Updating an old ottoman with your own hands

Chipboard ottoman cover

To perform finishing work you will need the following tools and materials:

decorative fabric for upholstery;
a piece of padding polyester or foam rubber;
furniture stapler;
glue gun;
sewing machine.

Choice of upholstery fabric

First, you need to choose what stylistic solution your new upholstered chair will have. Depending on the style, I cover the ottomans with various fabrics of dense texture - tapestry, suede, velor, velvet, eco leather, eco fur and other materials.

Furniture velor

For example, a pouf covered with satin or brocade-like fabric is perfect for a classic design.

Satin for upholstery of poufs

If you are planning to decorate a room in an ethno style, then a matting pouf will look very good in it.

Gozhka

Modern interior styles will perfectly complement original pieces of furniture made in patchwork style.

Patchwork style furniture

To make such a cover, you will need several scraps of dense fabric of contrasting colors, from which you should cut out identical wedges and sew them together. You will get a very bright and stylish seat for the ottoman. The sides of the chair cover can be cut from a plain fabric that matches the color tone of one of the patches.

Stages of work

Take your old ottoman or make a frame for the ottoman from sheets of chipboard or plywood. In accordance with its dimensions, make patterns from the prepared fabric.

Making patterns

We cut out a piece of foam rubber according to the size of the seat.

Tightening the lid

Next, you need to measure and sum the width of all sides of the pouf. Based on the measurements obtained, taking into account the height of the product, we cut out a piece of padding polyester and cover the side parts with it. We secure the padding polyester using a furniture stapler.

We tighten the sides

To make this work easier, you can first apply special glue to the walls of the pouf frame. In the same way, secure the foam rubber blank to the seat of the chair. Attach the patterns cut from upholstery fabric with a stapler to a soft base, tucking the edges.

Applying a decorative pattern

At the junctions of the parts, glue a suitable decorative cord or apply a decorative pattern to the sides.

Poof is ready

Another way to update an ottoman with your own hands is to sew a cover from the selected material. This option will be more practical, since if necessary, it can be removed, washed and put back on the pouf.

Case update

To do this, fabric patterns must be basted together and stitched on a sewing machine.

Making patterns

We sew all the details

After we sew all the parts together, we need to cut off the excess fabric and smooth the seams with an iron.

Trim off excess seam allowances to ensure a tight fit of the cover.

The bottom edge must be hemmed by machine or by hand and also ironed. We turn the cover inside out and put it on the pouf, straightening out the folds.

Putting on the cover

At this point, the work on the updated pouf is not completely finished - if desired, it can be decorated. For example, you can sew a large button into the middle of a seat made of scraps, having previously covered it with decorative material in the color of the sides.

An ottoman trimmed with ruffles or lace is perfect for a girl’s bedroom or children’s room.

Pouf decor option for the bedroom

A fringe sewn on the bottom will look good on a product intended for an interior in a baroque or classic style.

Pouf with fringes in Baroque style

Types of ottomans

Ottomans come in several varieties. They are classified depending on certain characteristics. Depending on the material they are made of, they can be of three types:

wooden;
metal;
textile.

The first ones have a base made of wood, particle board (chipboard) or plywood. The second is a metal frame. Finally, the third is a kind of large pillow that is placed on the floor.

Depending on the presence of a rigid base, a piece of furniture can be:

frame;
frameless.

The frame ottoman is distinguished by the fact that it has a rigid base covered with fabric. It can be made of metal or wood. Textile products are frameless. They do not have such a basis. For this reason, they also do not have internal storage compartments. But it is very pleasant to sit on such poufs - in terms of comfort they are comparable to armchairs.

Depending on the design of the base, a piece of furniture can be:

monoblock;
designer.

The first type is a traditional pouf, which cannot change its original shape. The designer can perform various functions by changing the position of certain parts. For example, some folding models can turn into a small couch or sofa. This occurs due to the extension and unfolding of a metal frame hidden inside the product.

Depending on the design of the lower part, the pouf can be:

traditional;
wheeled;
on legs.

Traditional models have a completely flat bottom surface. Sometimes it has small rubber spacers so as not to damage the floor covering. Wheeled products have small wheels that make them easy to move from one area of the room to another. Ottomans with legs, as you might guess, have low legs and vaguely resemble a stool.

screwdriver

Down with foam rubber and leatherette - give “grandma’s pouf” a fashionable velvet cover

A pouf with a removable lid is an international phenomenon: it is a comfortable thing and can hold a lot of small things. But the appearance is usually far from perfect. Such poufs with a removable seat are still actively sold in provincial furniture stores, often inherited from parents or grandmothers. In our master class, we decided to show how to reupholster an ottoman with your own hands, turning it from an obsolete item into a fashionable piece of furniture.

Before:

An old ottoman with shabby upholstery and not a very good color.

After:

Upholstering the ottoman with our own hands took us a little time. We chose velvet in a fashionable blue shade, and the updated item now looks much more impressive.

You will need:

furniture stapler and staples of a suitable size;
tape measure and tape;
sewing machine, thread, scissors, tailor's pins and chalk;

upholstery fabric.

Tip:
If you want the new pouf upholstery to last longer and look better, you can line it with a thick material (like canvas) under the main layer of fabric.

Step 1: Take measurements

Start by measuring the diameter of the seat and the main part of the ottoman. Mark the same dimensions on the upholstery fabric, add extra space for hemming the material (depending on the height of the seat and the size of the ottoman itself). For example, we added 10 centimeters to the hem and seams.

Step 2: Cut and sew the bottom upholstery

Lay out the fabric for the main part of the ottoman and apply the preliminary pattern. Then you can attach the marked fabric to the pouf so as not to be mistaken with the size of the new one.

dresses

If you rarely sew, mark the seams with pins first. Then baste the fabric along the marks to create a sort of velvet tube and machine stitch. More skilled people can sew everything on a typewriter right away.

Step 3: Measure the top of the lid pouf

Place the lid on the fabric and trace around it. Add a 10cm margin for seams and hems and draw a new line. Now you can cut out the round part.

Step 4. Upholstery of the pouf

We decided not to remove the old upholstery; it was in good condition. If the old ottoman upholstery was worn out, the old staples holding the fabric would have to be removed. I usually use a screwdriver to loosen the fasteners.

Place the top of the pouf on a round piece of fabric. Make sure there is enough fabric left for hems on all sides. For convenience, you can fold the edges and temporarily attach them to the pouf with tape.

Step 5. Fasten the pouf upholstery with a stapler

First, we staple the four edges (like a cross - vertically and horizontally). Then we carefully stretch the fabric, bend the remaining edges and also fasten them with a stapler.

Step 6. Add folds if necessary

When working with round objects, you can add small folds. Make sure the fabric lies naturally, then staple the fold into place. Once all the staples are attached, trim off the excess fabric.

Step 7. Attach the bottom upholstery

Stretch the resulting velvet “tube” onto the base of the pouf. Make sure there is extra fabric at the top and bottom. We decided to unscrew the legs of the ottoman so it would sit directly on the floor.

Fold the fabric over the top and bottom of the ottoman and staple it evenly.

Done! Upholstery of the ottoman with your own hands is finished. This item can be used for more than just sitting. But also instead of a bedside or coffee table, if the top of the pouf is flat enough.

YOUR TURN...
Reupholstering poufs is not such a difficult task. Share your experience and ideas if you have already tried to upholster an old ottoman with new material. Show photos in the comments section!

Seat

To make the seat, I cut out foam and fabric similar in size to the old ones. I placed foam rubber on the base, then covered it with a square piece of upholstery. First of all, I fixed the center, and then began to tighten and secure each side.

The first side was without much of a stretch. I folded the edge of the fabric and attached it to the base with a stapler. The gaps can be made arbitrarily, but I decided to make more fastenings so that the fabric does not lie down. After securing one side, I began to work on the opposite.

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The maximum tension made it possible to make the surface even. Then I processed the third and fourth sides of the square in a similar way. The corners need to be tucked in as tightly as possible so that the diagonal connection looks neat. When everything is ready, trim off any unnecessary edges around the perimeter and corners.

How to choose materials for an ottoman

What to make a cover for an ottoman from

As a rule, an ottoman consists of a frame, filling and cover. The latter is best sewn from dense, durable fabric. The following options work well:

tapestry;
velours;
jacquard;
velvet;
natural and artificial leather.

You can also make a cover from scrap materials: unnecessary curtains, an old coat or a leather jacket.

How to fill the ottoman

The choice of filling depends on the shape of the ottoman and the method of its manufacture, as well as on whether there are any allergies in the house. Here are the most common options:

foam;
padding polyester;
sawdust and shavings;
down and feather;
buckwheat husk;
expanded polystyrene granules;
holofiber;
textile.

What you need

In order to replace the seat of the ottoman and cover it with leather, you need to prepare the following tools and materials:

a piece of leather (well, if it is as dense as possible, then the seat will last for many years. The choice of color and texture does not matter much, it all depends on taste and personal preference);
material for lining (it is better to use soft products, for example, synthetic winterizer or foam rubber);
measuring devices (for example, a measuring tape);
construction stapler;
glue gun;
scissors;
leather braid;
pencil or marker
decorative elements.