners.
Cleaned seat blank
Weld the legs from a 30 X 20 mm profile to the seat. During welding, grab the legs onto one welding point and carefully move them to the desired position.
Weld the legs from the profile
Mark the levels of the foot rest, for example 45 cm from the seat. Be guided by how comfortable this height is for your height.
Footrest level mark
Also make the foot rests from a 30 X 20 profile.
The footrests are made from the same profile
Instead of plastic or rubber plugs for legs made of metal profiles, you can use wooden “heels”. They do not scratch the floor, and you can always sharpen them to the desired size.
Wooden cork blank for metal profile
These plugs do not need to be fastened with screws or fixed with glue - they adhere perfectly to friction. The main thing is to sand them to the size of the legs.
Chair primer
After the primer has dried, paint everything below the seat with black paint. Wait for it to dry.
Painting chair legs
Wrap surfaces painted black with film so as not to stain them during further work. Paint the seat red.
Painting the seat
After the chair is dry, you can use it for your pleasure!
Video: DIY metal bar stool
Pipe bar stool
Ordinary metal pipes can also serve you as a body for a bar stool. The most suitable material is chrome-plated stainless steel. It is better not to use plastic or PVC pipes: compared to metal, their strength is very low.
You will need:
![](https://i2.wp.com/legkovmeste.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/barnyy-stul2.jpg)
![](https://i2.wp.com/legkovmeste.ru/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/zagotovka-iz-metallicheskoy-truby.jpg)
How to avoid mistakes
Of course, there is a possibility of making mistakes. Many of them can be easily fixed, but some can ruin all your efforts. To prevent this, always follow the proverb “Measure twice, cut once.”
Use diagrams and drawings of finished products, which indicate exact calculations for each part. This way you will protect yourself from unnecessary costs for materials and inaccuracies during assembly.
If you are new to carpentry, do not try to start by assembling a designer chair with a complex design and it is better to discard the idea of assembling a folding bar stool. Take on the simplest model, practice, get better at it, and then gradually increase your level. If you still decide to create your own exclusive model, use special computer programs to develop the design and calculate the structure. Among the most common, convenient and easy to use, two can be distinguished:
- PRO-100;
- Cutting.
Thanks to them, you will much faster build an accurate drawing of the product, verified down to the millimeter, and preview the result in a 3D model. Additional features of these custom programs allow you to find out the quantity of materials needed, which significantly reduces waste.
As you can see, there is nothing difficult in making bar stools with your own hands; this task can be easily completed. If you have any questions about this topic, please ask them in the comments. Good luck and easy work!
A regular bar stool made of walnut and iron with a seat.
The iron was taken from ancient bed frames, and the wood from pieces of walnut. The height of the chair is approximately 64 cm.
The main detail of this homemade product is its shape, for easy welding and strengthening of pieces of iron. If you're brewing for the first time, this project will get you very familiar with the activity and will help you learn how to cook great.
Part 1: Let's start production.
Let's start creating the shape of the future bar stool.
We cut the metal into 4 parts of 23.2 cm by 54.5 cm.
Everything was connected to the side joint and secured with screws, so they formed a 20 cm square pipe of 58.5 cm.
Part 2: Base in the form of an angle to fit the mold.
The base is made from a piece of lumber 9.5 cm thick.
The pieces themselves had to be cut beveled so that everything would fit.
Using a tape measure, we will find a suitable angle and set it so that everything matches. The pieces of lumber were passed through the saw so that if necessary, there would always be a beveled edge.
Part 3: End of the basic part.
We cut the ends of the beveled lumber under the base of the form at 45 degrees and adjust it along the perimeter.
We attach the beveled base with plywood and nail it with an edge. This part is not connected to the pipe, so it can be removed if necessary.
Part 4: Mark and cut off future legs.
A newly made shape will help you easily determine the location of the legs. There is no need to take any measurements, just attach and mark.
We mark and cut off the lower part of each leg first. To mark, we hang the corner of the mold over the edge of the table and secure the metal part in place.
When cutting pieces of legs, everything is placed in the mold and then the upper ends are also marked.
Part 5: Upper part of the chair.
The top part of the bar stool was made with 4 iron corners.
Everything was marked using a square made earlier and an ordinary stationery pen.
We glue the resulting pieces together and then remove them from the mold to adjust the precise weld on each side.
Part 6: Vise.
It is better not to install the vice, as the author did, on wood, since the bolts with which everything was fastened fly out and everything has to be redone.
Part 7: Footrest.
Now you can cut off a few more pieces of metal for the future stand.
The pieces turned out to be 30 cm long and at an angle of 45 degrees.
Part 8: Finishing the welded parts and sanding them.
The stand and support were held with support blocks and the top of the chair.
Metal pads were welded underneath each leg.
Now sand everything down with 40 grit sandpaper.
Part 9: Location.
The walnut that the author used lay with him for a very long time and then he decided to use it.
The main part of the mode is on two thickened boards.
All boards are sanded using sandpaper.
Sand the beveled edges with sandpaper grit 100 to 220.
Part 10: Painting.
The presence of a bar counter in the kitchen implies the use of special chairs that are higher than standard ones. You can make a bar stool with your own hands, saving money and creating an original product, becoming the owner of a piece of furniture that you won’t be ashamed to show off to your guests or simply purchase your favorite model in the store.
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Deciding on the design and construction of a bar stool
It is necessary to carefully consider the design of the future product and its design features before making a bar stool with your own hands.
You need to determine how many legs the model will have, equip it with a backrest or make it in the form of a high stool, choose a round or square seat. Already at the design stage, you should consider the decoration method and the presence of soft upholstery.
The appearance of a piece of furniture should be combined as much as possible with the interior of the room. can be made from rough solid wood, while a forged frame with soft fabric or leather upholstery is more suitable for the classics.
One of the most important characteristics is the height of the chair so that it is comfortable to use. The distance from the surface of the bar counter to the seat should be 30-35 cm. If desired, you can equip the stool with a lifting mechanism.
Another important detail is the material of manufacture. Wood is easier to process. Metal products are much stronger, but iron is more difficult to work with and requires special tools.
Required materials and tools
Before starting work, you need to prepare all the required materials and tools. To make a bar stool from wood, you will need:
- boards, bars, sheet of plywood;
- screws, metal corners, dowels, glue;
- a screwdriver or drill with drills of different diameters and a bit attachment;
- electric jigsaw, hand saw, plane;
- sandpaper or grinder;
- tape measure, pencil, hammer.
To create a chair from a metal profile or pipe you will need:
- a round or rectangular pipe (profile) for the frame and a piece of plywood for the seat;
- grinder with a metal disc;
- grinding machine;
- drill with a set of drills for metal and wood of different diameters;
- machine for bending metal parts;
- metal corners;
- bolts with nuts and washers;
- tape measure, chalk or marker.
If you have a welding machine and the skills to work with it, the elements of the metal frame can be connected by welding. In addition, you will need upholstery material and soft filling.
Manufacturing process: step-by-step instructions
How to make a bar stool with your own hands and the stages of the manufacturing process depend on the material for the furniture frame.
All work is divided into cutting blanks with subsequent grinding, connecting the legs together with the installation of transverse partitions that will strengthen the structure and serve as a footrest, manufacturing the seat and securing it to the frame.
Made from solid wood
Making a standard backless wooden bar stool from wooden blocks and a plywood seat is quite simple.
To begin with, 2 blanks for a seat with a diameter of 35 and 25 cm are cut out of a piece of plywood, which are glued or twisted with self-tapping screws, centering them relative to each other. The larger part will serve as a seat, and the smaller one will serve as an additional support for the legs.
For the legs of the chair, use beams measuring 5x5 cm, from which 4 legs are cut. Then, using a plane or milling machine, the parts in the lower part are narrowed to 2.5 cm. 4 leg supports are made from square timber 2.5 cm thick, with a length equal to the distance between them.
The next stage is the creation of connecting tenons by installing dowels. To do this, first drill 4 holes of 6-8 mm in the lower part of the seat part, then one at the upper end of each leg and on both sides of the interlegal partitions.
At a height of about 30 cm from the floor, marks are made on each support. They are applied on 2 adjacent sidewalls - the junction with the footrests. According to the marks, holes are drilled.
The frame is assembled simultaneously with the insertion of spikes, pre-lubricated with glue. First, the legs and partitions are connected. Then a seat is put on the finished structure, additionally strengthening the chair with metal corners between the supports and its lower circle.
Second version of a wooden chair
Another fairly simple way to make a bar stool is to cut out solid pieces of plywood 2 cm thick and connect them with glue and self-tapping screws.
To make it you will need:
- 4 elements in the shape of the letter A;
- round seat made of double layer material for greater durability;
- 1 square piece with an edge equal to the width of the upper end of the main element.
First, they draw a pattern and apply the diagram to the plywood. Using an electric jigsaw, the workpieces are cut out and the sections are carefully polished. Then the side elements with legs and partitions for the legs are folded overlapping. At the points of contact, apply wood glue and screw in self-tapping screws.
A square is attached to the round seat blank in the center. All that remains is to insert it into the resulting frame and secure it firmly with screws or metal corners.
This model can be easily equipped with a lifting mechanism, presented in the form of a threaded axle and 2 cylinders, with a circle-shaped top. The frame is assembled without securing the seat. Additionally, a square blank is installed between the footrests. The length of the legs may be shortened slightly or remain the same. A hole with a diameter equal to the size of the cylinders is cut out in the center of the upper and lower transverse parts.
Installing the mechanism involves firmly inserting the internally threaded cylinders into the prepared holes and attaching the axle to the bottom of the seat. Now insert 1 component into the other 2 by screwing. The height is adjusted by rotating the seat around its axis.
Metal bar stool
It is a little more difficult to make, but such a piece of furniture will look much more beautiful.
First you need to cut the component parts in the form of legs, upper and middle jumpers, and a wooden seat. To make the product look more elegant, the diameter of the pipes of the main and additional elements should be different. If there is a machine for bending metal, the upper jumpers are replaced with a round blank.
Holes are drilled in the places where the mounting bolts will be located. The frame elements are then connected together. In addition, you need to equip the upper part with 4 legs for installing the seat.
What do you do with old furniture?