I got this ottoman/banch form another mom at my kid's school and I plan on getting it spruced up for the school auction. That is if I can get through all the layers of fabric. As it turns out it has already been upholstered a couple of times and each time someone used small little nails. About 50 tinny little nails later I'm ready to start.
For those who are just starting work on any furniture be sure that your tetanus shots are up to date. I chose not to use gloves during this projects (not knowing how old the ottoman was) as I thought it was just a small job, but ended up pocking my finger with a rusty nail. Good thing I just updated my shots during my physical exam this summer.
While I have really neat fabric chosen for this project (pictured bellow) I am still deciding on the color of the actual bench. I am tossing the idea of painting it black or distressed white. But one thing I did decide on was that I will make it a tufted little bench.
Using the button kit from a local craft store I made 4 buttons using the same fabric as the bench. Be careful when choosing the fabric and size of the button as you can end up having fabric that is too thick and will not work well when trying to make the button. Follow the instructions on the back of the kit, it's quiet easy. And ta-da!
So here it is. The fabric has been replaced and the custom buttons added. See my two little helpers? They are learning too, and so am I.
Now I am still debating what color to paint the bench. Hmm? There is a little off-white in the fabric so if I went with distressed cream I might be able to pull it of. Stay tuned.
I have decided to paint the bench a very subtle cream color. It may have been a mistake as I am still deciding if I like it. It matched the very light cream (that looks nearly white) on the fabric. I have also decided to use a little bronze/gold color on the edges as a distressed technique. I have never done anything like that before so I am learning as I go.
One mistake I did make was that I stapled the fabric too far from the edges, so when I went to screw the top back on the bench I realized that it wouldn't work. The screw was not long enough, (and I was not able to use longer screw because the wood was too thin) and it would not hold being screwed into the fabric and foam alone. So I had to un-staple all four corners, trim the fabric and the foam cover, re-staple closer to the edges (so that I can see the screw hole) and it finally worked. Awh! Learn from my mistakes.
The tree that is on one of the sides of the bench is done in the same bronze/gold that I used for edges. Recall that this item will be auctioned off at my children's school? One mom thought that we should have the kids from the Kindergarten class imprint their thumbs as leaves on the tree (yet to be done) as their participation in the project.
And there you have it. One old bench transformed into a whole new one~ I'd like it as my sitting bench for when I put my shoes on. Lovely.
