Upcycling Wood Spools to a Stool

When Chad sent me a text one day asking if I wanted a couple of wire spools, I immediately said yes!

“What are you going to do with them?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I answered.

So he brought me two.

A week or two later, he asked if I wanted more spools–lots more. “Yes!” I said.

“What are you going to do with them?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I answered.

“Then I’m not bringing them home.” he replied.

Sad. But it got me to work on what I wanted to do with the two I had. These particular spools were too small to use as a table, but too big to use as kids’ furniture. They were just in between. But I noticed that they were a good height to sit under the window in my bedroom. And before long I knew I wanted to make a stool for my little nook.

And I absolutely love how it turned out. Its a beautiful piece that looks stunning in my bedroom corner. We even lacquered the base so its beautifully sealed and has a slight shine. When coupled with the stain its absolutely gorgeous. And it wasn’t hard to do! So follow along and make your own!

Click Next for the Tutorial

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Lisa

Lisa Mabey blogs at Mabey She Made It about DIY, Crafts, Home Decor, and Sewing.

View Comments

  • Now, I bet he'll never ask you again "what are you going to do with them." He just needs to trust in the creative genius of his wife and bring you all the stools and things he can find on job sites! Great job, and what a great addition to the bedroom.

    • Haha, he will probably still ask. Since we move regularly we don't need extra "stuff" but hopefully this will sell when I'm done with it.

  • I need Chad to find me some spools! i love this so cute! Thank you for contributing to The Sunday Brunch Magazine, So great to have you join us, kind regards Eliza & Bel x

  • I've been storing several spools for almost two years, with the instructions cashed in my favorites list for just as long. My roommate threatened to throw them out if I don't finish by May, so I finally had the motivation I needed to get started! I'm down to the last step, but the seat does not sit flat because the bolt and nut securing the spool together jut out almost half an inch. Did you have this issue? If so, how did you solve it? And how many screws did you use to secure the seat to the spool?

    • Hmm, my bolts were recessed so I didn't run into that issue. You could try scraping away some of the wood where the bolt goes in to make it sit lower in the hole. I hope that helps. I think we put about 4-6 screws in to hold the seat on (I sold this piece, so I can't check exactly).

  • What's up,I log on to your new stuff named "Upcycling Wood Spools to a Stool | Mabey She Made It" regularly.Your writing style is awesome, keep doing what you're doing! And you can look our website about love spell.

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