Here's How To Make A Super Classy DIY Bucket Stool

Supermodel and tastemaker Coco Rocha shows you how to make your own DIY stool out of concrete.

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Here's what you'll need:

Materials

-48" Wooden Dowel (1 1/4" diameter)

-Quikrete 5000

-12 Gauge Wire

-Oil Finish

-Hi Gloss Latex Paint

Tools

-Circular Saw (or hand saw)

-Drill

-5-Gallon Bucket

-Sharpie

-Sandpaper

1. Cut the Dowel

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Using a circular saw, cut the 48" long dowel into three equal 16" long pieces. A handsaw would also work if you don’t mind the extra time it involves.

2. Drill Holes in the Ends of the Dowels

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Drill a hole in one end of each dowel. The holes should be about 1" from the end of the dowel.

3. Wire the Dowels Together

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Run wire through the drilled holes and connect the 3 dowels. The wire will keep the legs from coming out of the concrete.

4. Mark 3 Inches from the Bottom of the Bucket

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Use a Sharpie to mark a line 3 inches up from the bottom of the bucket. This line will show how full to fill the bucket with concrete. You can make the stool as thin as 2 1/4 inches but 3 inches is a safe thickness that will resist cracking even if you add too much water.

5. Mark the Location for the Legs

Use a Sharpie to make three equally spaced marks around the rim of the bucket. These marks will serve as guides for positioning the legs.

6. Fill the Bucket with Concrete Mix

Fill the bucket up to the 3" line that's marked on the inside of the bucket.

7. Add Water + Mix It Up

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Start with just a couple cups of water before adding more until the concrete is the consistency of lumpy oatmeal. Too much water will weaken the concrete and too little will make it difficult to thoroughly mix. Mixing concrete is not as easy as mixing a cake. The sand and gravel in concrete mix is heavy. Tilting the bucket on its edge can help.

8. Vibrate Out the Bubbles

Shake and tap the bucket to vibrate air bubbles to the top of the wet concrete.

9. Set the Legs into the Wet Concrete

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Place the legs into the wet concrete and position them so that they line up with the three equally placed marks around the rim the bucket. Then, use duct tape to hold the legs in place and a ruler to make sure the legs were extended an equal distance above the rim of the bucket.

10. Let the Concrete Cure for 48 Hours

Once the legs are placed, let the concrete sit, undisturbed, for 48 hours.

11. Remove the Stool

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Flex the rim of the bucket to separate the walls from the concrete. Once the concrete loosens, pull the stool out of the bucket.

12. Shape the Concrete

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After 48 hours, the concrete is not fully hardened and can be shaped by sanding or scraping it with a knife.

13. Sand the Legs

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Use 220 grit and 400 grit sandpaper to smooth down the legs.

14. Oil the Legs

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Use a clean rag to finish the legs with a coat of Danish oil.

15. Dip Dye the Legs

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Once the Danish oil dries, dip the legs in hi-gloss latex house paint. For easy clean up, use a water bottle with a cut-off top filled with paint to dip the legs.

Done!

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Here's the video with full instructions.

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Or, head over to HandmadeModern to see the full tutorial.