"Not only does this little stepstool save Mom and Pop some steps," writes Gall E. Johnson from Duluth, Minnesota, "but It also gives your Little One the all-important opportunity to do for him. or herself Some things that he or she is perfectly capable of doing ... like getting that umpteenth drink of water, brushing teeth, or just plain washing up."

You can easily make your own step save with a few common workshop tools and 52" length of 1"X12" board ... and, best of all, says Gall, the handy stool can be constructed In less than an hour (or two, If you're slow)!

Kick this project off by tracking down a power drill (with an assortment of drill bits nd a countersink), a hand-held electric saber saw, a screwdriver, some wood glue (Elmer's Glue-All Is fine), and a sheet or two of fine sandpaper. You'll also need 14 No. 8 X 1-1/4" flathead wood screws, a can of wood putty, a piece of string, some polyurethane or shellac, and a paintbrush.

Once you've gathered all of your equipment, cut the plank of wood Into five pieces with the dimensions shown on this page (remember that a standard 1"X12" board is actually 3/4" thick and slightly over 11" wide). Don't worry about the rounded ends right now ... you'll take care of them In the next few steps.

After the board Is cut and set aside, enlarge the grid pattern shown elsewhere in this article so that the squares are 1" X1I " in size, then trace the shape on the larger grid and transfer It onto the two 11 " X 13" side pieces.

Next, take your saber saw (or use a jigsaw if you have one) and cut out the scallop shapes on these two sections. Then, measure 11-inches from one end of the 3/4" X 10-1/4" X 16" back piece (the side that you measure from will become the bottom) and pencil a line across the board at this point. Determine the center of the line, and-with this mark as the pivot point-draw an arc across the top of the board from one side to the other using a pencil and length of string as a compass).

You also might want to make a handle for your stool by marking off a 1-1/2" X 3-1/2" ellipse directly In the center of the back piece, about three-quarters of an Inch down from the top edge. With this done, you can cut the stool's back to the rounded shape as shown, and carve out the hole for the handle (you'll have to drill a starting hole within the "handle" first, then cut the piece of wood out with your saber saw).