DIY Short Girl Footstool with Grain Sack Stripe Cushion


Hi there, Friends! If you're a short girl like me, you'll understand the need for my latest project and if you happen to be blessed with long legs, keep reading for a pretty storage solution...


DIY short girl footstool with grain sack stripe cushion

I have a big beautiful ottoman in my living room. I found it on clearance several years ago and it's one of those pieces I'll probably treasure for ages. The top is upholstered with lovely French script fabric and the bottom is a metallic gray with ample room for the stacks of books I hoard collect. It's in the center of the conversationally arranged room and within leg-resting reach from both sofas. Unfortunately with the typical height of most ottomans, the angle required for short legs doesn't allow comfy resting for long--but I found a solution. Remember this wicker storage chest I scored from a yard sale recently?

DIY short girl footstool with grain sack stripe cushion


I realized it's just enough shorter, that it makes a comfy little footstool, plus it's so light that it can be moved around as desired. Now, it's not like I sit around with my feet propped up all day! However, when I blog and edit photos, I work from a laptop and often sit for long periods at a time though I do make a point to get up and stretch every so often. So...having a comfy place to rest my legs part of the time is very handy. Now to dress it up--I wanted to make it look more like a small piece of furniture than a storage chest. I started by painting it....


DIY Short Girl Footstool with Grain Sack Stripe Cushion


....with Americana Decor chalky finish paint in Yesteryear. It's my favorite soft gray. 



Americana Decor chalky finish paint-yesteryear



I'm a big believer in shopping my home first for needed supplies. I needed a cushion and while I anticipated making one to fit the chest, I had been keeping an eye out for fabric or even a kitchen towel that I could use to create a faux grain sack look. I wasn't having much luck, when it finally dawned on me to double check what I had on hand. Sure enough, I had a pillow sham on a throw pillow that was exactly the size of the chest. The pillow was too thick, but I had a spare cushion that I was able to trim to fit. While the chest dried, I used painter's tape to mark a stripe on the cushion to create a grain sack look. I used the same gray chalk paint, I used on the chest being careful to use a thin coat.

DIY short girl footstool with grain sack stripe cushion


Believe it or not, I used a silver sharpie to create the thin stripes on either side of the wide stripe. I've found it won't bleed through the fabric if it's drawn lightly and not pressed too hard. If I'd had gray, silver would not have been my first choice, but I happened to have the color and was pleasantly surprised when I tried a small test spot and it matched so well. Here's the finished footstool. 


DIY Short Girl footstool with grain sack stripe cushion


Even though the fabric isn't a linen type that I originally pictured, the painted grain sack stripe really gives it the look I envisioned. Plus, I like the ruffle which falls just over the edge, giving it a shabby chic slipcover look. 


DIY short girl footstool with grain sack stripe cushion


So by shopping my home, all I spent was the $2 I paid for the wicker chest! Here you can see my short girl knees are even with my recreated footstool--just right! 


DIY Short Girl footstool with grain sack stripe cushion
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DIY Short Girl Footstool with Grain Sack Stripe Cushion



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  1. Your stool is adorable. It is a perfect makeover of your storage basket. I am keeping my eyes open for a similar storage basket. Don't think I've ever told you but I'm a short girl too. If I stand tall my height might hit 5'.

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    1. Thank you for sharing at the Snickerdoodle Create~Bake~Make link party!

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  2. Love that you already had all that you needed to make this great covered footstool. The faux grainsack look is one of my absolute favorites and the rufffles add an elegant touch. Great job! xo Kathleen|Our Hopeful Home

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  3. Cecilia, that is very cool! Love that you were able to shop your house and come up with all you needed to make your footstool. The ruffle is so chic. ;)

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  4. I love your redo. The cushioned stool is too cute for words.

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  5. What a great idea! I never thought of making a foot stool from a basket like that - Thanks for sharing at the Pleasures of the NW's DIY link party!

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  6. What a fun idea!! I love how it turned out!!

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  7. Hi Cecilia, Your solution is wonderful and turned out really nice. Great idea!! I agree with you, I shop my home first too. It's amazing what we find for a redo when we shop the house!! Loved your technique for the painted area! Have a nice week. xo

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  8. What a cute and clever DIY. I love it!

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  9. This is such a cute project!! Love the DIY!

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  10. Bravo, I love it! It looks just perfect. Thanks for sharing this at the Dishing It & Digging It Link party.

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  11. As a shorty myself -- yes, I truly understand the need for footstools like this and yours is wonderful! You did such a great job 'shopping' your home to create this!

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  12. I love everything 'grain sacky'! :) Thanks for sharing at Sew It Cook It Craft It.

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  13. This is awesome! It looks very French and you are so smart to use a silver sharpie pen! Love it and all for $2.00! Great idea! Thank you for linking up to Centerpiece Wednesday!
    Karin
    http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/2017/06/centerpiece-wednesday.html?m=1

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  14. You did a great job with this stool makeover. I love the stripe you added to the pillow.
    Thanks for sharing this at C&C with J&J.
    Enjoy the week.
    Julie xo

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  15. Love your stool and great idea to use a sharpie. So adorable.
    Hugs,
    Bev

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  16. Great idea to paint the wicker. Your grain sack stripe looks perfect too. Love the whole look. I am a short girl too and my ottoman is too tall for me. Gotta shop my house!

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  17. So cute! I too belong to the "vertically challenged" group at 5' 2"😄

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  18. I'm a bit vertically challenged myself and this is the perfect solution. Thank you for sharing with us at Celebrate Your Story, and I hope you’re having a great weekend.

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  19. LOVE that you used a sharpie to create the stripe. I'm definitely going to have to give that a try sometime. Thanks so much for sharing at the #happynowlinkup!

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  20. Your footstool is adorable. I love the grain sack look.
    Thanks for sharing at Waste Not Wednesday.

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  21. Found this on the Sweet Inspiration LP. I'm a short girl and I need this! Great post. So cute!

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  22. This is absolutely ADORABLE!! What a great upcycle!

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  23. Such a cute project and so useful. Love the stripe.

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  24. What a great project! You have an awesome footstool with the benefit of extra storage! Thanks for sharing, Cynthia

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  25. Cecilia this is really adorable and a clever way to make your own footstool from pieces you had at home. Love that stripe in the middle.

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  26. Adorable! Has anyone else realized that it is a basket? What a great hiding place; sometimes I want a place for small gifts for an occasion coming up. If you put too many books in it, it will be too hard to move it over unless strengthening your leg muscles is in the plan!

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