DIY Tufted Ottoman

My next project is a tufted ottoman. I searched and searched all over for the perfect ottoman for our fifth wheel trailer but I just couldn't seem to find one that would fit nicely in the living area. I wanted one with storage for all our extra throw blankets and our new couch is pretty tall, especially when it's sitting up on the slide out ledge. After I couldn't find one for a reasonable price that could meet my requirements I decided to make one myself! Here's the finished product.

                           

Supplies needed:

Storage chest 

Foam pad

Upholstery thread

1 1/2 yard fabric

Round decorative buttons

Regular buttons

Spray paint or wood Stain (optional)

Sand paper (optional)

Long needle 

Tools needed:

Power drill

1" paddle drill bit

Staple gun

First, remove all the hardware from your chest. I also took the lid completely off so I could cover it with the fabric easier. Then cut out your foam pad so it's almost the same size as your lid. I made mine just a tiny bit smaller. I used a 3" poly foam chair pad from hobby lobby which worked great. 

After your foam is cut to the right size you will need a ruler or something with a straight edge so you can make your tuft pattern. I just eye balled the pattern but if you want your tufts to be more precise you can figure out the exact measurements and go from there. After you draw your pattern on the foam you need to take a 1" paddle drill bit and make holes wherever your lines cross. Make sure you only use the paddle drill bit on the foam and not through the whole lid. This is what your pattern should look like. 

This is just a rough sketch, you'll want to complete your lines across your entire foam pad.

After your 1" holes are made, take a regular drill bit and make small holes in the same pattern as on your foam. You'll want to make sure they are lined up really good so your tufts are even. I didn't get a picture taken at this point so here is a picture from another blog post that I used as a guideline.

You can check out their blog post here.

After all the holes are drilled you're halfway there! Get your thread and needle and tie a regular button on the end of the thread. The regular button is going to be used like a washer. It will keep your decorative button tight and in place on the top of your ottoman. I wanted to be as thrifty as possible so instead of spending a lot of money on buttons I went to my local craft store and picked some out of the button basket.

Start on the top middle hole and thread your needle through the lid and the foam and lastly your decorative button. Thread it back down through the same hole and tie it off on the regular button underneath. You'll want to make sure your decorative button is pushed down all the way through your hole in the foam so it creates nice tufts. I couldn't get them down tight enough by myself so I recruited my husband to help with this part. After all your decorative buttons are in place your tufts should all be done! This is what it looks like from the inside of the lid, not very pretty but you can cover it up with another board or some fabric. I just left mine how it is because I'm the only one who will ever see underneath the lid. Staple the extra fabric under the lid so it's all tucked away.

The last part is optional, spray paint or stain the bottom half of your chest and let it dry for a few hours. After it's completely dry, lightly sand over some of the box so it looks distressed and not all a solid color. Replace your hardware and reattach the lid and you're done! It's that easy! Here's a before and after picture.