The DIY That Makes A Basic Wooden Stool Look Like An Antique Treasure

Turned leg furniture is a favorite for many home decorators, adding loads of vintage character that can elevate a classic design scheme. Of course, anything worth having can cost a pretty penny, but this is one detail that you can bring into the house with low-cost hacks that almost anyone will be able to accomplish. You won't need a lathe or advanced woodworking skills to get the look you desire. With a clever reimagining of simple craft materials, you'll only need a few basic tools to pull off an authentic antique furniture look.

Instagram designer @buildwith_em brings us this ingenious stool project that only uses short table legs, a custom-cut wood top, and large wood beads for a faux turned leg construction. You can get decorative beads, such as the OMISHE large bead garland, in various finishes on Amazon for $15–26. Local crafts stores, such as Michaels, also often carry them. While you're there, you can also grab some wood dowels to complete the build. With your materials in place, you can do this build with a drill, belt sander or saw, and some painting tools to provide a cohesive appearance. Try a few creative tweaks, and you'll make this easy hack all your own in a one-of-a-kind item that you can proudly display in your living room, hall, or bonus room.

The basic idea with this build is that you'll drill holes through short table legs and each bead so you can thread them on a rigid dowel to form a single, long leg. Stools and side tables measure roughly 22–30 inches high, so you should use a piece like this ⅜-inch by 48-inch dowel and cut it to length. Using a bit matching the dowel's size, drill a hole into the end of the leg. Drill holes through the beads, using the existing holes as guides. Flatten the edges of the beads where they meet for a more genuine turned leg look. To do this, you can cut the ends of each bead off with a table saw or use a belt sander like the designer does in the video, making sure to take the essential wood-working precautions.

Apply wood glue to the inside of the table leg hole, insert the dowel, and thread the beads onto it. Add glue to the end of each bead and the dowel to secure everything. Following the product directions, let the glue set (it may take up to 24 hours to cure fully). Once dry, attach the legs to the top. You can use a wedge (as shown), driving a wood piece to tighten the joint and sawing the end with a multi-tool. You can also use a dowel screw, drilling one end into the leg and the other into the stool top. With the legs attached, the stool is ready for sanding and staining.

With this simple technique of threading pieces along a dowel, you can think of countless ways to make it unique. Swap the spherical beads for cubes, layering them in different angles for a modern design. Or, use this as another chance to repurpose old furniture legs, using short sections to layer in the beads. You can get even more creative and integrate old wooden tops, spools, and spindles by cutting them to size, drilling a hole through the center, and adding them to the dowel. If it's made of wood, you can make it work with your stool. And, after making the leg, you can still refine the details with neat add-ons. YouTuber Lina Ekstrand shows how you can upgrade your turned legs with beaded wraps, adding ornate finishing touches that make your DIY antique stool stand out.

Combining these pieces to look like a turned leg will likely require paint or stain, especially if the pieces have different wood tones. The designer of the DIY uses a savvy technique and maintains a wood appearance with beginner-friendly gel stain. Keep it light and textured if the stool allows, or apply a bold, dark stain to cover imperfections. You can even fake a wood look with careful applications, as you can see in this tutorial from YouTube channel Restoration Furnishings. With a custom wooden top, you can complete a fashionable upgrade for nightstands, end tables, and accent pieces to make a singularly stunning room design.