Skip to main content

Ruth’s upcycled DIY ottoman is a win for her living room

If you have an old foam mattress you no longer need, upcycle it into a delightful DIY ottoman.

I wanted a pouffe for my living room but couldn’t afford to buy one.

And I had an old IKEA foam mattress sitting behind my couch, taking up room.

I was going to dump it when I thought of using it for this project.

It was a win-win. I had my pouffe ottoman and “got rid” of the spare mattress in one project. 

IKEA items used: 

Other materials and tools: 

  • Pallet wood
  • Scrap wood
  • Jigsaw
  • Pruning saw
  • Hammer
  • Staple gun
  • Staples
  • Marker
  • Nails

DIY pallet ottoman instructions:

1. Cut pallet to size with a jigsaw.

pallet wood

Related: Nifty rustic denim ottoman with handy storage

2. Then, cut scrap wood to size and nail to bottom of pallet creating a frame to staple fabric to.

pallet frame
pallet frame

3. Measure top of pallet and cut foam mattress to fit. I used a pruning saw for this as the mattress was very thick. I used a double layer of foam for comfort and sturdiness. 

measuring the foam
double layer of foam

4. Place foam on top of pallet and position bedsheet on top so that there’s enough fabric to go under the pallet. This will be stapled to the bottom and form an under-layer.

DIY ottoman pouf

Draw a rough outline of foam on the sheet and then flip the whole lot –sheet on the floor, mattress on top, pallet on top of mattress. I had help from my cats for this step! 🙂 

DIY ottoman pouf

5. Staple the sheet to one side of the pallet, then pull tight and staple to the opposite side. Do the same for the remaining 2 sides. Tuck in and trim fabric for the corners (this can be a bit tricky!). 

DIY ottoman pouf

Related: Chic cocktail ottoman

DIY ottoman pouf ikea

6. Flip the ottoman over and make sure fabric is tight and even. Now do the same for the fabric you will use as the final covering.

Kristine Mandsberg fabric

I used the stunning pink fabric with hands and birds by Kristine Mandsberg, which I got in IKEA several years ago. I had been using it as a backdrop to my bed but changed my decor and it sat in the cupboard for years before being used for this ottoman.

DIY ottoman pouf ikea
DIY ottoman pouf ikea

7. The final step which I have yet to do is to find and attach feet to the ottoman, however it functions perfectly without them. 

DIY ottoman pouf ikea with Kristine Mandsberg fabric for IKEA
How long and how much did it cost? 

About 8 hours total and cost €5 for the staples! I had everything else at home.

What do you like most about the DIY ottoman? 

The fabric I used is like a piece of art and the ottoman is sturdy and comfortable enough to be used as extra seating.

What was the hardest part about this hack? 

Folding the fabric for the corners!

DIY ottoman pouf ikea with Kristine Mandsberg fabric for IKEA
What to pay special attention to? 

Corners!

I’m delighted with how it turned out. And I’ve received lots of lovely compliments and a request to make some for others! 

~ by Ruth O’Sullivan 

The post Ruth’s upcycled DIY ottoman is a win for her living room appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hackers Help: How to attach headboard to ESPEVÄR mattress base?

I’m trying to figure out if a headboard can be attached to an Espevar Mattress Base , and how to accomplish that. I’m looking at a standard metal headboard (because I just prefer the look of curved metal to what IKEA offers) and am not interested in a slat base with just a mattress on top, and a wall mounted headboard is not an option due to renting. Thanks for any help! ~ Amy *** Hi Amy I’ve not seen the ESPEVÄR in person but I believe it is possible to attach a headboard to it. From the website, the ESPEVÄR looks like a regular wooden slatted mattress base under a bed base slipover. As to how to attach it, that will depend on the fittings on the metal headboard. So you will just need to get the right hardware to secure the metal headboard to the wooden frame. And make some small openings on the slipcover to let the fixtures to go through. Jules Photo: IKEA.com Try these free-standing headboards for size A lime green and white headboard that takes centerstage in the r...
Post a Comment
Read more

Kitchen renovation reveal: Rhombus wall steals the show

It’s been a while since I did a home tour. If you’ve missed the previous reveals, you can catch up with my Master Bathroom remodel and Guest Bathroom reveal . Today, let’s focus on my kitchen renovation. Hands down, this is the most used room in my home. I spend crazy amounts of time in here, even when I’m not cooking. Just off to the side of the kitchen I converted an awkward space into a reading nook . In the mornings, I sit and read or pray and meditate, before it gets too warm. And on the other side, there’s a work-in-progress plant wall / indoor garden which also takes up a lot of my time. So, all in all, lots of traffic in here, and that’s not even counting cooking and eating time. The kitchen is definitely my favourite room, because the transformation is huge and I love how it turned out. Kitchen renovation: The before House 17 when I first got it, actually had 2 kitchens, which is a very common “Asian” home concept. First, the “dry kitchen”, which is where you make simp...
Post a Comment
Read more

IKEA sofa with genius armrest storage

Bet you never knew your sofa armrests were prime storage space. Ok, so the guys at IKEA are the masters of hidden / secret storage everywhere. In fact, one of the things I most loved about the  ESKILSTUNA sofa series was the undercover storage on the chaise lounge, but… what? More than 80 liters of storage space wasted on the armrests? NO WAY! I really don’t understand how they didn’t take that opportunity with several different armrest modules. Mobile chargers, cup / can holders, foldable tables, refrigerators… there’s SO MUCH space in there. I can’t stop thinking on different options! For myself, I went for two designs. First, a “full space” design on the (right) side of the chaise lounge. (The cavity fits two foldable chairs). Second, on the left armrest — a flip open section for “mobile charger / remote control storage / etc.”. Below that, a full-depth pull-out drawer, tall enough to store A4 sized magazines. This is the final result: Full space design, rig...
Post a Comment
Read more