The Inspired Hive

Inspiration for a creative home

Search

Monthly DIY Challenge- DIY Storage Ottoman

Hey, friends! It's the second Wednesday of the month, which means it's Monthly DIY Challenge time! (Find out more about our challenge here!) This month, we teamed up with Leather Hide Store to bring you twelve leather upholstery project ideas and a giveaway!

12 Inspiring DIY leather project ideas and tutorials. #MonthlyDIYChallenge


Leather Hide Store
provided leather upholstery for this post.
This post also contains some affiliate links for your convenience. See my full disclosure policy.

I had this old disgusting storage cube ottoman that was sitting in the basement, falling apart. It was screaming for a little love!

How to make an easy DIY wooden storage ottoman with a leather upholstered lid. #MonthlyDIYChallenge

Materials

-old storage cube ottoman

How to update an old storage ottoman


First, I removed all of the old "pleather" covering from the ottoman (soooo many staples to remove!). I quickly realized that the ottoman frame was not of great quality and would be difficult to work with. I decided to use the lid of the storage ottoman and create a new base.

To reupholster the lid, I measured and cut out a square of leather larger than the lid.

How to make an easy DIY wooden storage ottoman with a leather upholstered lid. #MonthlyDIYChallenge

If you don't actually have an old ottoman lid to use, you could easily make one by first covering a square piece of plywood with quilt batting or upholstery foam.

How to make an easy DIY wooden storage ottoman with a leather upholstered lid. #MonthlyDIYChallenge

I used a staple gun (here's a newer version of mine) to attach the leather to the bottom of the lid. 

How to make an easy DIY wooden storage ottoman with a leather upholstered lid. #MonthlyDIYChallenge

The corners were a little tricky, but I was able to gather and fold the leather a bit and then staple it down.

How to make an easy DIY wooden storage ottoman with a leather upholstered lid. #MonthlyDIYChallenge

The corners certainly didn't come out perfect, but for my first attempt at upholstering something, I think they turned out okay!

How to make an easy DIY wooden storage ottoman with a leather upholstered lid. #MonthlyDIYChallenge

To hide the plywood underneath the lid, I used the piece that was removed from the original lid which was attached with pins. You could create your own by maybe covering a piece of cardboard with fabric.

How to make an easy DIY wooden storage ottoman with a leather upholstered lid. #MonthlyDIYChallenge

To create a new storage compartment, my husband and I measured and cut four pieces from a 1" x 8" x 6' board to fit under the lid using our circular saw. We created a box by nailing them together with our brad nailer. I stained the box with my favorite stain

How to make an easy DIY wooden storage ottoman with a leather upholstered lid. #MonthlyDIYChallenge

Then, I stained the legs and attached them to the box. To attach them we used triangle shaped pieces of wood that I removed from the original ottoman frame (instead, you can cut your own from a 1" x 2" using a hand saw and a miter box). We attached the triangles to the bottom corners of the box using Liquid Nails. Then, we drilled pilot holes into the triangles using a cordless drill. The legs easily screwed into the pilot holes. 

How to make an easy DIY wooden storage ottoman with a leather upholstered lid. #MonthlyDIYChallenge

We cut the original ottoman bottom to fit inside of the new frame and spray painted it black. It slides down into the box and rests on top of the triangular pieces. You could create your own by cutting a piece of thick cardboard or thin MDF board to use as a base for the storage compartment.

How to make a wooden storage ottoman


I've never created any type of furniture before, so I was a little unsure of how this project would turn out. It ended up okay in the end! 

How to make an easy DIY wooden storage ottoman with a leather upholstered lid. #MonthlyDIYChallenge

It's the perfect easy DIY leather upholstered storage ottoman and footstool!

How to make an easy DIY wooden storage ottoman with a leather upholstered lid. #MonthlyDIYChallenge

Planning a leather project of your own? Leather Hide Store has a fantastic guide to help you calculate how much leather you need! Search by furniture type or use the leather calculator at the bottom of the page!
Now for the fun part! Leather Hide Store is giving away one leather hide of the winner's choice from their "Our Collection" or "Special Collection." The giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada. Use the widget below to enter the giveaway!

Leather Hide Store- Great source for leather upholstery

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Ready for more great leather project inspiration? Check out all of my friends ideas below:








post signature

*This post may contain affiliate links. See my full disclosure policy.

How to make an easy DIY wooden storage ottoman with a leather upholstered lid. #MonthlyDIYChallenge


7 comments

  1. Ahhhhh, I need this in my life! SUCH a brilliant idea Nicole! And I love the mix of leather and wood!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is so cool, Nicole! Rustic and modern at the same time. The gray leather is gorgeous too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This turned out amazing! Love the color of the leather!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a great update! I have one of these storage cubes too and was wondering how I could class it up - this is perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  5. It doesn't even look the same! Love this makeover and you know I love those legs!

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is too cute! I love that it's basically 100% DIY... that's my kind of project ;)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow! Nicole - that was a lot of work! It was worth it though. I love the color of your leather.

    ReplyDelete