Wednesday, February 4, 2009

How to make a Coffee Can Footstool

First you need 14 coffee cans and some duct tape.
Tape the cans together. Tape the top and bottom first and then the sides.

Now tape the two stacks of cans together.

You can use cardboard but for the top I used an old rotary mat. If I could do it over I would make sure it was cut more to fit the edge of the cans but the mat was hard to cut so I was sloppy.

Tape the round cardboard or whatever you used for support to the top and bottom.

Hot glue batting all the way around.

Picture of hot glue as you are gluing the batting.

When you get to the edges just butt the edges together with the hot glue.
Picture of batting glued all around. Now for the fabric.

Make sure your fabric is long enough to come up and around the top and bottom. Lay your fabric out and put the cans on it's side on the fabric. Bring the fabric around the cans, fold in one edge so it is not raw and hot glue the seam down side. Then stand it up and evenly glue the fabric on the top and bottom.

Picture of the fabric hot glued on.

I cqued a piece for the pillow that will be on the top of the footstool. I made the round block 4" bigger then the top of the footstool.


Cut another piece of cardboard that you will use to make a pillow and cut a little door in it.

Now hot glue the pillow piece onto your cardboard. I did four sides and then kept putting a dab of glue in the middle of the loose fabric until the little gaps got smaller and smaller.


Now stuff fiber fill into the hole (hopefully you made the hold big enough to put a clenched fist full of fiber fill in it, lol, after it's stuffed duct tape the hole shut.


Hot glue your pillow top onto the top of your footstool and add trim around the sides.

Cut a round piece of fabric and hot glue it on the bottom Your Finished!

Here is a picture of my new footstool! This foot stool is very sturdy if you aren't stingy with the duct tape. I saw this project on HGTV years and years ago and this is the fourth one I've made.
This is the first cqed one. I didn't bother with the seams because I figured with all the sitting and foot resting that will be done, I didn't know if embroidered or lace seams would hold up. If you make one of these please share pictures! Have fun and save those Coffee Cans!

















10 comments:

LouAnne said...

I would have BIG trouble putting my feet up on something so pretty! Good thing I have a recliner, but in the music room one of these might be good for the futon. What size are those coffee cans? I could make a request on the freecycle list - I'm just musing here......

Lil said...

WOW JILL!!! This is one of the BEST tutes on the net! Thanks so much for posting it!

I have a question about step number 10 (or pic 10) How did you do the fabric on the sides? In the pic it looks like a BIG YO YO around the entire bottom and sides but I am wondering if you simply glued the fabrics to the sides and went around all of the way.

Simona said...

thank you for this idea, Jill!
I have milk cans from my little girl to use...great final result!

kerrykatiecakes2 said...

Wow Jill - very imaginative use for coffee cans. Gotta love recycling!
Hugs,
Kerry

Gerry said...

This is so cool! I never would have thought to do this. Unfortunately, I grind my coffee (I'm a coffee snob - sorry).

Maybe I can find something to do with all of the bags!!!!

Jill said...

Hi Lou Anne I used the 39oz cans because that's what I had but you can use bigger cans if you want you just have to make sure they are all the same size.

Hi Lil thank you! My fabric was longer then the cans so I layed the cans on the fabric then brought the fabric up around and then I folded in one end so there wasn't a raw edge showing and glued it in the middle, then I stood it up and began gluing it evenly around the top after the top was finished I turned it over and evenly glued the bottom. Make sense? If not let me know.

Thank you ladies for the sweet compliments, I appreciate it!
Hugs,
Jill

Rengin Yazitas said...

Hi Jill,
I loved your great idea, thanks so much for the tutorial.
I just found your blog, I enjoyed my quick review.
Let's keep in touch.
Much Love,
Rengin

Courtney Short said...

that has to be the absolute NEATEST footstool I have ever seen!! And it's a great way to recycle cans.. If I could find a way to get the cans in mass supply - I would make a couple for my house :-)

glc358 said...

I made this at the last minute as an Xmas gift and it turned out so cute that I almost kept it for myself. Thanks for sharing!

Unknown said...

My grandmother made them for me to sit on . She made them out of juice cans back in the 60s and 70s