Transform any old wood counter stools to into unique industrial pieces with a stenciled clock design and twine! Learn how to upcycle this look to give new life to your furniture in this DIY tutorial.

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I love a good quick and easy furniture makeover! Especially if it’s on a TV tray or on small wooden stools!

Why I collect step stool / wooden stools

I love to collect wooden stools of any kind, then revamp them with a fun, custom bar stool makeover! They offer so any perfect solutions to whatever you need:

an all wood stool is easy and fun to customize!
provides extra seating in a pinch
excellent to use as small portable side tables
their dimensions takes up very little space
great as plant stands
come in such a variety of styles
easy to find in thrift stores or curb side
helpful accessory in tight spaces such as a bathroom
stability is generally very sound
comfort level can be easily enhanced with a soft leather or fabric cushion

Do you remember when I first landed a couple of old counter stools on the side of the road?

These counter height stools had been stored in a barn and were even growing moldy! I wasn’t entirely sure at the time I’d have the best experience at saving them, but it was worth a shot if I got them for free anyway, right?

I mean, any stool is so handy! And I liked that these had two different heights so the two stools became retro star beauties you can see HERE

Same scenario with that side table above… as THIS is what that wet oil soaked piece became.

Just goes to show, it’s always worth bringing home to at least try!

However as time wore on, using the retro star stools as inflatable hot tub side tables eventually weathered them to the point of needing a redo. And I had just the solution!

View Clock Station stencil HERE

10″ clock stencil

I created a new clock stencil design that would fit perfectly on a smaller round counter stool, so I just had to give it a go! My love for industrial furniture runs deep, so I was excited to give at least one of these stools an industrial vibe this round!

And good golly… did the counter stools makeover ever turn out cool! So much so, it’s staying safely under my patio cover this round, because I can’t let this one go!

So get into the antiques-industrial vibe this round, because this cutie was so easy to create and turned out so good… with an extra special twist added that you may not expect!

Here’s what I did:

Industrial counter stools makeover with clock design and twine

Supplies I used:

Wooden bar stool

Clock Station stencil from HERE

Stain and Finishing Oil by Fusion Mineral Paint in Golden Pine, Cappuccino and Natural

Fusion Mineral Paint in Cast Iron and Wood Wick

A beige-rust tone in acrylic craft paint

Rustic twine

Dome-tipped stencil brush

Quality paint brush (for painting)

Chip brush (for stain)

Lazy susan (to use for painting)

View Stain and Finishing Oil HERE (get 10% off)

My favorite furniture stain

1. Choose a stain colour of choice.

I’m a massive Stain and Finishing Oil fan by Fusion Mineral Paint, because this stain has a much lower odor than most.

However I like to create my own special colour with it. Get your measuring spoon out for this one because it’s intense…

A big dollop of Golden Pine with a little Cappuccino added.

Stir it up well, then you’re ready to stain!

Staining the stool legs

2. Sand the counter stool legs back down to bare wood to clean them up.

3. Using a chip brush, brush the stain on the legs and under the seat, then wipe it off with a lint-free rag.

If you allow the stain to sit for a few minutes before wiping it off, it will penetrate the wood moreso giving you more durability. However I didn’t want the tone too dark, so I wiped it right off.

How perfect! Now the wood doesn’t look brand new… it has much more of an authentic antique vibe!

This is a shot of the stain still wet. The tone does slightly lighten up as it dries.

I also placed the stool on top of a towel, sitting on a lazy susan which made staining the stool so much easier. Using a lazy susan for easier painting has become a must!

View a few different lazy susans HERE

Painting the stool seat

4. Lightly sand the stool top to clean it up.

5. Paint the stool top in Fusion Mineral Paint’s Cast Iron.

Since I was going for an industrial look, I liked the idea of using this newer version of grey Fusion brought out. And it turned out perfect!

So I hand painted it with one smooth, even coat of Cast Iron, and allowed it to dry.

Stenciling a clock face on the stool

6. Position the Clock Station stencil in the middle of the stool seat.

7. Holding the stencil in place with one hand, stencil the clock image on the seat in colours desired.

Since I wanted an antique look to the stool, I used a mid-toned brown for the clock image called Wood Wick by Fusion. It offers a dulled down contrast against the darker Cast Iron, just what I was going for!

Since the paint has no raw wood to soak in, it’s important to ensure your loaded stencil brush feels dry before stenciling. Here’s how I do it:

How to stencil with no paint bleed:

Load a dome-tipped stencil brush with paint.
Remove most paint with a rag until brush feels dry.
Tap or swirl the paint through the stencil until you achieve your desired coverage.

Learn many more how to stencil tips from THIS POST

Adding rust details to the clock numbers

Before I lifted the stencil, I decided to add a bit of rust to the clock numbers, so a beigy-rust toned craft paint added just the right amount.

I stenciled the clock image all over but in a random way, being careful not to stencil with full coverage this time. This allowed the image to have a two-toned effect which gave the numbers a slightly rusty appearance. Perfect!

Wrapping twine around the stool rungs

9. Wrap rustic twine around the stool rungs.

I loved the stool as-is, however not long ago, I added twine to a side table I created for Hometalk. (see it HERE)

Loving the outcome so much, I decided to see what wrapped twine would look like around the stool rungs.

I started on one end, then kept fiddling until I liked what i saw. You will be able to make out the twine design a little more so in other finished pictures below. But in a nutshell:

How I wrapped twine around the stool rungs:

Start the twine by tying it to a lower rung close to a stool leg.
While still on the roll, bring the twine up and around a higher rung, then back down again to the original.
Keep wrapping around the entire stool this way, then once finished, tie off the ends near where you started.
Start the twine again, this time from the top rung, and wrap around the entire stool in the opposite way so the twine cross crosses against itself.

I truly hope that makes sense as I didn’t video the process.

10. Coat the stool seat with Natural SFO.

Before bringing the stool outside, I gave just the seat a protective coat of Natural Stain and Finishing Oil. This gives the stool a little more durability than just paint, so it’s now super perfect to set drinks on!

The finished twine wrapped clock seated counter stools makeover!

And you are left with the cutest clock-styled stool side table loaded with an industrial, rustic look antique charm!

And the seat height is just the right size for a handy coffee side table that’s easy to move around as desired!

I am SMITTEN with Cast Iron against that warm wood! The tone is deep but not quite black. It’s so nice!

And as you can see, I didn’t bother sanding the stool top to perfection. This one came with some very deep gouges!

But that’s part of the antique charm. The clock has a slightly weathered appearance making this replication antique perfect.

And isn’t that clock stencil image too perfect for this stool size?! It’s like it was meant to be!

I think clock styled industrial stools would look so cute around a kitchen island, kitchen counter or home bar. They’re so nice have when additional guests stop by! And I sure love the versatility of a great stool, especially when you can so easily customize the look with stencils and paint!

All I know is, this stool side table has a special place on my patio right where I enjoy my coffee each day. It’s lightweight and easy to move around whenever I need a small spot to set down a cup. Plus it looks right at home wherever I put it!

Resin wicker chair source:

Find Hampton Bay Rosemont Stackable Woven Chair – Light Brown Finish with Putty Tan Cushion HERE