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Turn A Child's Toddler Stool Into an Elegant Accent Table

By Lorie Thur Katz - July 14, 2020

An Easy DIY Project ... Really

You can USE any children's stool. I had this lovely old green stool covered in a rainbow of colored paint splotches. It once was my daughter's favorite place to sit, and, I guess, paint when she was two-years-old. Now 20 and bored with being home during our lockdown in New York, she decided to turn her stool into a beautiful accent table that has proven to be a versatile item.

For the record, I thought she was a bit overzealous, I never thought this idea would make it to our blog section, but it came out amazing. My children can really surprise me with the things they do, And I'm secretly thinking, "Where in the world did you get that talent from?" It's not from me. Our children can be quite remarkable ... sometimes.

The accent table is light, yet sturdy — two things that aren't always present in the same piece of furniture. Use it as a step stool to reach those high shelves in the cupboard.

FYI: Photo of the artist who created this DIY stool to accent table transformation.

Or set your coffee on it in the morning ... or in lieu of a folding table when you decide to have a couch dinner.

Making the stool is a cinch. Here’s how:

1. Choose any old child’s stool. Sand the stool lightly and paint the entire piece with white primer paint.

1A. If you don’t have an old child's stool, no worries...you can purchase an already primed white one from Pottery Barn Kids, AND now you can skip to step 2!

2. Spray paint the whole stool with a color of your choice to match your decor. We chose brown. Let dry for 24 hours.

3. Tape around sides of the top with painter's tape.

4. Lightly sand the top of the stool, then paint the top of the stool with white paint.

5. Blot the outside with brown and white paint and blend it into a circle. Do this in layers using soft paint colors that blend well together. Let dry for 24 hours.

6. Choose a picture of something that you love. We choose a coffee picture because we LOVE coffee! You can copy the image freehand, or you can trace the image from your computer with parchment paper and then transfer it onto the stool. You will need to press hard to transfer the outline onto the stool.