Making a Foot Stool from a Kitchen Pot

Sandi/Poor But Proud
Gold Post Medal for All Time! 969 Posts

finished foot stool I found an old crab pot (very large blue speckled pot) in our "donation station". I grabbed it for this very thing.

While watching TV and working on cat mats, the scrap mats I make for the local cat rescue center, I needed to put my feet up. This large pot gave me not only a free thing to recycle, but space inside for the yarn, some books, my planner and more.

It's a time intensive project, but I will also tell you how to shorten that time.

Total Time: 3 hours or less

Yield: 1

Supplies:

1 large pot, short bucket, or old "hassock". This must have a lid you can turn over. ($0.00)
80 ft fabric strips of your choice ($1.00)
1/2 skein yarn to match ($.50)
size N hook
scissors
hot glue gun
throw pillow

Steps:

Using your choice of fabric strips cut or ripped, begin by gluing them all together.

Then, begin at the bottom of the pot, turned upside down, and glue around and around. I glued, using just a few drops as I went, to make sure nothing relaxed later and slid down.

When you are down to the handles, if your item has them, leave a bit unglued to the handles. You will then wrap the fabric around the handles working the ends in.

Wrap and glue handles as shown.

Now you are ready to cover the lid.
Mine is crocheted with double strands of a variegated and solid yarn, with the size N hook. Chain 3 and make 11 DCs in first chain for 12. Join and chain 3.

Make 2 DCs in each stitch around for 24. Join and chain 3. Now you will make 1 DC in the same stitch where you made the chain 3. This gives you 2 DCs in one stitch. Make 1 DC in the next stitch and repeat around for 36.
Repeat this stitch adding 12 stitches to each row till you have the size you need for the lid you have. For mine, it was 96 in 9 rows.
I then crocheted, a chain 4 loop, every 3 stitches, slip stitching into each one. This is for the gathering row. You will also need about a 100 stitch chain to gather through the loops.

I didn't have a round pillow, but didn't want to wait to post till I had one, so this is a little "bumpy". But, I simply placed the little square pillow I had in the lid, gathered the crocheted top and around it and drew the string and tied it.

I had a box that fit inside just perfectly. Inside the box, I put scrap yarn balls, my planner, some books, and stuff I always need but never have room for in one place.

Then, when it's time to put my feet up, I simply put the lid back on. Voila!

How to make it in less time!

You can leave the pot as is. You can also paint it, spray paint being the least time consuming. You can cover it with little pieces of contact paper or use modge podge and scrap booking pages.
You can glue fabric appliques on it, use fuse crafts and fabric, etc.

If you have a pretty round pillow just the right size you can use it as is or cover with some fabric and glue it around the top. All will shave off 1/2 the time or more.

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R Barbara
Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 190 Posts

March 19, 20161 found this helpful

Very clever. I love it!

attosa
Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,246 Posts

March 23, 20160 found this helpful

That's cute! I love it, Sandi :)

Sandi/Poor But Proud
Gold Post Medal for All Time! 969 Posts

April 3, 20160 found this helpful

Thanks ladies. I am not home right now but when I return, I will send a shot with a round filler inside!

Pixiedust7
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April 3, 20161 found this helpful

I love this idea! I'm looking out now for a covered pot or similar item to turn into a footstool like yours. I should be putting my feet up, as much as possible, and don't have room for a regular hassock.

Sandi/Poor But Proud
Gold Post Medal for All Time! 969 Posts

April 4, 20161 found this helpful

I found it and originally wanted to plant things in it for my balcony. But I can't make anything grow but mold...so there you go!! Here is another idea that people have been doing for a while now. If the link doesn't work, google "making a foot stool from tin cans" and you will get hundreds of ideas.

The best thing to do is click on images, then the one you want and it will open the page for you. Good luck!!www.google.com/#q=foot+stools+from+tin+cans

Pixiedust7
Gold Feedback Medal for All Time! 679 Feedbacks

April 4, 20160 found this helpful

Ooh - I remember that idea from about 15-20 years ago! I probably saw it in a magazine, and probably tore out the article. It used the 46 oz juice cans - very hard to find now! I never did make one of those footstools, and now I like your idea better, as I really need one that's pretty small. Thanks for jogging my memory, though!

Sandi/Poor But Proud
Gold Post Medal for All Time! 969 Posts

April 5, 20160 found this helpful

Then my work here is done!!

cybergrannie
Gold Feedback Medal for All Time! 949 Feedbacks

March 19, 20170 found this helpful

Sandi, I missed this last year but I just wanted to say that I admire your "thought process" and I can just see those wheels turning every time you spot something interesting!
This is a great idea and I hope several people took advantage of it because footstools this size are difficult to find - and never for this price.
Betty

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