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There's no compound angle or curved leg here — this stool is straight cuts and pocket-hole joints, which makes it a good project if the double-beveled, splayed-leg style of bar stool feels like more than you want to take on right now. The backrest is what gives it its vintage look, built as its own small frame and joined to the seat assembly.
One detail worth not skipping: drilling the apron's pocket holes facing upward, before you attach the legs, means you can screw the seat on from inside the frame later instead of trying to reach up from underneath a finished stool. The stretchers get an extra trick — a pocket hole from two different faces on each 2x2, which locks the joint against racking in both directions instead of just one.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| Pine, 1x2, 8 ft | 1 each |
| Pine, 2x2, 8 ftLegs and stretchers. | 2 each |
| Pine, 1x3, 3 ft | 1 each |
| Pine, 1x4, 8 ftSeat slats and backrest. | 2 each |
| Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4" | 1 box |
| Pocket hole screws, 2-1/2" | 8 each |
| Wood glue | 3 oz |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Backrest slatsPine | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 8" |
| Backrest sidesPine | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 7 1/4" |
| Backrest apron piecesPine | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 15" |
| Backrest top railPine | 1 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 15" |
| Front apronPine | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 15" |
| Back legsPineExtend up to form the backrest posts. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 45" |
| Side apronsPine | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 16" |
| Front legsPine | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 29 1/4" |
| Side stretchersPine | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 15" |
| Front/back stretchersPine | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 16" |
| Seat slatsPine | 5 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 18" |
| Seat slat end capsPine | 8 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 3 1/2" |
Buy 7 boards at 8 ft.
3 boards
2 boards
Build the backrest frame from the top rail, sides, and slats, joined with pocket holes and glue. Check it square before moving on — this small assembly sits on top of the back legs and any twist here is obvious at eye level.
Assemble the front, back, and side aprons around the four legs. Drill the aprons' pocket holes facing UPWARD on the inside faces before you attach them — that lets you screw the seat on from inside the frame later, instead of reaching up from underneath a finished stool. If the stool feels like it needs it, add corner braces at this step too.
Attach the stretchers between the legs. Drill a pocket hole into two different faces of each 2x2 stretcher — this locks the joint against racking from two directions instead of one, a trick worth using on any stool with 2x2 stretchers.
If you drilled the apron pocket holes in the seat-frame step, attach the seat slats from underneath with 1-1/4" pocket screws.
Sand every edge smooth, easing the seat and backrest edges especially — this is a seat someone sits against for a while. Finish as desired.
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1 board
1 board
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →