DIY pouf with storage box

Ottomans are an integral attribute of every apartment or house. Most often these are purchased products. But sometimes you need to place them in a clearly defined place, rationally using the space, but it’s not possible to select a product based on size, shape, color and finishing texture.

Custom production will cost significantly more. We suggest making a pouf with your own hands. Anyone with basic home craftsman skills who owns a minimal set of tools can do this. For production, you can use materials left over from repairs, sewing curtains or replacing upholstery of upholstered furniture.

IMPORTANT: Even if all or part of the materials are purchased specifically for this case, the economic effect is guaranteed.

In addition, it is easier to choose a finishing material that matches the interior of the house than a ready-made pouf.

Selecting materials and tools for creating an ottoman with storage box

To work you will need the following tools:

• Roulette;
• Ruler;
• Hacksaw;
• Pencil;
• A construction stapler with staples or a hammer with furniture nails (your choice);
• Electric drill or screwdriver.

We cut out the walls, bottom and lid of the ottoman with a drawer that can be used for storing things from chipboard or chipboard 16 mm thick.The upholstery can be made of eco-leather, fabric, leatherette, vinyl or other materials that fit into the style of the interior of the room.

In addition, you need to prepare:

• 4 things. furniture casters with screws;
• 8 pcs. metal corners and 8 screws;
• 8 bars, 380 mm long, each with a cross-section of 15–20 mm;
• 40–45 pcs. screws 4x30 mm;
• 2 m padding polyester;
• Wood glue;
• One and a half meters of timber 40x40 mm;
• 2 butt hinges for attaching a hinged lid;
• A piece of foam rubber 5–10 cm thick for the lid, which will serve as a seat.

How to assemble an ottoman with your own hands

From chipboard or laminated chipboard we cut out 6 squares measuring 400x400 mm, which will serve as the walls, lid and bottom of the product. Cut 4 bars, each 40 cm long. Carpenter's glue is applied to two sides of each of them, with the help of which the walls of the box are attached to the bars.

After the glue has dried on the outside of the wall, screw it to the bars with self-tapping screws and fasten it with metal corners.

Glue is applied along the perimeter of the inner side of the bottom and on the 4 surfaces of the bars joining it and pressed down. After the glue has dried, the bottom is attached with self-tapping screws.

IMPORTANT: To protect the upholstery from rubbing at sharp corners, several layers of synthetic padding are glued onto them.

Foam rubber is glued to the outer surface of the lid.

The walls and lid are covered with upholstery fabric. Fasten it with a stapler. To ensure that the staples are well secured at a distance of 2 cm from the top along the inner perimeter of the box and outside along the perimeter of the bottom at the same distance from the edge, screws with a cross-section of 15–20 mm are screwed in with self-tapping screws. The upholstery is attached to these bars.

The lid is connected to the box using two butt hinges.

Furniture casters are screwed to the bottom with screws.

Interesting ideas for creating an ottoman

Budget options for ottomans are made from improvised materials that have served their purpose or are quite inexpensive.

One option could be DIY ottoman box from a car tirewhich they do like this:

• The pre-cleaned and brushed tire is dried;
• Cut out 2 circles from plywood. The diameter of the bottom one must match the diameter of the tire. The top circle of plywood should be smaller so that it can fit snugly on the wheel rim. Such a pouf can be made from 2 wheels connected by bolts and without legs, or from one wheel, but with legs. The legs are cut out of wood (or bought), used from old furniture (previously restored) or furniture casters are screwed on.

The next option is DIY pouf with storage box from plastic bottles. You choose the shape yourself: square, rectangular, oval, depending on your preferences. The work flow is as follows:

• For structural strength, it is advisable to expose bottles of the same shape and volume to the cold for 1-2 hours with the lids open. Close the lids tightly, then bring them into the room and let them warm up.
• Place the bottles on a flat horizontal surface, connect 3-4 pieces with tape (depending on the desired size and shape of the ottoman), then tape them together into one product of the desired shape.
• According to the shape and size of the resulting structure, cut out the bottom and top from plywood. File notches along their edges. For strength, wrap the entire structure several times with twine through the notches.
• Cut a rectangle from thin foam rubber with a width equal to the height of the bottle and a length equal to the perimeter of the product. Wrap the structure around the circumference with foam rubber and sew its vertical edges with strong thread.
• To the plywood, fixed in the upper part of the product (where the bottle caps are located), use double-sided tape to glue foam rubber pre-cut to the shape of the product, 5–10 cm thick, and sew it with the same thread with the foam rubber of the side.
• Sew a cover, at the bottom of which make a drawstring with a cord. Place the cover on the ottoman, pull the drawstring cord and tie it.

An ottoman is made from a bucket by first removing the handle from it.

The materials and operation scheme are similar to the previous version of the product, only from one bucket. Grease the walls of the bucket with glue, wrap it in a rectangle of thin foam rubber, and sew it together. Cut the top and bottom from plywood or thick and strong cardboard (you can glue it in two layers). Attach them to the bucket with tape.

Cut a circle from foam rubber that matches the diameter of the top of the bucket. Sew it to the side foam.

Sew a cover with a drawstring from fabric, leatherette, suede, faux fur or other suitable material and put it on the prepared product. Pull the drawstring and tie the cord.