Little Red Step Stool

Cute, right? I know! I found the plans here, at ana-white.com and went to town on it. I knew I wanted a red step stool, because it would match the kitchen and bathroom, but I couldn't decide which one: the vintage one (link above), the storage step stool, or the ladder table.

I finally went with what looked like the easiest one. My dad and I bought wood, screws, and paint at Lowes
and got to work. I had used a circular saw before, but never a jig saw. Let's just say it was a good thing we bought extra. The first two sides I cut were so "off" that they weren't even close enough to sand down to match. It was bad. So I tried again and they were almost perfect! I drilled the holes, forgot to glue them (let's all hope it doesn't fall apart!), and screwed it together in a matter of about 15 minutes. Filled the holes, sanded it down, and got right to painting (my favorite part).

The red is Valspar Heirloom Red and it is absolutely perfect. It's like that barn red that is bright, but not too bright. I put two good coats on it, sanding after each coat, distressed the edges a bit, and then a coat of polyurethane. The only poly I had was semi-gloss and it's a little too shiny for my taste, but it will do. Lily (and her playmate for the day) loved it!