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149 comments

  1. July 31, 2013
    Lauren @ The Thinking Closet

    Wow, Tara! You are amazing. Upholstering really intimidates me, but you break it down in such a way that even I feel like I could tackle this. And I think it’s great that you chose a fabric you really loved…despite the fact it might get dirty. That’s what spot cleaner is for…AND like you said, you’re a pro at this method now, so you can always change it up down the road. Well done, girl.

    Reply
    • July 31, 2013
      Tara

      Thank you so much, Lauren! I need more people to tell me that the colour is worth the occasional “covering-up with a towel” move. Most moms are pretty understanding, I have to say. Nobody wants to be responsible for me ripping off all of this fabric and starting again! (Though I will… It’s not as hard as I thought it was going to be!)

      Reply
      • December 30, 2020
        Sumer B Holt

        I got the EXACT SAME ottoman years ago and ours had the same issue! I had a laugh when I read this and saw the pictures. I’m excited to try reupholstering this myself with your instructions. Thanks!

        Reply
    • May 10, 2020
      krystal

      I am soo doing this! What was name of fabric? Im in love with it!

      Reply
    • April 14, 2021
      Laurie

      How many yards did you use?

      Reply
  2. July 31, 2013
    Shari

    It looks great Tara! I bet you are a happy girl knocking that one off the list hey?

    Reply
    • July 31, 2013
      Tara

      Thank you, Shari! Yes – it feels great to finally have the ottoman re-covered. I let that scabby peeling mess exist for a pretty long time… I don’t know why I waited so long!

      Reply
  3. July 31, 2013
    Jenny

    Wonderfully inspiring……you can buy spray 3M scotch guard and give it some extra protection, makes me think I might consider tackling this project

    Reply
    • July 31, 2013
      Tara

      I’m so glad that this was inspiring to you, Jenny (despite my moaning and groaning throughout the post). Please let me know if you try this! I’d be thrilled to see pictures!

      Reply
  4. July 31, 2013
    Anne@DesignDreams

    Your ottoman looks perfectly lovely, and if worst comes to worst you can always paint it!! No need to wrestle with dolls, kids, fabric, staples, etc. Just a simple paint job and you’re done.

    You are one very patient mommy. Good for you xox

    Reply
    • July 31, 2013
      Tara

      Anne – that is such a practical idea. I didn’t even consider painting it before. Tell me, if I paint this fabric (eventually), will it crack?

      Reply
      • July 31, 2013
        Anne@DesignDreams

        Apparently not. I personally haven’t tried painting upholstered furniture but so many bloggers have and say it just feels a little more stiff than the original fabric. Can’t see why it would crack. Then again, it’s such a small piece that if the painting doesn’t work, then you do the reupholstering! Easy peasy – well sort of… šŸ™‚

        Reply
        • July 31, 2013
          Tara

          This is a VERY cool revelation. I’m going to be keeping this in mind as I peruse garage sales and thrift shops. Potential abounds! šŸ™‚

          Reply
  5. July 31, 2013
    Amy of while wearing heels

    Tara you make me laugh. I love that you’ll throw a towel over your ottoman during play dates :). That fabric is GORGEOUS. Stunning. Amazing transformation. Love it!

    Reply
    • July 31, 2013
      Tara

      I totally throw a towel over it during play dates. It has a towel on it right now. I know… it’s crazy. But I love the fabric, too. I just wanted it, so I bought it (in a fit of “Let’s pretend that we don’t have children!”). I even had my children in tow with me when I bought it…

      The heart wants what it wants. šŸ™‚

      Reply
  6. July 31, 2013
    Mel

    If you have them you have to live with them, screw it, it looks great and well if they ruin it you can always do it again. Nice one xo

    Reply
    • July 31, 2013
      Tara

      That’s what I say – I can always just re-do it. And if I chose every piece of furniture according to the potential of destruction that my kids could inflict on it, then I’d end up with plastic couches. šŸ˜‰

      Reply
  7. August 1, 2013
    Danni@SiloHillFarm

    Denial due to procreation…..LMBO!!! Glad you didn’t deny yourself that fabric because it is gorgeous! Nice job and no sew is always my first option!

    Reply
    • August 1, 2013
      Tara

      Thank you Danni – I really loved the fabric too. I hope that it lasts a year. That’s my ulimate goal (plus, I can only see myself recovering this hulking beast of an ottoman once a year).

      Reply
  8. August 2, 2013
    Kenz @ Interiors by Kenz

    It looks SO good. But here’s the main reason I know we are friends: that fabric. We have the same tastes. That is the EXACT upholstery I used when I did my Lack-Hack ottomans. šŸ™‚ And we’re both inner hoarders.

    Reply
    • August 2, 2013
      Tara

      Shut up. Really? You used that exact fabric? Crazy kismet, no?

      I can’t ever quiet my inner-hoarder. She is quite the force. I often have to duct-tape her mouth shut when we go garage-sale-ing. It keeps me from being on A&E. šŸ˜‰

      Reply
      • August 20, 2013
        Brandy @ The Prudent Homemaker

        You’re really funny! I am new to your blog and I may have to read more of your posts just to smile and laugh! I love that you posted your children’s incessant questions.

        Reply
        • August 20, 2013
          Tara

          They’re incessant, all right, especially if I’m doing something as interesting as sweating all over an ottoman. I’m so glad to gain you as a reader! I’ll definitely return the favour and visit your space in the interwebs! šŸ™‚

          Reply
  9. August 3, 2013
    Marilyn

    SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! Tara, this project turned out AH-MAZING! I LOVE the fabric. WOW, that’s about all I can say…just WOW!

    Reply
    • August 3, 2013
      Tara

      Thank you so much, Marilyn! It was work the sweat and grunting (and swearing inside my head).

      I, too, love the fabric. Which is why there is a towel over it right. this. very. second. šŸ˜‰

      Reply
  10. August 4, 2013
    Kelly @ A Swell Place to Dwell

    oh my goodness! it’s 1000 times better! Amazing. Just goes to show you that it’s the bones that matter…everything else can be fixed. And I love that you went with the fabric you love….messy hands be gone!

    Reply
    • August 4, 2013
      Tara

      Isn’t it almost unrecognizable? It’s amazing what a bit of fabric can do!

      I am really happy that I went with fabric that I love. Of course, I have moments of dread when the kids have dirty hands or when we’re eating a messy appy in the living room. But the thing is, I don’t want to live in a land of plastic and berber carpet all of the time… It’s so hard to strike the balance!

      Reply
      • August 4, 2013
        Kelly @ A Swell Place to Dwell

        haha, I’d probably pull out the red checked plastic picnic table cloth if we ate on that beautiful fabric!!!

        Reply
  11. August 5, 2013
    ChiWei

    I admit, that was my first reaction – uhoh white? But whatever, I have a white sofa, so yeah, I’m not one to talk. I do put blankets over it and I’m too lazy to pin it down. I use blankets and an old sheet because we never have guests anyways :-). Your project looks super professional! Use the towels but definitely show it off when people come over!

    Reply
    • August 5, 2013
      Tara

      You have a white sofa!?!? Love it.

      I do make use of the towel-trick – that’s for sure. I think that the biggest challenge was re-training the girls not to use the ottoman as a snack table of sorts. Because it was originally a giant hunk of junk, I didn’t care. Now that it’s cream and beautiful, I had to spend at least a week hollering, “Don’t touch the ottoman!” while they stared at me, shocked.

      It is nice to “unveil” it when guests come over, though. I feel like I have a grown-up space. It’s awesome (and weird).

      Reply
  12. August 5, 2013
    Marilyn

    I love this project even more now that I saw this again!

    Reply
    • August 5, 2013
      Tara

      Oh, thank you so much, Marilyn! šŸ™‚

      Reply
  13. August 5, 2013
    Shauna @ Satori Design for Living

    Love the new fabric choice! We have a similar ottoman that I’ve wanted to cover for some time. It has held up well, but I’m tired of the chocolate brown (I think ours actually is leather though). Now I just need to find the perfect fabric.

    Reply
    • August 5, 2013
      Tara

      I’m glad that yours has held up well! I was appalled at how quickly our ottoman disintegrated before our eyes! I agree – the fabric choice was a tough one. I considered a bold print, but the ottoman is pretty big – I didn’t know exactly how it would look. Plus, having my children by my side in the fabric store rushed everything. Hence – cream coloured fabric! šŸ™‚

      Reply
  14. August 5, 2013
    Krista @ the happy housie

    So awesome Tara!! I love it- what an amazing job you did on that…. it is sweaty work though isn’t it:) Well worth it!

    Reply
    • August 5, 2013
      Tara

      You are so right, Krista – it was sweaty work. Hauling that frame over here and there and trying to deal with incessant questions…. it was definitely a workout! šŸ™‚

      Reply
  15. August 5, 2013
    Melanie

    Lovely job!

    Reply
    • August 5, 2013
      Tara

      Thank you so much, Melanie! šŸ™‚

      Reply
  16. August 5, 2013
    Bronwyn MayB

    Wow! I love it. You did such a good job. Also, I laughed out loud reading your comments. I cannot wait to try this at home. I have a bench to recover!

    Reply
    • August 5, 2013
      Tara

      Oh Bronwyn, I’m glad that you got a chuckle from the tutorial!
      If you do recover that bench, let me know! I’d love to see pictures!

      Reply
  17. August 5, 2013
    Terri

    Stunningly beautiful. wish i was crafty

    Reply
    • August 5, 2013
      Tara

      Terri – But you are! You just don’t know it yet.

      When I started taking apart this ottoman, I was sweating bullets. Partly because I was wrestling a giant wood box around the living room, and also partly because I had no idea what I was doing. I think that creativity lurks inside of all of us. You’d be surprised what you could create if you started a project! šŸ™‚

      Reply
  18. August 6, 2013
    Bethany

    Wow! You did an amazing job!

    Reply
    • August 6, 2013
      Tara

      Thank you so much, Bethany! I was strutting around – pretty proud of myself – for a while after finishing this project!

      Reply
  19. August 6, 2013
    Cynthia @ A Button Tufted Life…

    I can’t even count how many pieces we have recovered for ourselves and others over the years… I love that feeling you get when you give a tired piece new life!! Bravo!

    Reply
    • August 6, 2013
      Tara

      Thank you so much, Cynthia! I may have found a new addiction – reupholstery! šŸ™‚

      Reply
  20. August 7, 2013
    Sheila @sZinteriors

    WOW! I love what you’ve done with your ottoman. The fabric is FAB, and I’m so with you – it’s easy to cover up when necessary. That’s not such a tough thing to do. But to opt out on great fabric, or live with the peeling ‘leather’ is like living in a constant state of half in, half out – kind of like leaving the plastic wrap on lamp shades. Why do that? Good for you!!!

    Reply
    • August 7, 2013
      Tara

      Sheila – Thank you so much for the vote of confidence! I don’t want to be the lady who leaves the plastic on her lampshades!

      I’ll just be the lady that covers her lamps in towels when children come nearby! šŸ™‚

      Thank you very much for your compliments! It means so much coming from a stylish gal like yourself! šŸ™‚

      Reply
  21. August 9, 2013
    Inspire Me Heather

    Nice job on your ottoman, it turned out beautiful and I love that fabric – gorgeous!!

    Reply
    • August 11, 2013
      Tara

      Thank you so much, Heather! I love the fabric too! (Well, that fact is pretty obvious as I chose it even though I’m risking its demise with every sticky-fingered child who walks into the room!)

      Reply
  22. August 9, 2013
    Karen@NourishWithKaren

    I love this! Thanks for the lesson, I am pinning it for future finds!

    Reply
    • August 11, 2013
      Tara

      Thank you so much for the pin, Karen (I looooove pins!). Let me know if you tackle your own project!

      Reply
  23. August 9, 2013
    Heather

    Great tips – I love the fabric you chose! Great job on the makeover!

    Reply
    • August 11, 2013
      Tara

      Thank you so much, Heather! It was a bit of a sweaty job, but I love how it turned out! šŸ™‚

      Reply
  24. August 10, 2013
    Dani @ lifeovereasy

    Wow – it looks great! And I love the attitude about the colour of the fabric. You can’t always worry about child-proofing – sometimes you just have to go for it!

    Reply
    • August 11, 2013
      Tara

      You’re so right, Dani! You can’t always get hung up on the child-proofing part of your life (especially when it’s just fabric, it’s not tumbling down two flights of stairs or something). Sometimes I shake my head at myself though – there are many other things – dents in walls, knicks in my table legs, stains on clothes and accent pillows – that have been collateral damage to the Child Raising Experiment in our house. I circle over my ottoman like a hawk these days! šŸ˜‰

      Reply
  25. August 20, 2013
    Jen

    Almost makes me want to go buy a nasty storage ottoman from a yard sale so I can recover it. It looks great!

    Reply
    • August 20, 2013
      Tara

      Do it! And then send me pictures!

      Reply
  26. August 20, 2013
    kathy

    I have a large leather sectional that is doing that exact thing and looks horrible. I wish the fix was as easy for that! Any suggestions? Your ottoman looks great.

    Reply
    • August 20, 2013
      Tara

      Oh man… a sectional is going to involve SOME sewing. It is a boxy shape? Or is it more complicated than that?

      One thing that might work in the meanwhile are some incredible throw pillows with lots of great colours and patterns. If you can’t reupholster the couch, you can distract people with your style!

      Reply
  27. August 21, 2013
    Mary

    Someone else probably said this but if that gorgeous ottoman was in my house with kids, I’d head back to the fabric store for some muslin (or to the hardware store for a new canvas drop cloth) and cut a generous rectangle to plop over. I might even sew a simple slipcover for it.

    It can easily be taken off and stored inside for grownup nights.

    I think it’s great you chose the color you love. The kids can learn to be neater (and they will). Meanwhile the worst that can happen, is that you’ll recover it again some time in the future.

    You did great!!

    Reply
    • August 21, 2013
      Tara

      That’s a great idea, Mary. Right now, my ottoman is wearing a big gray beach towel. I can’t take risks with sticky fingers. I like the idea of a muslin covering, though. That might be a teensy bit more attractive than a terry cloth towel!

      You’re so right – I will inevitably recover it again, but I’m glad that I stayed true to my taste and picked the lighter fabric. It was a risk, but it was worth it!

      Reply
  28. August 21, 2013
    Dineen

    Your first re-upholstery job looks great. You were so smart to keep the lining. That’s something that I would have thrown away and then decided to pull out of the trash after realizing my mistake. The cream color fabric looks great in your room. Scotchguard fabric protector can go a long way to keep it looking nice. (Even from grown-up wear and tear.)

    Reply
    • August 21, 2013
      Tara

      I’ve definitely been considering Scotchguard (though we did have a little “salsa incident” – by a grown-up, no less – that cleaned up well on the fabric! Thank goodness!) – as it’s inevitable that someone will get something on it.

      I’m glad that I left the lining on – it made my project that much easier. And yes, I had a moment of, “Should I just chuck this?”

      It was just dumb luck that I realized at that moment that I could use it as a template for all of the legs/hinges, etc!

      Reply
  29. August 21, 2013
    Jen

    FABULOUS! I can’t stop looking at the before and after. Great job šŸ™‚ We have an ottoman that doesn’t match our new furniture; thanks to your post, I am thinking about changing it up!

    Reply
    • August 21, 2013
      Tara

      Thank you so much, Jen! You should give it a go – honestly, it’s not that difficult. It’s just a bit of manual labour! šŸ™‚

      Please let me know if you decide to tackle your reupholstery project – I’d love to see pictures!

      Reply
  30. September 13, 2013
    Maria

    I will try it, no doubt!! Yours is gorgeous!!

    Reply
    • September 13, 2013
      Tara

      Maria – Let me know if you do! I’d love to hear about it (or even see pictures!)

      Reply
  31. September 15, 2013
    Cassandra Donges

    How much fabric did you use ? I have no clue how much fabric to get .

    Reply
    • September 15, 2013
      Tara

      Cassandra – I used 3 yards of fabric. My ottoman is a larger one, about 4 feet long. I’d say err on the side of caution and more rather than less. (If you have leftovers, you can always make a couple of coordinating accent pillows!)

      Reply
      • October 2, 2019
        Caroline

        Hi Tara, your ottoman looks amazing. I think I may do the same with ours. So you know who makes your fabric and the name and color of the fabric. It is beautiful.

        Reply
  32. November 18, 2013
    Erin

    Thank you so much for this post. I stumbled upon it with a Google search and it was exactly what I was looking for. We used your instructions and recovered our ottoman. It looks amazing. We also replaced the wooden block legs with casters. Now it is so easy to move around to vacuum!

    Reply
    • November 18, 2013
      Tara

      Erin – thank YOU for leaving a comment and sharing your success story! Do you have any pictures? I’d love to see them.

      Casters are a brilliant idea! I know that I’m constantly dragging my ottoman around to vacuum – or let’s face it, sometimes I just shrug and say, “Welll… looks like that part isn’t seeing a vacuum today!”

      Reply
    • May 3, 2014
      Sara

      Thanks from me too. I successfully covered my ottoman yesterday based on your instructions, and am so pleased with the result. The only extra tip I used (from my Mum who knows about these things) was to put a cover of calico under the fabric to give it a firmer base. It worked really well, especially when going from leather to fabric.

      Reply
  33. December 15, 2013
    HarLee Jaye

    I had an ottoman that did the exact same thing…never used a wipe on it. If it was the wipes they’d do similar to baby bums. I’d spray it with a few coats of ScotchGuard, too, then NOT worry. A home where kids can’t be kids is just a house. For those who think Upholstery is difficult, it isn’t…IF U can wrap decent Christmas or birthday presents, U absolutely CAN upholster! A trick I’ve learned, in the land of smart phones, is take step-by-step pix as U break pieces down, so you can see them, in reverse, IF U need to when putting back together. Now U have me wanting to upholster something…LOL! Nice job.

    Reply
    • December 16, 2013
      Tara

      That’s a great way of thinking about it, HarLee: “If you can wrap a decent present, you can re-upholster”. That would surely boost peoples’ confidence!

      And I love that trick of taking photos step-by-step in order to put it back together! Genius!

      Reply
      • December 17, 2013
        HarLee Jenkins

        Thanks much! If in doubt, find a free/cheap ottoman somewhere and go buy some fabric @ a big box store, 99cents/yd and ” go for it” as practice. We learn from doing. I probably wouldn’t choose a complicated sofa with huge pillows as my first, but it really is like wrapping presents. There are different type corners for different pieces. Who knows, you might just design a new upholstery “style”…and become famous/rich!

        Reply
        • December 18, 2013
          Tara

          HarLee – I need to keep you around – you’re full of fabulous ideas! I love the idea of practicing upholstery on cheap/thrifted pieces. And if I can design a new style and become rich and famous, well then… I’ll take it!

          Reply
  34. January 2, 2014
    MCN

    Hi Tara! Thank you for the tip! I will be trying this on two mini-ottomans this weekend with my 2 year old and 11 month old as my “helpers”. I will probably have wine chilling for afterwards, just in case! This is so easy to follow and I am super excited to try it!

    Reply
    • January 2, 2014
      Tara

      Oh, I’m so excited for you! You can do it!

      If you get the chance (and once you’ve poured yourself a celebratory glass of wine), please snap a picture and send it my way! I’d love to see how they turned out!

      Reply
      • January 2, 2014
        MCN

        Hi Tara! Will do! Going to buy fabric tomorrow, so am pretty excited about my weekend project!! Thanks again for the steps and tips! (I will most likely be pouring the wine either way! lol)

        Reply
  35. January 19, 2014
    Bernadette

    This is super great!! I have a storage ottoman as well. While there is nothing wrong with the fabric, the color totally does not go with everything else. I also have young children. I also will be using a cream color!!!

    Thanks for this DIY. I will do it myself šŸ˜€ (especially after I was quoted $450 to have it reupholstered professionally!)

    Reply
    • January 19, 2014
      Tara

      Go for it, Bernadette!

      I got brave and took the towels off of the ottoman, and you know what?!? It actually cleans up really well! (And the most glops and gloops of stuff that have fallen onto it have been from men, not children – go figure!)

      Let me know if you need any help. I’d love to see the finished project!

      And that cream fabric is still at Joann right now (if that’s the look you want). Such a great price! (And $450 for new upholstery?!?!? Gah!)

      Reply
  36. January 20, 2014
    Bernadette

    Tara

    Do you remember how much fabric (by yard) you needed to reupholster this?

    Bernadette

    Reply
    • January 20, 2014
      Tara

      Yep. I bought 3 yards and it was *just* enough. I’d maybe get 3 and a half yards… just for the whoopsie-factor.

      Reply
  37. January 22, 2014
    lovelyduckie

    We also fell prey to accidentally buying bonded leather, it was our first couch (reclining too). We ended up just sending it to the dump after a few years, it was SO AWFUL that no one would even take it for free on Craigslist. I wasn’t ambitious enough to challenge re-upholstering it, especially since the mechanics of it were never quite right and it didn’t fit the space. Well lets just say we learned a valuable lesson…enough on that šŸ™‚

    We bought a nice little faux leather ottoman (ironically much sturdier than bonded leather) but when my 2nd dog was a puppy he chewed it up at the corners, I did a half decent patch job with some fabric I found and he chewed it again. I’m going to be doing exactly what you did with my ottoman as well. My material choice is brown denim, I’m hoping the denim will easily stretch over the foam. I’m going dark because my couch is a bright green (sivik green from ikea) and I recently bought a bright blue rug to go with it. I’m going to use the ottoman to better pull in the dark brown side tables and curtains.

    So anyway, thank you for this post.

    Reply
    • January 24, 2014
      Tara

      Oh, let me know how it turns out! It really isn’t half as hard as it seems.

      And yes, bonded leather is such a horrible “fabric”. I can’t believe I lived as long as I did with that peeling atrocity!

      Reply
  38. February 7, 2014
    Candice

    Just a thought. Have you thought about using Velcro instead of staples for the same effect but make more than one cover and that way you can always have one in the wash and one on the ottoman so it’s easy clean when grubby little hands touch it or something spills on it. If you had cover slips you could have different colors to suit your mood fabrics even leather or vinyl if you want it spill resistant for a purpose. Wouldn’t have to worry about stains or rips. Just put on a different slip.

    Reply
  39. March 3, 2014
    Crystal @ Sew Creative

    Ok. I think I need to invite you over for a DIY night so that you can help me refinish my ottoman. This turned out so pretty! I love it. Pinning it and adding it to my list of home renovations.

    Congrats for being featured on Cityline!

    ~Crystal

    Reply
    • March 4, 2014
      Tara

      Thank you so much, Crystal! You let me know if you ever want to DIY together – how fun would that be?

      Reply
  40. March 18, 2014
    jenna

    love this idea! can you tell me the color of wall color – the fireplace wall? Love it! I need to redo our main foyer area šŸ™‚

    Reply
  41. March 30, 2014
    Julia Avery

    THANK YOU. Made it look easy and I am going to give it a go.

    Reply
    • April 2, 2014
      Tara

      Julia – let me know how it turns out! And feel free to email if you have any questions!

      Reply
  42. April 30, 2014
    Cristina

    Genius!! Pure GENIUS!!! You are amazing! It looks gorgeous!

    Reply
    • May 1, 2014
      Tara

      Lady, you make me feel like I should be upholstering more things… If you’ve got a project, let me know how it goes. You’d be amazed at how easy it is!

      Reply
  43. June 28, 2014
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  44. August 1, 2014
    Cynthia

    Love the ottoman! Found your blog while I was researching how to do an easy upholstering job on a crazy DIY project I’ve got going on — taking 3 milk crates, padding, plywood, six furniture legs and fabric and making a 3 compartment covered laundry bench for the end of my bed.

    My question is a dumb one: can you detail how you did those corners for a doofus? I get the fold, but did you staple it to the top and bottom of the ottoman?

    And I’m wondering if hot glue will work because I’m not sure how well staples will do in plastic.

    Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
    • August 1, 2014
      Tara

      Cynthia, I don’t think you sound like a doofus at all! You sound like a genius!

      Yes, I stapled inside of the ottoman (it’s a storage ottoman) and on its bottom. Are you trying to do the same thing – have a top that opens and you can see your three milk crates inside? I might suggest putting wood in the corners of your crates (even 2X2 pieces?) and zap-strapping them in place? These are the plastic milk crates, right? You could feed the zap-straps (or zip ties, I think they’re also called?) through the holes in the carton and secure the wood. Then, staple the fabric to your wooden corners!

      If that’s not going to work, you can always send pictures of what you’re working with. I love brainstorming! šŸ™‚

      Reply
      • August 1, 2014
        Cynthia

        Yep, that’s the idea … And the zip ties are a fab idea!

        If it works, I’ll try to send a pix!

        Reply
  45. August 27, 2014
    Brandi Marie

    Oh thank goodness!
    I just moved into my first apartment and 98% of all my stuff is hand-me-downs including my beloved love seat with matching ottoman… that I need to reupholster. I bought a cover from Target for the love seat but I’m staring at this gosh awful ottoman seriously thinking of throwing it off my balcony… neighbors probably won’t appreciate it but BAM… here is your blog post to save the day!
    *cracks knuckles and then neck*
    I can do this! I just have to get some cut fabric… and I can do this!

    Reply
    • August 27, 2014
      Tara

      Brandi – You know what I’m going to say – Pictures, lady! Pictures! Capture your epic DIY adventure – you’ll be amazed at your reupholstering prowess… (And send me one or two of those pics, I’d love to feature them!). Good luck, girl. You’ll be great!

      Reply
  46. September 27, 2014
    Julie @White Lights on Wednesday

    This.is.AWESOME! Our ottoman/shoe catcher has a hole in the leather and it’s peeling. It’s becoming an eyesore, and I don’t want to give it up. It needs a new hinge too. šŸ™ I’m so inspired to recover that bad boy and keep it forever!

    Reply
    • October 7, 2014
      Tara

      Julie – do you have photos? I want to see your before/after. It’s amazing what a difference a bit of fabric can make!

      Reply
  47. October 30, 2014
    Roxann

    I thought I was the only one who had the ottoman and in my case sofa with the leather skin disease. Thanks for showing the Diy cover for it. Now I have Hope

    Reply
    • November 4, 2014
      Tara

      I’m so glad you have hope, Roxann! It’s really not as hard as it seems! I hope that your leather-skin-diseased ottoman finds a new life!

      Reply
  48. March 12, 2015
    Samantha

    Thank you so much for your tutorial! My ottoman was too large to feasibly purchase a slipcover and was looking horrendous! I took your advice and it looks great! If only I could figure out how to post a picture. Thanks for your blog!

    Reply
    • March 19, 2015
      Tara

      Samantha, could you send me a picture? (suburbleblog@gmail.com)

      I would LOVE to share it on my Facebook page. “After” pictures give people huge boosts of encouragement and DIY prowess. If you’re willing, I’d love to show off your handiwork!

      That aside, I’m so glad that you found the tutorial helpful! These hulking ottomans need new lives breathed into them – you’re right, a slipcover just doesn’t cut it.

      Reply
  49. April 2, 2015
    Nancy

    I know this is an older post, but I love what you did. I’m getting ready to do the same thing to a backless loveseat covered in bonded leather. Let me tell you, if your kids won’t destroy your bonded leather, your cats WILL. Even though we have plenty of scratching posts in the house, this little loveseat is where my cat does ALL her scratching. It looks so horrible, my husband wants to get rid of it or at least hide it in the garage. But it’s otherwise sturdy and a nice piece and I have just the fabric to use. I am inspired by your project and hope to start mine this weekend.

    Wish me luck. šŸ˜€

    Reply
  50. July 3, 2015
    Audrey DeJongh

    Its such a wonderful project, looks stunning. You have inspired me, to fetch my ottoman from the garage, yes 10 years been sitting with old stained and now torn cover, had no idea where to start ottoman. It has quite nice curled legs in wood, so tried to figure out how to get the top layer and piping off, before adding the new fabric. Thanks for this. I WANT TO ASK – What did your huwband say of your creation.

    Reply
  51. August 3, 2015
    debbi s.

    I love that fabric. A spray over with Scotchguard Fabric Protector should help with grimy fingers and occasional spills, too. A little nailhead trim at the top edge would amp up the zing, too. Very nice work.

    Reply
    • August 5, 2015
      Tara

      I love the idea of the nailhead trim! Thanks so much, Debbi!

      Reply
  52. November 16, 2015
    Daniella

    Hello Tara
    Great article! Have just put my leather one on Ebay and am now considering whipping it off and giving this a try instead. Do you think I could be even more lazy and just leave the leather on and place the fabric over it? Thanks Daniella

    Reply
    • November 17, 2015
      Tara

      Oh, you could definitely give that a try, Daniella! I’d just make sure that your fabric is thick enough to disguise any imperfections or seams in the leather underneath.

      Reply
  53. April 4, 2016
    Alicia

    I am recovering my upholstered ottoman, (my cat thought it was a great place to sharpen her claws over the years..) The issue I’m running into with no-sew is the inside, there is a liner, which is also sewn to the exterior fabric. What did you do with the inside, hopefully you have pics somewhere or some easy to follow advice, I love the no-sew option, as I hand sew everything, I have no sewing machine skills!

    Reply
    • May 10, 2016
      Tara

      Oh, Alicia – I’m sorry I missed this. I’m wondering if you could cut the liner where it meets the upholstery fabric, and then staple it down into the interior of the ottoman? You could fold the fabric over to get a nice “hem” and then staple it down on top of the liner? Does that make sense? Let me know if you want to brainstorm.

      Reply
  54. May 15, 2016
    Lin

    I enjoyed reading your lazy guide to reupholstering. Especially your no sew approach. It made me laugh a couple of times.
    I was searching for guides as I have THE most comfortable armchair that swivels and leans back…and its an ugly brown. I will not part with this chair as I spent countless comfortable hours in it nursing my baby. I am determined to make it a pretty color. I’m considering using a cotton sheet set or a cotton blanket as my fabric. Either a cover or actual upholster. Hmm..
    Anyway thanks a bunch for the fun and funny read with great pictures!

    Reply
  55. June 26, 2016
    Emily

    I love this idea! I am going to try it. i’m a little confused on how to do the bottom part. did you wrap the whole bottom like you did the top part and just fold the fabric in the inside to staple? or just wrap the fabric around like a skirt type thing then staple both inside the top and along the bottom? or use two pieces of fabric, one for the horizontal pieces and one for the vertical? (I’m thinking this is what you did when you mentioned 6 extra inches ) hope this makes sense to you.i am not very crafty but my “leather” ottoman lost its battle with our puppy and i hate to throw it out so this is motivating me to attempt it.

    Reply
    • August 15, 2016
      Tara

      Oh shoot. I think I just replied to this, but maybe the internet ate it up?

      I wrapped it around the base like a skirt, as you said, but in four separate pieces (one for each side). And then because each piece was a bit too long, on purpose, I folded it in on itself in order to be a neat little corner.

      Does that make sense? Let me know if it doesn’t and I can help! I’d love to see your “after” photo!

      Reply
  56. July 3, 2016
    RJ

    Thank you so very much for sharing your “No Sew Repair” experience. A dear, dear friend, gave me a small, foot, ottoman, with the hinged lid for storage. I love it. But the fabric is absolutely “yucky” as my granddaughter would say. I am currently searching for fabric that has book quotes, words from literature, etc. Thus far I have found the whole ottoman, but not “replacement” fabric So, the search continues. My grandaughter is super excited about “our new project.” Secretly so am I, but for different reasons. šŸ™‚

    Again, Thank You for sharing – you did a great job and I love your choice of fabric. And if the day comes this ottoman no longer suits your fancy…for less than fourty dollars you can change it to something that does!

    Reply
    • August 15, 2016
      Tara

      RJ, I would love to see the finished project that you and your granddaughter tackle! It sounds like it’s going to be lovely in the end!

      Reply
  57. July 10, 2016
    Joan

    Hi, love what you have done , it looks fabulous! I have a very badly stained pillow top ottoman, it’s cream, but I am very bored with the colour, I would love to try the no sewing idea but it doesn’t lift off like yours does, any ideas how I could tackle it? Thanks, Joan

    Reply
    • August 15, 2016
      Tara

      Joan – just so I have an idea, does this mean that your ottoman is not a storage ottoman, but is just a pillow-top? There is no way to access the inside of the ottoman?

      Reply
  58. August 1, 2016
    Jamie

    I know this is a VERY old post ! But I am ready to embark on this very same project! Bonded Leather!! Ugh!. How did you get the top off!? My hinges seem to be somehow attached to the top! Any suggestions or advice would be soooo apprieciate!

    Reply
    • August 15, 2016
      Tara

      Hi Jamie – can you open the top of the ottoman so that you can see the hinges? Can you not get them off with a screwdriver? Let me know what you’re looking at and maybe I can help!

      Reply
  59. August 15, 2016
    Katie

    This turned out so good! Thanks for sharing!

    Katie
    button-jar.com/blog

    Reply
    • August 15, 2016
      Tara

      Thank you, Katie! I so appreciate that!

      Reply
  60. October 11, 2016
    Kali

    Hello Tara,
    I feel inspired by your post on redoing my ottoman (which looked just like yours after I had my son). I’m curious as to what were the dimensions of your ottoman and how much fabric did you purchase? Also, how did you determine how much fabric to purchase? I’m new at this and I think I figured it out, but I need validation. šŸ™‚

    My ottoman is 46″-47″ long & 29″-30″ wide. I’m looking to purchase a fabric that is 55″ wide. I was thinking about purchasing 5 yards in total; for the sides I was thinking of cutting the fabric in half to cover the bottom part of the ottoman (my ottoman is pretty similar to yours). What do you think?

    The

    Reply
    • October 24, 2016
      Tara

      Hi Kali! I used three yards in my project, but I think that erring on the side of more is a good idea. Five might be too much, but then again, you’ll have room for mistakes.

      Reply
  61. March 7, 2017
    Bernie Adley

    Hi there colleagues, nice post and pleasant arguments commented here, I am actually enjoying by these.

    Reply
  62. April 13, 2017
    Sindi

    Aaahh I enjoyed this so much! You’ve made it sounds really easy. I am going to try it this weekend. Doubt it will be as neat but it’ll have to do.

    Reply
    • April 24, 2017
      Tara

      So how did it go, Sindi?!?!? šŸ˜‰

      Reply
  63. October 13, 2017
    Terry

    Exquisite! Absolutely love the fabric you chose. I never “settled” because I had children. Just tried to teach them to be careful, and said lots of prayers! I found an ottoman that someone was putting into dumpster, and could tell it was sturdy but the fabric was a horrible, dirty mauve (can we say, hello 80’s?). Although this is not a storage ottoman, I believe I can use the same technique to reupholster it. Can’t wait to try it…but since I will be moving soon, will wait until after move. BTW, you might try a couple of products that are great for outdoor cushions: Never Wet by Rustoleum or Thompson’s Water Seal for Fabric. Both protect your fabric without changing texture. Great instructions, and laughs to boot!

    Reply
    • October 13, 2017
      Terry

      Also meant to tell you that the fabric painting works well, as does dying. Paint does leave a little stiff, but don’t see that would be a problem for an ottoman. Going to be dying my favorite rocking chair after the move, and buying complimentary fabric for the ottoman.

      Reply
    • October 24, 2017
      Tara

      I love that you didn’t settle either, Terry! The ottoman is still in the family room, all of these years later, wearing its upholstery from that fateful day! Hahahaha! I’ve never heard of Never Wet! I’m going to do some investigating! Thank you!

      Reply
  64. October 29, 2017
    Eva Skincare

    It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d definitely
    donate to this fantastic blog! I guess for now i’ll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google
    account. I look forward to fresh updates and will share this blog with my
    Facebook group. Chat soon!

    Reply
  65. November 17, 2017
    Aimee Aimee

    This is very simple, but so effective! I love the design and I will definitely make one for myself:) Have a nice day
    Embroidery

    Reply
  66. January 13, 2018
    Rhonda

    I have a storage ottoman very similar to this, though a bit larger and with two lids. You’ve made this look really doable! Pinned and will take this on in the near future. Thanks.

    Reply
  67. January 29, 2018
    Gwen

    Hi! I may have overlooked this detail, but how many yards of fabric did it take to cover your ottoman? We have the same bonded leather ottoman and it’s so nice because of the storage, but it looks atrocious because of the peeling material! Thanks!

    Reply
    • February 2, 2018
      Tara

      I know that I answered this question in the comments before, but I’ll bet I forgot to edit the post! Whoops! I used 3 yards of fabric, but if you’re going out to buy some – buy a little extra. I was feeling pretty nervous at the end of the project because I had *just* enough!

      Reply
  68. February 9, 2018
    Kristine

    Hi there,

    I need to do something similar to my tufted leather storage ottoman that my cats destroyed (grr!). Just wondering how you went about measuring the amount of fabric you need to cover your ottoman?
    Thank you!

    Reply
  69. May 18, 2018
    Shari

    Wow! You did an awesome job! Inspiring me to get out the staple gun and re-do an old foot stool.

    Reply
  70. September 12, 2018
    joan brueggemann

    I LOVE the idea for recovering the ottoman… BUT I have an OVAL (shredding) ottoman
    and so how can I do that ??

    Reply
  71. September 12, 2018
    joan brueggemann

    How can I recover an OVAL ottoman ????

    Reply
  72. October 8, 2018
    Sara

    I was looking on how to re upholster an ottoman since I was having the same dilemma. I was already looking at amazon to replace it, but now that i saw this i can maybe keep it and get another one. How did you determine the amount of fabric……i know its a dumb question but I am not very crafty. You mentioned you just left 6 in. per side? Also is that a regular stapler you use or was it those heavy duty ones? I also really like the fabric.

    Reply
  73. November 28, 2019
    Heather

    This!!!! Thank you SO much for posting this! I think you just saved my marriage as our pleather, well loved ottoman also looked like it had leprosy! My suggestion was to replace it (not so cheap, especially this time of year!) before it drives me bonkers, darling hubby said to just leave it and not spend the money. Along comes a google search and tada! Marriage, sanity and ottoman saved! Can’t wait to buy my fabric and get started! On a side note, if anyone is reading this today, Happy Thanksgiving! And where are the best Black Friday fabric deals??? šŸ˜‰

    Reply
  74. February 1, 2021
    TonyaParsons

    Wow! You did an awesome job! Inspiring me to get out the staple gun and re-do an old foot stool.

    Reply
  75. March 4, 2021
    bedding

    Thank you for every other informative site. Where else could I get that kind of information written in such a
    perfect way? I have a project that I’m simply now running on, and I have been on the glance out for such information.

    Reply
  76. April 14, 2021
    Eric Paul

    I admit, that was my first reaction ā€“ uhoh white? But whatever, I have a white sofa, so yeah, Iā€™m not one to talk. I do put blankets over it and Iā€™m too lazy to pin it down. I use blankets and an old sheet because we never have guests anyways :-). Your project looks super professional! Use the towels but definitely show it off when people come over!

    Reply
  77. November 26, 2022
    EMdigitizer

    EMDigitizer has made embroidery services more efficient and productive. In the beginning, digitizing was done manually but with the passage of time, this has now become a digital process.

    Reply

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