What To Do With Old Bar Stools (Try These 10 Things!)
Repurposing extra furniture is a great way to add some design elements and function to your home. You can even find new and unique ways to use old bar stools.
Make a desk, console table, nightstand, plant stand, or end table. Use the base for an outdoor beverage chiller for BBQs and pool parties. Build a bird bath or feeder. Use old bar stools in the garage or garden. Make a bench for your entryway or a stool for your shower. Use old bar stools for storage in your bathroom.
Old bar stools are easy to upcycle. You can also donate them or sell them.
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Upcycle Old Bar Stools
Upcycling and repurposing bar stools add some new and interesting decorative elements in your home. All you need is a little time, creativity, and some ordinary tools.
1. Desk or Console
Old bar stools can be transformed into a work desk or console table for behind your sofa. Bar stools are 28” to 30” high. Work desks are also 28” to 30” high, and console tables are typically 30” high.
Remove the seats from the bottom frame of the old bar stools. Place a 24” to 48” piece of countertop, solid wood, granite, or other material on top of the bar stool legs, and secure with screws.
2. End Table
End tables always come in handy for keeping your living room and family room organized. Use the entire barstool to make an end table. Make shelves in the bottom part of the bar stool using painted wood or ceramic tiles. Put family photos and knickknacks on the shelves. The top of the bar stool is good for a family photo, candle, or basket for your remotes.
3. Outdoor Drink Cooler
With a bit of weatherproofing, old bar stools can be used outdoors. Remove the seat, and use exterior paint to decorate the legs and seat base. Spray paint works the best because you don’t need a primer. After the paint dries, use screws to attach a decorative metal bucket to the seat base. When it’s time for a family gathering, pool party, or BBQ with friends, fill the bucket with ice and your favorite beverages.
4. Bird Bath or Feeder
Adding bird baths and feeders to your garden brings it to life. Use two bar stools, and only the seat base and legs. You’ll also need some terra cotta or ceramic plant saucers for this project. You can also use hard plastic saucers, but not the flimsy ones. Center the saucer on the seat base, and attach it using an epoxy glue. Make sure not to get any glue inside the saucer. Fill one saucer with bird seed and the other with water. Put the feeder and bird bath in a part of your garden where there are flowers, trees, and bushes.
5. Entryway Bench
Entryway benches are normally 18” to 20” high, so you’ll need some extra tools to make a bench from bar stools. Benches work best with three old bar stools. Remove the seats, and cut down the legs to a height of 18” to 20”. Place a nice piece of hardwood on top of the legs, and secure the wood to the seat base with screws. Paint or stain the wood.
6. Shower Stool
Use an old bar stool as a shower stool. Cut the legs down to 17” to 19”. This is the standard height of shower benches and stools. You need to make sure that the bar stool doesn’t slip around in the shower, so use some non-skid bar stool foot protectors. You can find them at most hardware and home improvement stores.
Spray paint the stool with an exterior, water-resistant paint. Use the horizontal bars of the stool for hanging bath poofs, washcloths, and other items. Attach a plastic basket to one of the bars for toiletries.
7. Plant Stand
Bar stools are the perfect height for indoor and outdoor plants. If the stools have upholstered seats, remove them. Give the stools a new coat of paint or stain. If you use the stools outdoors, make sure to use a weatherproof spray paint. Place the bar stools in sunny areas inside and outside your home, and put your plants on top.
8. Nightstand
If you have limited space in your bedroom, old bar stools are the perfect size for nightstands. Go to a local hobby shop and look for decorative boxes. Remove the seats from the barstools, and glue the box to the seat base. This gives you a place to store small items next to your bed, and the top of the box is large enough for a small reading lamp.
9. Bathroom Storage
Use your old wooden bar stool “as is” for storage in your bathroom. Roll up a set of towels and put them between the seat base and horizontal bars of the base. Use the top of the stool for a scented candle and a basket for bubble bath or toilet paper rolls. You can also hang hand towels from the horizontal bras in the base of the bar stool.
10. Work Stool
Any old bar stool that is still in good condition can be used as a work stool. Put it in your garage, shed, hobby room, or garden. Give the bar stool a fresh coat of exterior paint to protect it against the elements. Check the legs to make sure that they are secure. Add some wood glue if the legs are a bit wobbly.
Make a Special Space for Yourself
If you love to read or enjoy coffee in the morning, your old bar stools are the perfect excuse to make a special space for yourself. Choose a window in your home that gets great natural light. Install a floating countertop with shelf brackets. The countertop only needs to be a few inches longer than the window. Put the brackets on either side of the window approximately 1” to 2” from the window frame.
Give your old bar stools a new look with paint, stain, and new seats, and put them under the countertop.
Floating countertops and old bar stools also work well for children’s study areas, sewing nooks, and extra work spaces.
Donate or Sell Old Bar Stools
Just about everyone has bar stools in their homes, so they are great items to donate and sell. The stools should be in good shape. This means that they are sturdy (no wobbles). The stools should also look good. If your old bar stools have fabric seats, reupholster them. Use a child-friendly fabric, such as vinyl. Check the legs to make sure that they are secure. If they aren’t, pull the legs away from the horizontal footrest, and put a few drops of wood glue inside the hole.
Old bar stools that are looking a bit abused should get a fresh coat of paint. You don’t need to strip the furniture. Do make sure that the wood is sanded. Use an interior or exterior spray paint.
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Related Questions
How do you reupholster old bar stools?
Remove the old fabric, staples, and stuffing. Use the old fabric to cut a piece of the new fabric. Be sure to leave enough to fill the cushion. Place a piece of foam on the seat based, wrap the new fabric around it, and secure the fabric with upholstery staples.
What can I do with my extra bar stools?
If you have extra bar stools, use them around your home. They make great seating in just about any room.
Can you paint old metal bar stools?
Yes. Spray paint works best. Use a product that is specifically designed for metal. If you plan on using the old bar stools outside, make sure that the spray paint prevents rust.
Conclusion
Old bar stools are easily repurposed. They make great benches, tables, plant stands, garden decorations, and much more. Most upcycling projects for old bar stools require little to no modifications. Other projects require just a little bit of modification.
Jennifer L. Eggerton loves being hands-on, whether it's with a home DIY project, making repairs, re-decorating a room, or keeping life organized. She enjoys helping people by sharing her knowledge, insights, and experiences, as well as her lessons learned. In addition to her work as a writer, Jennifer is a Jeep® overlander, self-published author, and nature photographer who loves being outdoors.
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