Ottoman Tut

Why hello! I'm glad you stopped by the blog today. Yes, I know I haven't kept my word about updating everyday this week, but we're still in the process of setting up the house. We have a fantastic housewarming party that is set for this Saturday night. It's going to be a BLAST! *crosses fingers*

Well to make up for not updating, I would like to start this week with a tutorial!! Because, we have a much larger living room, finally more furniture can fit. At the apartment we stuck to 1 bookcase, a tv cart/stand, love seat and couch. All of which was cramped in a rather small living space. Justine and I finished setting up the entertainment center last night and I finally finished unpacking all the living room boxes today.

After all the unpacking and rearranging I noticed we had the old tv stand (since we went to Ikea and bought a brand new one to take its place) that had no real purpose. The stand is about 18"tall and 18" by 24" and has rolling wheels on the bottom. It's mobile and not sturdy enough to be another stand for the stereo, I thought and thought and like a sack of bricks yesterday it hit me. I can make an ottoman! YES!

I set out to the local Joann's Fabric store and trusty 'ole Walmart, bought all the materials for under $20. An ottoman for under $20 who could ask for a better steal! At the fabric store I found some "Clearance" fabric which is mean for "Outdoor furniture." Amazingly thick and durable for $6 a yd, so I snatched up 2 yds and ran to Walmart for the batting.

And so, enough with the back story and on to the tutorial!

What you'll need:
-An old tv stand or coffee table
-2 yds of your favorite fabric (the more durable the better)
-About 3 large bags of 20 oz polyester fiberfil/batting
-Hammer and small nails or staple gun
-Scissors
-Large space to work in


Step 1: Open fiberfil, unravel and flatten. Stack fiberfil on top of stand about 6-8inches, the higher the more cushion. Make sure the fiberfil covers and slightly hangs over the edge of the stand on all side.


Step 2: Cut fabric and make sure it hangs passed the fiberfil 6 inches or long enough to reach under the lip of the stand.


Step 3: Flip stand upside down so fabric is design side down, then padding, and then top of stand.



Step 4: Go all around the edges and either staple or nail the fabric to the understand of the stand lip. I used about 8 small nails for the longer sides and about 5 small nails for the shorter sides.


Step 5: Create a nice crease a the corners just as if you were wrapping a present.


Step 6: Go around all the edges and make sure there is no puckering of fabric. If the fabric droops put another staple/nail to hold fabric tight against the wood.


Step 7: Flip right side up and take a step back. Examine your work and enjoy!

Finished product!

This ottoman will sure come in handy this weekend when we need extra sitting space. This stand can easily fit two people. Woohoo! Please feel free to ask questions by leaving a comment if any of the steps were unclear or confusing.