Take me to the Steps

Many of us enjoyed a simple pair of stilts in our youth, but why stop there? Here’s how to make a pair of fun stilts that are really quite simple for someone of any age. Not only are they easily customizable, but they can literally be built in 15 minutes. You’ll spend more time buying the materials than you will actually building this, but hopefully much more time having fun with the finished stilts.

The total cost of materials is under $20 and this entire project only requires 4 cuts and 12 drilled holes. Though this tutorial just shows how to make the stilts, you are still able to dress them up any way you would like. These can be a great addition to your Halloween costume.

stilts pieces

What will the next generation of Make: look like? We’re inviting you to shape the future by investing in Make:. By becoming an investor, you help decide what’s next. The future of Make: is in your hands. Learn More.

Project Steps

Make your 4 cuts

You will need to cut off 2 blocks from your pieces of lumber. Each piece is 3″ long for the foot rests. This adds up to a total of 6″ cut off of each of your stilts.

Drill holes

Measure and mark for drilling. Spacing the bolts 1″ apart is perfect.

For the long pieces, you will need to decide how high off the ground you wish for your feet to be. For my stilts, I placed the foot at 12″ off the ground. This means that my top bolt hole was 11″ from the bottom of the stilt.

If you have a vice that you can clamp them into, you can drill through all 3 pieces at the same time. This isn’t necessary though.

Assemble your stilts

Thread the bolt through the holes with a washer on each side. Add the nut and tighten.

Now you can walk around on your super simple stilts! It may take a little practice to get perfect.