24 January 2013

DIY Tufted Coffee Table


The first project of 2013 is complete! Already ahead of schedule - we want to do at least one a month. It will probably end up being more. We are just about done with our third this month - future blog posts coming. 


 It was fun, quick, and inexpensive.

Em and I love DIY projects. Why? Well, we always learn something new, we get the satisfaction that comes along with making something with our own hands, and it’s humbling. Ok maybe we don’t LOVE that last part.

Em and I are slowly, ever so slowly, creating a grown up living room [I almost wrote Adult Room, but that is a whole other room and this is a family blog]. Piece by piece we are either replacing the IKEA furniture or turning the IKEA furniture into something fabulous.

The first project of the year was updating our coffee table [which used to be our dining table, before we lopped its legs off] into something a little…well…prettier. And, I think we pulled it off. What do you think?

Here is how we did it in 10 steps...

Step 1 – Identify coffee table to prettify: This was easy for us. We had an old table we’ve been using for years. While it was functional it wasn't how shall we say….pretty. Most guests tried to avert their eyes upon walking into the front room. If you don’t have a sad coffee table, check out your local thrift store. There are plenty of ugly tables looking to be adopted and prettified. 

Step 2 – Decide on color scheme/pattern: Our decision was based on what colors/patterns were already in the room or are planned for the room. We have a large patterned rug with brown, orange, and a steel blue that the coffee table sits on. We wanted the table to compliment the rug so we chose a tight minimalist patterned fabric whose color closely matches the steel blue in the rug [I know in the photo the material looks greenish, I even think it looks a little green, but Em swears it is blue. And I've learned to trust her judgement.]

Step 3 – Modify your table: You might be lucky and have a table that is awesome and needs no modifications. We‘re not that lucky. We needed to shorten the length, add sides, and shorten the legs. [In fact I am still not happy with the legs. I am thinking we are going to swap them out for more mid-century modern inspired legs].  Also, think about the proportion of the table. What should the length & width be? I wanted to go with the golden rectangle [future post coming on that] but the dimensions for our room were just not right. Proportion and ratios are big for us. We like things to look the right size and fit right with the other furniture.  So I decided to do a little research on coffee/ottoman sizes. Turns out, they are all different sizes. I even attempted to see if there was a ratio between all the sizes. Nope. So I just picked one that was closest to the current size and made the cuts. I then added the sides. I waited till the whole table was complete before I cut the legs.


Step 4 – Buy cloth: This is a very important step. Because you need to get both the color/pattern and AMOUNT right. We got the wrong amount…too short. Thank goodness it was only slightly off…so not a big deal…we just took a little off each side of the table. The key here, and this is where I messed up, is when you measure your coffee table don’t forget about the inches the foam will add. Humbled, I learned a lesson.  We got our cloth at Joann’s. It is actually outdoor fabric. We liked the color/pattern and the fact that it is a little more durable. With two kids under six, durability is an important consideration.  

Step 5 – Purchase other materials: Other things you will need foam [at least 2 inches thick], batting [trust me it makes a difference], spray on adhesive [we bought ours at Home Depot. It was $10 dollars cheaper than Joann’s], cover buttons [get the ones with the little teeth], cover button making kit, thread [I got upholstery thread. Nice and strong], long quilting needle, regular buttons, staples for your staple gun [I am assuming you have a staple gun, if not, time to take the plunge], and a whole heap of patience.


Step 6 – Create your tufting pattern: On your table you will need to mark out your pattern. This took me awhile. It would have been a lot faster if I had of paid attention in Mr. Pincock’s geometry class. But no, being the all wise teenager I said to Mr. Pincock…”when am I ever going to use this in real life”…and then mentally checked out for the rest of the year. Well it turns out, this project was the day I was going to use geometry in real life. I wasn't sure where to place my buttons or what the best pattern would be. So I cut little paper circles, about the size of the buttons, and laid them out on the coffee table. Em and I kept moving them around until we found a pattern we both liked. Once the design was decided on I broke out the measuring tape, ruler, and marker and began to create a grid. [this is where the geometry came in]  I made sure the grid created perfect squares. It ended up 5 buttons long and 4 buttons wide. I drew x’s on the table where the holes were to be drilled.         

Step 6 – Drill your holes: Now comes the fun part. Drilling your holes. Don’t you love the power of a drill and the smell of freshly ground wood? How big should the holes be? Big enough to put a needle and thread through but not so small as to make it difficult. I would say a good gauge on the size of the hole is pen size. Why pen size? Well, once you have your holes drilled you will want to lay your foam down, poke the pen up through the drilled hole, and mark your foam. Then take a sharp knife and carve small holes in your foam. Doing this will make it much easier to tuft your buttons.  Especially if you have thick foam. 


Step 7 – Attach your foam/batting: This is the easy part. Spray down some adhesive on top of your table and apply the foam. Then cover with your batting. Easy peasy.  



Step 8 – Here comes the fabric: Now it is time to place the fabric. Lay it on top and make sure it is square. This is important if you have any kind of pattern. You don’t want it to look skewampus when all is said and done. Once you have it square, begin to staple it under the table. Start from the center on one side and work out towards the edges. Then move to the opposite side. Make sure to pull it tight. Pulling it tight is the difference between it looking “wow!” or looking “not bad for homemade”. It helps to have an extra set of hands. [Don't mind the boxes in the back. We were just putting away the Christmas decorations.]


Step 9 – Add the buttons: Get your long needle, thread it, [I actually doubled up the thread as I knew I would be pulling pretty hard on it and I didn't want it to break]. I then got a regular button, bigger than the drilled hole and tied the end of the thread to it. Now poke that long needle through the hole and foam, thread the cover button, and sew it back down. Pull the thread tight, tight, tight. And staple it down. You will want to do this in a zig-zag pattern to ensure it does not slip back through. Rinse and repeat until you have a fabulously tufted coffee table.  








Step 10 – Admire: Take a step back and take a look at your handy work. Put it up on your Facebook. Write a blog about it. Congrats! You are now the proud owner of a one of a kind incredible looking tufted coffee table.




4 comments:

  1. way to go guys! that looks incredible!! you are so brave to have fabric covered anything with kids:) can't wait to see what you've got up your sleeves next! love linds

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  2. That looks awesome! Anything tufted is always good in my book. I'm excited about your new blog!

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  3. Thanks Bonnie! I agree, tufted = awesome.

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