Shaker furniture is known for being simple and durable.
Shaker-style furniture is known for being simple yet elegant, functional and durable. The Shakers, a religious sect, use designs inspired by their religious beliefs and their society to create furniture. They assemble furniture by hand, and simple designs are the foundation of their tradition. This article explains build a Shaker footstool.
Instructions
Prepare the Frame Pieces
1. Cut the pine plank into four sections, each 12.5" in length. These will become the legs.
2. Cut the pieces of wood doweling into eight sections, each 13.5" in length. These will become the rungs.
3. Use the ruler to measure 1" down from the top of each leg. Draw a line.
4. Measure 7" down from the top of each leg and draw a line.
5. Draw a perpendicular line square across the center of each line. This mark will indicate where to attach the rungs.
6. Collect the legs together, with the pencil marks facing toward you.
7. Turn one leg over at a time, marking each leg 7" from the top of the leg. Each mark should align with the lines already drawn on the legs.
Assemble the Frame
8. Drill a hole with a diameter of 7/8" and a depth of 1" on each rung mark.
9. Apply the wood glue into the holes.
10. Insert the wooden doweling pieces into the holes. Wipe off extra glue with a paper towel.
11. Clamp the legs to the rungs. Let the glue dry.
Begin Seat Cover
12. Tack a piece of belt cording to the underside of the top dowel.
13. Pull the cording across the seat and under the opposite dowel.
14. Wind the cord back and forth across the seat and over and under the dowels. Continue to weave until the seat is covered.
15. Cut the cording. Tack the end of the cording to the underside of the seat.
Weave Seat Cover
16. Take another piece of cording, colored cording if desired, and tack it to the dowel opposite the dowel you started with.
17.Weave the new cording in and out of the existing cording, going back and forth, in a basket-weave method. Continue until seat is covered.
18. Pull the end of the cord so that it is tight, and tack it to the cording under the dowel.
19. Cut off the excess cording.
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