foot stool
Adam Cherubini, NJ
>My family has a tradition that each child gets a new stool. (made by the father, but not everybody is lucky enough to have a Dad who can build stuff).
Stools are helpful for little people. Our babies climb on them, turn them over and sit inside, (then get dragged around on the carpet by their Father). They are helpful when trying to go potty, and for hand washing, and teeth brushing.
I sat on mine to repair the brakes on my first car (78 Honda Civic)!
A foot stool is a nice small project. You can make a variety of styles (mine was kind of a windsor style), you can use various woods, carving, etc.
My advice is to make them totaly tip proof (splay the legs so that there is no overhang). They don't need to be too high; 8" or so is good. For gosh sakes don't leave any crisp edges or square corners and don't polish with 3000 coats of shellac. I'd leave the top pretty rough. Think of a tipsy, sleepy person with socks, who probably doesn't want to go to bed or church, and who may be jumping up and down in protest.
One more remark: My wife wouldn't let me build the hooded cradle or rocking horse. What will we do with it when the kids are grown? Not that those projects wouldn't be cherished. That might be the problem. You can't throw it out. You may not even be able to give it away. You almost want that sort of stuff to be disposable (crib, cradle, high chair). My father used to say "Think of the disposal factor". Something small can be good.
Adam
