The bucket stool has been one of our most popular posts so we decided to follow up with some additional ideas and answer some frequently asked questions.

See the $5 Bucket Stool Instructions in Episode 8


Shapes + Molds





I used a square metal cake pan to make this 4 legged stool. I added cross supports for additional strength.





I used a silicon and glass round cake pan with commercial grade white Quikrete Countertop mix to make this round stool. This form worked incredible well and left the concrete with a glassy smooth finish.







To make this stool stronger I drilled holes in the 3 legs and used heavy wire to connect them.




Materials
The Commercial Grade Quikrete Countertop Mix is more expensive and harder to find than Quikrete 5000, but is really fun to experiment with. It's easier to work with, sets faster and can yield a glass-like, smooth finish.


Stability
I lot of people worried about the stools tipping over. You can increase the stability of the stool by going with 4 legs instead of 3 or by cutting down the side of the bucket and spreading the legs out farther.




Wobbly Legs
Over time the legs can get wobbly and slide out. A little construction adhesive in the concrete holes will secure and re-fasten the legs.




Strength
Several people wondered how strong these stools are.




Viewer Submitted Photos
I want to thank all the people who submitted photos!

@benuyeda A little uneven, but attempt 1 at the concrete stools cam out pretty good. twitter.com/j_m_barnes/sta…

— James Barnes (@j_m_barnes) March 11, 2013

@benuyeda I adore my new stool. Thinking about making a taller one.Do you think it will still be sturdy at 2 ft tall? twitter.com/sandraamstutz/…

— Sandra Amstutz (@sandraamstutz) March 14, 2013

@benuyeda what'd I do wrong? The sides won't stop crumbling. Still looks great though! twitter.com/maiannam/statu…

— Maianna (@maiannam) March 25, 2013

Easter project. Concrete bucket stool nickprestemon @benuyeda instagram.com/p/Xh4o6pGeez/

— Alexis Nido-Russo (@nikalorenzo) March 31, 2013

Greatly enjoyed making the Bucket Stool. Thank you @benuyeda for the designs. thinklem.com/bucketstool.ht…

— Nic La (@ThinkLem) March 29, 2013

$5 #diy concrete stool - fresh out if the bucket, still need to sand. Happy so far! bit.ly/13RbIkg - thx @benuyeda #HandmadeModern

— seth fritz (@toreplyall) March 11, 2013

#diy concrete stool - DONE!perfectly imperfect! 😀 instagr.am/p/WxwWTLEUQz/ cc @benuyeda

— seth fritz (@toreplyall) March 13, 2013

Attempted @benuyeda concrete stool. Didn't get it quite right with the leg placement, but it's a good first draft. twitter.com/steelwind345/s…

— Will (@steelwind345) April 8, 2013

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