Build A Bench With your Child With Help from Mag Ruffman and Lowe’s!

ToolGirl Mag Ruffman

If you’re looking for things to do this March Break and are planning a “Staycation”, here’s one idea that doesn’t cost much and is a great way to spend an afternoon with your kids: ToolGirl Mag Ruffman has produced a series of videos for Lowe’s to help adults teach kids (or adults learn) about building things. The videos and are straightforward and show that the projects are easy to do. This is one instance where you can actually say “even a five year old can do it” and mean it! Mag has developed two types of projects: those that are for younger kids and more complex projects for the “tween” group. My daughter and I chose to make the step stool which will come in handy in our new kitchen. Once we had the supplies, we were able to build it in the amount of time the instructions suggested it will take and were pleased with the results. Most of the tools you might already have on hand, but it’s also a good excuse to go out and replace older tools (I bought a new miter saw), and maybe spring for a few new ones (I bought a rafter square). Our project materials were simple and included a measuring tape, screwdriver, wood glue, wood saw, rafter square and paint. The supplies consisted of a wooden plank, trim to match the same width, table legs and hardware to attach the legs. Mag provides all the dimensions of materials and tools needed for each project with each video, the instructions are also included and are clear and easy to follow.  We cut the pine plank into a 12×14″ rectangle, measured and added trim and sanded the edges to make sure there weren’t any small pieces of wood left hanging. Then, we screwed in the leg hardware and attached the legs. Finally, using Allback linseed oil paint, we gave the bench a coat of paint. We had to wait another 24 hours to add the second coat of paint. My daughter and I had a lot of fun and are happy with the final results. Thanks to Mag and Lowe’s for providing the videos and instructions for all the projects. To find all the information you need to make the bench and many other projects, visit the Lowe’s video website.    

Completed step stool. Hooray!