An ottoman is a versatile piece of furniture that can be used as a footrest, extra seating, or coffee table. It typically has a padded top and may have storage space inside. Ottomans come in various shapes, sizes, and styles, making them a popular choice for any room in the house.
What’s the difference between ottomans, footstools, and poufs?
While ottomans, footstools, and poufs are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between the three. A footstool is typically more petite and utilized mainly for resting your feet, whereas an ottoman is more prominent and can be used for various purposes i.e. as a coffee table. Conversely, a pouf is a low seat or cushion typically round or cylindrical in shape and generally made of soft materials like fabric, leather, or knitted yarn. It is often used as a footstool, extra seating, or decorative accent in a room. All 3 are versatile pieces of furniture that can add a cozy and comfortable touch to any space.
How to make an IKEA ottoman, the easy way
Tori of Va Va Room shows us how in her IKEA hack project of a cube stool ottoman. It’s a relatively simple project that can be completed over a weekend, even for a beginner DIYer. This is an easy method to get a budget-friendly ottoman that looks good and performs perfectly as extra seating.
You’ll need some essential tools, such as a hammer, a staple gun, and a hot glue gun, as well as some materials, including foam padding, fabric, and wood board. The basic steps involve adding foam padding, upholstering the ottoman with wadding, and making an ottoman cover. This DIY ottoman will need some sewing by hand or machine.
DIY ottoman with IKEA KALLAX cube
Materials:
- IKEA KALLAX cube
- 25 mm pins
- 1/8″ hardboard
- Foam pad
- Wadding
- Upholstery fabric
Step 1: Get an IKEA KALLAX cube
Tori started with the KALLAX cube she scored from the As-is corner. If you’re buying new, it will cost $34.99 each.
Step 2: Cover up the side
Her advice is to get a 1/8″ hardboard to cover up the side of the stool. Get your local hardware store to cut the board into size for you. You should end up with two panels of the right size to cover up the sides.
Step 3: Secure the board
Tori used a hammer and pins to secure the hardboard to the side of the KALLAX cube. She wanted to leave one side open for storage, but that did not happen. “But it could if you’re nifty with sewing!” she explains.
Step 4: Add foam padding for the seat
The next step is to measure and cut a piece of 1″ foam for the seat top. Use hot glue to stick the foam down to the top of the KALLAX shelving unit.
Step 5: Staple wadding to the cube
After that, she stapled wadding all over the cube, cutting away excess and tucking in the seams before stapling them down.
Step 6: Make the DIY ottoman cover
Moving on to the upholstery. Her fabric of choice is a 100% cotton furniture upholstery fabric with subtle stripes.
She used an old sheet to cut out a template of the cube. Then, she laid the template on the fabric and cut it out with a bit of a margin. Drap the fabric over the cube — inside out — and start pinning, pulling the fabric smooth and taut.
Remove from the cube and start sewing. You can sew with a machine or by hand. Pull the ottoman cover over the cube once all the sides are joined and the edges seamed. The cover is removable.
And this is how amazing it looks when done.
How have you hacked an IKEA ottoman? Show us!
Read the full article with 3 ways to hack an IKEA ottoman on IKEA Hackers.
IKEA slashed their prices: Here are 33 items we’re adding to cart
The furniture retailer has again risen to its budget-friendly reputation, slashing prices across various products, including a 20 percent cut on the popular BILLY bookshelf.
Space saving DIY apothecary cabinet
Cristina Garcia transformed six IKEA MOPPE mini chests into a stylish and functional solution.
Rotating bookshelves for kids
Teresa Casamonti shares two ways to hack an affordable and functional Montessori rotating bookshelf for her kids using IKEA pieces and some wood boards.
Easy DIY: Chic door stopper
Diego improvised a nice doorstop with an IKEA snack bag. Easy way to make a chic, stylish door stopper bag.
Alexia’s unique and creative floating shelves
Alexia, a talented DIYer on Instagram, takes a completely unexpected and unique approach to the ubiquitous IKEA LACK shelving system in her latest project.