How To Make A Tufted Ottoman Coffee Table
Are you looking for a new statement piece for your living room? The coffee table is a great focal point for any living area. An ottoman coffee table, in particular is useful in a small living room since it can be used as extra seating. In this article, I will show how you make a tufted ottoman coffee table. A tufted ottoman is not only stylish, but it is also functional. A tufted ottoman makes a more comfortable footrest. Also, a tufted surface adds more dimension and visual interest compared to an ottoman with a flat surface. Do not fear the tufts, though, because you will be surprised how easy they are to achieve.
The Coffee Table
In this article, we are learning how to make your own tufted ottoman. We are not learning how to make a tufted ottoman coffee table from scratch, but we will be working with materials that you may already have or are easy to acquire.
The base for a tufted ottoman coffee table is an actual coffee table, one that does not come with padding or other embellishments. We will work with a square or rectangular coffee table for this project. Curved coffee tables or ones with a unique shape require a different construction process. Working with a coffee tabled with angled sides is less challenging, especially for beginners.
You can repurpose any old coffee table for this, but I recommend one that is made of hardwood. A wooden coffee table is traditionally easier to work with for a DIY tufted ottoman, but wood also works in any room with any sort of style. Coffee tables made of metal, plastic, woven materials and others require more effort and more advanced tools if you want to repurpose them into an ottoman. Additionally, some coffee tables are not meant to be turned into ottomans, such as fragile glass and Lucite tables.
The Upholstery Fabric
What type of fabric you use for this project will depend on a number of factors? Where are you placing the ottoman? What will it be used for? Are you going to use it as a footrest? Will you place food and drinks on it at some point? Are there children or pets in the house? Your ottoman coffee table will see a lot of action, so you should consider upholstery that is not only stylish but durable as well.
Velvet is luxurious, but do not let that refined finish fool you. Velvet is quite tough and stands up to heavy use. However, just remember that spills and stains are easier to remove when you tend to them immediately.
Chenille is similar to velvet, but it is more durable. It can resist abrasion but is still comfortable. Also, it looks good on heavier pieces, such as a coffee table.
Microfiber or faux suede is a perfect choice if you want something easy to clean. This type of fabric is typically a polyester multi-weave fabric treated to resist abrasion.
Tweed is a woven fabric that can disguise stains and wear quite well. Look for a tweed upholstery fabric that has high double rubs as this will reduce piling and fabric pulls when you work with it.
The Materials You Need
Before we get into how to make a tufted ottoman coffee table, we need to gather the tools and materials for our project. These are the items you need:
- Your coffee table of choice
- Your upholstery fabric of choice
- Upholstery buttons
- 4-inch foam
- Ruler or tape measure
- Marker
- Sharp utility knife
- Staple gun and staples
- Spray adhesive
- Drill
- Glue gun and glue sticks
- Upholstery needle
- Heavy-duty thread
How to Turn Your Coffee Table into A Tufted Ottoman
Begin by measuring your coffee table. You need to figure out how much surface area you need to cover with foam. A four-inch foam is just the right thickness. It’s comfortable enough to sit and rest your feet on, but if you put any items on it, they won’t sink into the foam.
Once you have figured out the dimensions of your foam, trace an outline. You can cut out the foam with a sharp utility knife. An electric carving knife will make the task faster and easier, but a utility knife with a sharp blade will work just fine as long as you put some extra elbow grease in there.
With your foam cut out, place it atop your coffee table. You do not need to attach it yet because you have to measure the whole thing first for your upholstery fabric. You want to make sure you get enough fabric that will tuck neatly under the foam. Once you are done measuring your fabric, cut it out.
Gather your upholstery buttons and use the extra fabric to cover the buttons. You can use your hot glue gun to secure the fabric to the buttons.
Set aside your foam, fabric, and buttons, and go back to your bare coffee table. You should decide on a tufted pattern. Make those markings and drill holes in the parts where you want tufts.
Take your adhesive spray and coat one side of the foam. Stick the sprayed side onto the coffee table to secure it. Make sure the foam is properly aligned. Drape the fabric over the foam and secure it using your staple gun.
Take your buttons, thread, and needle. Starting from the middle, attach the buttons to the foam. Push the button into the foam, and below, the thread should be pulled down to create a tuft. Secure the thread with your staple gun.
And there you have it. You have just learned how to make a tufted ottoman coffee table!
Conclusion
Learning how to make a tufted ottoman coffee table is a fun home project that is easier than most people think. A tufted ottoman coffee table is a stylish thing to have in your living room, but it also adds extra functionality. Repurposing an old coffee table into an ottoman saves you money, and of course, it's good to find new ways for old furniture instead of just tossing them away.
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