Teaching Kids to Take on New Responsibilities with a DIY Step Stool
Hi everyone, I'm Rosa, and I'm here with my daughter Melania. Today, we're going to create a simple and fun DIY step stool that will help your kids take on new responsibilities around the house. This project is perfect for teaching kids about the importance of helping out and taking care of their belongings.
The First Step: Creating the Legs
First, let's start by creating the legs of our step stool. We'll need four 17-inch pieces and four 11-inch pieces. Melania will hold the smaller pieces in place while I drill the screws. You can use a drill or a screwdriver to attach the pieces together. Make sure to align the pieces properly and use 2-inch screws for a sturdy base.
Adding Pocket Holes for a Professional Look
Next, we'll add pocket holes to our 17 and 1/2 inch boards. A pocket hole is a way to hide the screws when connecting the board, giving your furniture a professional look. To create a pocket hole, we'll use a jig that will guide the screw into place. Secure the jig with a C-clamp to ensure it stays in position.
Adding Plywood Bottom and Glue
Now, let's add our plywood bottom to the step stool. I want you to go ahead and add some glue around the entire top. Just place this one here and line it up nicely. I'll attach the bottom using a brad nailer. If you don't have a brad nailer, you can use a hammer and nails instead.
Building the Step for the Step Stool
For the step part of our step stool, we'll need three pieces of 1 by 8 wood – two at 11 and 1/2 inches and one at 18 and 1/2 inches. Just put some glue about halfway down the piece. We'll attach a screw at each end to secure it in place.
Assembling the Step Stool
Now that we have all our pieces, let's start assembling the step stool. First, we'll line the leg up to the top and apply some wood glue. Next, we'll add our drawer slides to the lower supports of the leg, allowing our step to slide out and in.
Adding Drawer Guides and Stepping Up
We've added our drawer guides, now it's time to attach the step to our step stool. To make sure everything is secure, we'll use some little screws that come with the rails. With these railings attached, we can finally put all the pieces together.
Painting Our Step Stool
Now that our step stool is assembled, let's add some paint! If you want to spray paint, make sure to do it in a well-ventilated space or outside. We're going to start with this brown base color and then add a really cool geometric design using beige and gold.
Adding the Top and Hinges
Once our paint is dry, we'll set it aside for now. Next, we'll attach some self-close hinges to our top. To do this, we'll mark 3/4 of an inch where we want to place our hinges. I'll use a Forstner bit to test if the screw goes deep enough. Don't worry if it doesn't go all the way through – that's okay!
The Finished Step Stool
And there you have it! Our easy DIY step stool with a little bit of storage is complete. This project not only teaches kids about new responsibilities but also helps them develop problem-solving skills and patience. With this step stool, your kids can take on more tasks around the house and learn to be independent.
Final Tips from Rosa
One last tip from me: always make sure to supervise your children when they're using their new step stool. And remember, it's never too early to start teaching them about responsibility and helping out around the house!
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enROSA: Teach your kids totake on new responsibilitieswith this easy DIY step stoolwith a little bit of storageto help the kids stepup, take charge, and helpthem reach new heights.Hi.I'm Rosa.I am your DIY carpentryexpert, and thisis my daughter Melania.Hi.And what I reallylove to do isteach parents and kids howto get together and buildreally great projects.First step, we're goingto create our legs.Using your 2 by2's, you're goingto need four 17-inch piecesand four 11-inch pieces.I'm going to hold themin place, and I wouldlike you to come and drill.So you're going totake your 2-inch screwsand come right inthrough the center.Great.And take the second11-inch pieceand join at 4 inchesfrom the bottomto the two 17-inch pieces.There we go.And then we're just going torepeat this for the other side.Let's build the box.We're going to addour pocket holesto our 17 and 1/2 inch boards.We're going to place thepocket hole jig onto the boardand secure it with a C-clamp.MELANIA: Do youcall it a C-clampbecause it's the shape of a C?ROSA: Sure do.What's a pocket hole?ROSA: A pocket holeis a way that we'regoing to hide our screwswhen we connect our board.The pocket hole allows thescrew to sit deep into the woodso that it's notvisible to peoplewhen they go to lookat your furniture.See?So now when you look on theoutside, there's no screws.MELANIA: Yeah.ROSA: And it gives us anice, professional look.Let's get this box done, girl.Good job.So now all we have to dois add our plywood bottom.OK?So I want you to goahead and add some gluearound the entire top.Just places this one here.Line it all up.And I'm going toattach the bottom usingsomething called a brad nailer.What will happen if youdon't have a brad nailer?If you don'thave a brad nailer,you could just usea hammer and nails,and it'll work just as well.OK?OK.Hold it in place for me.Thank you.So now we got us a box.Let's build a stepfor the step stool.We're going to need threepieces of 1 by 8-- twoat 11 and 1/2 inches andone at 18 and 1/2 inches.Just put some glueabout halfway.Good job.We're going to put ascrew at each end--1, 2, 3, 4.Good.Yes.And we're a stepcloser to being done.So now let's begin toput this all together.We're just going to linethe leg up to the top.Wood glue me.(SINGING) Wood glue me, baby.OK.No.Not me, girl, my box.I need a leg up.I'm just all full ofwitty jokes today.Wake up.Step up.Not funny?- No.I can't tell Dad jokes?No.How do you drop an egg onconcrete without cracking it?Do you boil it first?'Cause an eggcan't crack concrete.That was a good one.Ooh!Look at that.Boom.We want our step to be able toslide out so that we can stepup, so we're gonnaadd drawer slidesto the insides of thelower supports of the leg.This is a drawer slide.This is going to allow ourstep to come out and go in.I'm going to go aheadand attach these railswith these little screws.They actually come in thepackage with the rails.That sounds nice.It is.It's kind of likea one-stop shop.(SINGING) Look at that.Our drawer guides areon, and all we have to dois attach our stepto our step stool.Boom.Done.There we go.Yes, look at that.Woo!All right.Let's have some paint.Let's add some paint, girl.Let's do this.If you want tobe spray painting,make sure that you're doingthis in a well-ventilated space.And if you don't have one,you can also do it outside.I was thinking we couldstart off with this brown,do a base color, and thenadd a really cool, like,geometric design usingbeige and the gold.Now we're going to setthis aside and let it dry.I think this paintlooks really good.Like, look at thesegeometrical shapes.Yeah.Look at thesegeometrical shapes, girl.I'm glad that wepicked this design.Now that it's alldry, let's add a top.We're using someself-close hinges.We're gonna markin 3/4 of an inchto where we want toplace our hinges.I'm going to go aheadwith the Forstner bit.Mhm.Put on my safety glasses.You sure will.I'm going to test to seeif this goes in deep enough.MELANIA: Perfect.ROSA: Perfect.Just to let youknow, she didn't goall the way through the board.See?She left a little bit.ROSA: I did.Yes, queen.OK.Yes!We're all--But I thought wewas gonna high five.All right.Yes.And there you haveit, an easy DIY stepstool with a littlebit of storageand helps the kids takeon new responsibilitiesaround the house.Now you can putall the dishes up.- Oh, no.- When you-- oh, oh.See.See.Look.Here we go.\n"
