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A simple 2x2-legged bar stool with a slatted seat and a low backrest — straightforward joinery, built on pocket holes.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backrest slats | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 8" | Pine | ☐ |
| Backrest sides | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 7 1/4" | Pine | ☐ |
| Backrest apron pieces | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 15" | Pine | ☐ |
| Backrest top rail | 1 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 15" | Pine | ☐ |
| Front apron | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 15" | Pine | ☐ |
| Back legs Extend up to form the backrest posts. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 45" | Pine | ☐ |
| Side aprons | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 16" | Pine | ☐ |
| Front legs | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 29 1/4" | Pine | ☐ |
| Side stretchers | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 15" | Pine | ☐ |
| Front/back stretchers | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 16" | Pine | ☐ |
| Seat slats | 5 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 18" | Pine | ☐ |
| Seat slat end caps | 8 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 3 1/2" | Pine | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Pine, 1x2, 8 ft | 1 each | ☐ |
| Pine, 2x2, 8 ft Legs and stretchers. | 2 each | ☐ |
| Pine, 1x3, 3 ft | 1 each | ☐ |
| Pine, 1x4, 8 ft Seat 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 varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig. Materials: Pine, 1x2, 8 ft, Wood glue
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.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig. Materials: Pine, 1x3, 3 ft, Wood glue
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.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig. Materials: Pine, 2x2, 8 ft
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.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig. Materials: Pine, 1x4, 8 ft, Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4"
If you drilled the apron pocket holes in the seat-frame step, attach the seat slats from underneath with 1-1/4" pocket screws.
Tools: Random Orbit Sander
Sand every edge smooth, easing the seat and backrest edges especially — this is a seat someone sits against for a while. Finish as desired.