Marianne's DIY: DIY Pallet Tufted Ottoman

Hey all! Here is the much requested tutorial for the Tufted Ottoman. You will need:

1 pallet

(usually free, you can ask most stores that get deliveries and they'll usually direct you out back where you can pick one out - get the best condition you can)

Upholstery foam

(purchase with a coupon and be sure to get enough to cover your pallet - my pallet was 36"x46", but not all pallets are created equal)

Two Yards of 54" wide fabric

about $20

(I purchased mine for about $7 a yard at my Home Fabrics Store. make sure it's wide enough! Also, make sure its not too thick, or you wont be able to make the buttons. Velvet - too thick)

Batting

$10

(If you buy at Joann's use a coupon!)

Furniture Legs

$1-$4 each

(I found mine at a Re-Store - like a Second-Hand Store for building materials. Mine were brand new! You can also find them at Lowe's)

Straight Top Plate furniture leg mounts

about $3 each

(Found only at Lowe's)

Plywood or melamine

(price varies - found in your shed or garage or hardware store)

Spray Adhesive

about $3

(find at any craft store or even Walmart)

Long upholstery needle

(I didn't have one of these, but I will next time!)

Upholstery thread

(I used denim thread)

Muslin fabric: 1 yard

About $4

(I used some scrap fabric)

Button Making Kit

$6 (at Joann's with coupon or Walmart without coupon)

Tools: Staple Gun, Screwdriver, Staples, Hammer

Something I learned from making this ottoman, is that you should cover the bottom side of the pallet with your plywood/melamine. With the other piece of plywood/melamine, measure and mark where you want your tufts to be (ignore that black rectangle drawn on there in the pic - that was for another ottoman).

You decide how many rows you'd like. One thing to remember is to make it an odd number of rows, so your tufts are as close to the corners as possible. Like so (the"x" is a tuft):

If you have an odd number of rows, the tufts look like this:

See the difference?

I found it easiest to make a grid on my board, then use a marker to circle the intersections where I was going to put my tufts. Just keep in mind the more tufts, they more fun you get to have pulling them.

Next, I screwed these to the bottom of the pallet, about an inch in from the edges. Be sure not to screw them in upside down, or you'll have a tough time screwing in the legs.

Take your marked board, and use a drill to drill small (about 1/4" inch) holes where your tufts are going to go. Then, you use your spray adhesive to mount your foam to the tuft board (leave yourself a little room on the corners, so you can pull back the foam enough to put a screw in for later). Cut off any excess foam (use a sharp knife or scissors) but leave about 1/2 inch around the edges.

Lay your batting on top of the foam. You should have enough batting around the edges to cover both the thickness of the foam, the thickness of the pallet and excess to pull and staple at the end.

Make your buttons using your button kit. Tools and instructions are included with the kit you buy.

Aren't they cute!? This is where Anthony thought it would be fun to help me out. It's a good idea to put a little super glue in the button, just before you put the backing on, so you don't have any popped buttons.

Okay, here comes the most time consuming, but rewarding part. From the back of your tuft board, take your threaded needle and slide it through the hole, the foam, the batting, the fabric and finally, your button, and back again. Your thread should be extra long (about 18-22 inches per button) so you don't pull the whole thing through. Do this twice. After you have threaded your button, lay your tuft board on the ground, upside down so the fabric is on the floor and the board is facing you. Next, stand on the board so you're squishing the foam, and pull on the string. Tie a few double knots, then staple the thread to the board 5 or 6 times, zig-zagging back and forth. I used super glue where I stapled to make sure nothing moved. You do not want these threads to come loose. Since you are standing on the board for each tuft, you should get pretty uniform depth. It is best to have someone help you for this part!

Look! It's almost done!

Take your tufted board and admire your work for a minute. Then, you're going to use 4 screws to screw the board to the pallet at each of the corners. Don't screw through the foam, lift it up and screw just the board to the pallet.

Go get your staple gun, and make sure you have plenty of staples. Turn your ottoman upside down again, and starting at the center of each side, staple the fabric and batting to the bottom side of the ottoman, making sure you wrap the fabric around the corners like a present, or a sheet on a bed - all tucked in. Trim excess around the corners. You're going to take your muslin or scrap fabric and finish off the bottom of the ottoman. Staple it all around again, making sure to tuck in the edges. Snip a little hole in your fabric where the legs are going to screw in.