To start the story from the beginning, I have wanted an upholstered bench at the foot of my bed since we bought our house 4 years ago. For years now, I have researched them online, shopped for deals, stared longingly at them in certain Home stores full of Goods, and always ultimately reached the same conclusion: I can't afford it. At over $200 a pop for the kind I wanted (aka, the upholstered, tufted kind), I just could never get around to justifying the expense.
After starting the Master Bedroom Makeover , I thought maybe the time had finally come to spring for one. I looked and looked, and finally found the one I had to have. Behold...
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| The white, the tufting, the silver, the mirrors...this was The Bench! |
HOWEVER.
This bench is over $300, and that's on a markdown website(!!!). I have two kids in daycare and a massive pile of student loan debt, $300 for a bench in my bedroom is not exactly at the top of my fiscal priority list.
So I let out a another sigh of defeat. I figured it was never going to happen.
Enter my life the realization that I can DIY my own furniture.
GAME = CHANGED.
I went all out watching youtube videos, reading DIY blogs, and looking at picture tutorials. Tufting didn't look so hard, I thought there was no reason I couldn't do it, right?
Except for maybe the fact that I had never upholstered anything in my life, let alone reupholstered and then subsequently tufted something. But I am never one to jump into something after practicing first half-heartedly.
I consulted Craig and his list for a week or so, and finally a good candidate popped up. Three days later, for the measly sum of $20.00 (!!!), I was the proud owner of:
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| This bench. "What bench? That pile of crap laying on what appears to be a carpeted concrete floor?" Ok so fine, I forgot to take the "Before" pic, and when I remembered, two legs were already off. I was too lazy to put them back on just for purposes of this blog. I figured you'd forgive me after reading the |
As I said above, I read tutorials until my eyes burned about upholstering and tufting benches. My favorite, and the one I ended up using (and will copy for you now), was this one from one of my new favorite blogs, Pneumatic Addict Furniture (still totally drooling over that red-lacquered bench, btw). She really breaks it down into an easy formula, making it possible for even a DIY amateur like myself. Plus, I adore her writing style and the things she creates are so inspiring!
Without further ado, here comes my own version of a Tufted Bench Tutorial. Are you ready?
Steps 1, 2 and 3
Sand, Prime, Paint!
(Aren't those always the first annoying important steps??)
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| Sanding and priming |
I used my handy power sander (the "Mouse," Amazon Affiliate Link HERE) on the wooden legs, and a can of spray primer (Zinsser Cover Stain Spray Primer, Amazon Affiliate Link HERE) on the particle board trim and the sanded legs.
(Note: do not sand particle board, that will end badly.)
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I chose metallic chrome spray paint (Amazon Affiliate Link HERE) for the finish, because I wanted the mirrored look in The Bench above. Because actual mirrors are wayyyy too expensive to buy and have cut (plus I had Queen Anne curvy legs anyway), I went for the silver paint instead. Same bright silver, less complication and expense!
I wish I could say this part was super easy, but the truth is that it was 95 degrees with 99% humidity the day I decided to do this, and it took over 4 days for the spray-paint to dry to the point where it was touchable (by which time I had already smudged the crap out of it with my fingers assuming it was "dry." It wasn't.).
Oh well.
Oh well.
Step 4
Strip the cushion, glue it down to the wooden board, and plot your tufts!
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| I can't take all of the credit for this bench, I clearly had help! |
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| I actually used a ruler for this. Some of my math teachers should finally feel vindicated! |
After I pulled out a gazillion staples took the old upholstery fabric off, I used a spray adhesive to glue the foam pad down to the plywood. I was very lucky to find a bench with such a nice, thick foam pad already on it!
Initially I thought I wanted a diamond tuft pattern, but ultimately I decided the bench was too small for that. Instead, I went for two rows, spaced evenly. It took several mistakes calculations to get what I wanted, but I got there (and that's all that matters).
Step 5
Dig out the holes for the tufts
This part is pretty self-explanatory from my pictures. In the tutorial I followed, she used an apple-corer to dig hers out. I didn't have one of those, so I just used a really sharp and precise knife (I think it was a pumpkin-carving knife, to be honest). Root through your drawers and see what you have, you're bound to find something!
Step 6
Lay over batting and fabric
For the fabric, I went with a white linen blend that I got for $9.99 a yard at Joann's (I bought 1 yard, which was more than enough). It was exactly the look I wanted, so I probably would have paid more for it (lucky I didn't have to!). Make sure you lay out enough excess on each side to allow plenty to work with for the tufting and upholstering.
From what I understand (I've only done this once so I am certainly no expert), you don't have to use batting. I used it because the fluffier, the better.
This is just my opinion. But seriously, who dislikes fluff?
Step 7
(aka, The Nerve-wracking Step)
Tuft it!
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| Go to the hardware store and buy these first, obviously. We bought a pack of 12. |
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| Then, get your drill and drill it down into the holes you dug out until it goes as far into the plywood as it will go. |
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| Do this for each hole, and viola! |
I was so nervous for this that I had my assistant my husband do the actual drilling. However, it turned out to be pretty darn easy! All you do is drill the washer and screw down into the hole and then the wood below, going slow enough to make sure you don't snag the fabric or foam cushion (<---IMPORTANT NOTE!). Jason did an awesome job and we were moving right along, until we got too excited on the the last tuft, went too fast, and ripped the fabric! This was dire and could have ruined the whole project. As panic ensued, I had the sense to grab the super glue out of the drawer next to me and immediately glue the tear in the fabric. It worked, and the ripping stopped, staying contained to the hole area near the screw. Crisis averted!
Will it hold forever? I don't know. Has it held so far? Yes, and perfectly so far.
Incidentally, I suggest keeping some super glue or fabric glue handy in case this happens to you. I would hate to see you in line next to me at Joann's buying more fabric because yours ripped and the blog tutorial you were reading didn't prepare you for such an emergency!
Step 8
Upholster!
Here's the part where the picture tutorial breaks down. I didn't photograph this because I was the one who did it and I don't have 4 arms (Sorry, geez! You're demanding, you know?). I will tell you though that upholstering a cushion like this is pretty easy. You just take out your staple gun, pull the fabric tight on the back of the cushion board, and staple away! Make sure to start by stapling each tufted-spot first and then work your way around after all the tufts are stapled tight. For a great tutorial about upholstering corners, check out this post from The Painted Hive (I used the "Butterfly Pleat").
Step 9
Cover the tufts!
Because this tufting technique doesn't involve needles, thread and tufting buttons, you have to make your own button "covers" (small price to pay for the convenience that is drilling in the tufts, amIright?). As you can see from the picture, I cut squares of the excess fabric and glued them around cheapie buttons from Joann's with fabric glue. I then trimmed the buttons and glued them down into the tuft-holes over the screws. This didn't take much time at all, the glue set instantly, and they fit perfectly. You'd never know this was the way I achieved the result!
Step 10
Details, details, details!
I considered gluing cording around my cushion to finish it, but ultimately I wanted more "glam." So, on a whim, I grabbed a pack of chrome-plated furniture tacks at Joann's. I wasn't going for too much nail-head trim, I just wanted enough to make it stand out. I hammered in 6 tacks on each corner (3 per side). This was kind of difficult because it isn't easy to get the spacing and positioning exactly the same, but I am more than satisfied with the end result even though it's imperfect.
Being satisfied with an imperfection as I am here is actually a first in the history of my life.
One check for the ol' bucket list!
Step 11
Secure the cushion back to the legs, and BEHOLD!
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| My helper was also satisfied. |
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| The side-by-side. Not identical, but I'm OK with that! |
I LOVE this bench! I am so happy with the way it turned out. It's not perfect, but instead of spending $300+ for what would likely be a piece of made-in-China junk, I created this quality piece myself for less than $40. It is an awesome addition to our master bedroom and it makes me smile every time I look at it. It is a part of our room that really means something, and I'm not sure I will ever part with it!
I never upholstered anything in my life and I was super nervous about this, but I am so glad I tried it. Never let fear hold you back! Even if you fail, you'll be proud of yourself for making the effort, and that is ALWAYS worth it.
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial as much as I enjoy this bench. Thanks for stopping by!
Brooke
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