I love to upcycle.
There’s something magical about finding an old, ugly, tired footstool ottoman or chair and giving it a new chance in life. It’s such a joy to repurpose furniture that was once used and loved, but eventually lost its beauty and got put in an attic and forgotten about.
I have always seen beauty in old pieces of furniture or buildings, where other people would not look twice. So often people don’t bother with things they see as unuseful, used or broken.
However, that’s where the fun is! And with this tutorial today, you’ll be able to take your old ottoman or any other piece of furniture lying about and upcycle it yourself.
The Process of Upcycling and Restoring:
Look at this old stool. It looks very tired, but there is beauty in it. With a little work, it can be turned into a beautiful furnishing that will brighten up any living room.
Step 1: Remove the old fabric. You want to remove any staples or pins, so having a pair of pliers can be handy.
Step 2: Sand down the wood board to remove any old varnish. It’s good to start with high grade (coarse sandpaper) then transition down to low grade (smooth). Once you are done, protect the wood with either varnish or wax.
Side note: Usually I am able to use the original board but on this project the board was a little bit too small for the metal plates. They were sticking out by 5mm all around. Instead, I used an offcut of high grade plywood which I found in a local hardware store for $2, and cut to size.
Step 3: Cut the foam. It’s best to use a foam cutter, but I don’t have one so I use a sharp knife. Place the board on top of the foam, allow a border of 1cm all the way around.
This will help prevent anyone feeling the hard edge of the wood board when they sit on it.
Step 4: Choose the right fabric to cover your stool with. I usually go by a gut feeling of whatever feels right for the piece I’m working on.
Step 5: Cut the fabric, allow around 10cm off the edge of the foam so you can pull and staple the fabric.
Step 6: Upholster. I used a staple gun to attach my fabric to the underside of the board.
Step 9: Voilà! Done!
I also offer ottoman workshop that covers basic upholstery and furniture painting to help you on your upcycling journey. You'll get a unique ottoman you created using high-quality, eco-friendly materials, upcycled/reclaimed timber frame, and stylish fabrics from local or international fabric pattern designers. All materials and tools will be provided so you don't have to worry about anything and just enjoy learning!
Workshops will run on Saturdays this coming April. Private classes during the week are also available upon request.