Adding Upholstery to the Storage Ottoman

Adding Upholstery
Storage Ottoman
How to
Ottoman
Upholster
the
to
the
Storage
Previously, I posted plans to build a storage ottoman on
casters and mentioned that the top could also be upholstered.
I really wanted to upholster the top of the piece I built so I
am sharing how to upholster the storage ottoman! It is really
easy to upholster the ottoman and takes very few tools! This
tutorial can apply to any ottoman where the top will be
upholstered…
Materials:
18″ x 18″ piece of 1″ foam
Upholstery batting
Fabric of choice
Stapler with staples (I used a pneumatic stapler)
Gimp braid in a contrasting color
1 – 3/4″ screw and washer to tuft the top
Coordinating button
Step One
The ottoman should be built at this point and the plans can be
found here. I used 3/4″ MDF and painted mine grey.
Lay the ottoman on the 1″ foam and trace the shape of the top.
Cut out the shape with a pair of scissors and position the
foam on the ottoman.
Step Two
Lay the batting and fabric on top of the foam. Secure the
batting and fabric to the top of ottoman in four places,
pulling the fabric taut as it is stapled. Place the staples in
the middle of the edge if possible! Since the storage ottoman
is round, I stapled the batting and fabric just above the
point where the dividers meet the top.
Step Three
Continue stapling the fabric to the edge, pulling it taut as
it is being stapled. The goal is to fill the entire
circumference of the ottoman with staples. This will keep the
upholstery uniform, and will keep it from pulling out.
Step Four
Use a razor blade or a box knife to trim the excess batting
and fabric away, cutting it just below the staples.
Step Five
Use a hot glue gun to secure the gimp braid around the edge
covering the staples.
Step Six
Locate the very center of the top, and insert a screw with a
washer to tuft the upholstery. Glue a decorative button over
the screw or use a piece of the excess fabric and a covered
button kit to create a button that matches perfectly!
Adding an upholstered top to a bench, chair, or ottoman is
really easy – each piece uses the same concept of pulling the
fabric taut and stapling it, then covering the staples with
trim or upholstery nails. If you do a lot of upholstery
projects, I recommend purchasing a pneumatic upholstery
stapler. They are very inexpensive and I love mine! Have any
questions about how to upholster the storage ottoman? Leave a
comment below or contact me at cher {at} designsbystudioc
{dot} com!