Having an ottoman in the house is very practical. During the day you can use it as a sofa, and at night turn it into a comfortable bed. In furniture stores a huge assortment of this furniture for every kind and taste. But if you want something special, you can completely try to make an ottoman with your own hands. In addition, it is much cheaper than buying a finished design.
Choose materials
Before you start manufacturing furniture, you need to decide on its design. Will you have an ottoman with high legs or low legs, a linen box, a back? Depending on which model you stop at, you will need to select the appropriate amount and type of materials.
To make an ottoman frame, you will need a furniture board or wood board. The latter will be cheaper, but the shield is more durable and environmentally friendly. In addition, purchase a few wooden beams, furniture corners and screws.
Cooking Tools
For work you will need:
- ruler;
- roulette;
- square;
- ordinary pencil for future marking;
- jigsaw;
- a screwdriver (preferably a screwdriver, if you have one);
- construction stapler for upholstery.
DIY couch: options
Depending on your preferences and the interior of the apartment, you can make a variety of options. If you have children, it is preferable to make a pull-out ottoman-sofa or a separate children's ottoman. You can also remake an ordinary bed under such a stylish element of furniture. It all depends on the imagination.
Extendable ottoman
In order to cope with this manufacturing option, you will need to mount two frames. For strength, you can take a furniture board. But if the budget is too small for such expenses, it is quite possible to use one of the old sofas. It is also acceptable to use wooden bars.
The upper static part of the ottoman is equipped with side walls and stands on high legs. Therefore, the frame for this part is important to strengthen several crossbars with a thickness of one and a half centimeters.
The lower moving part stands on two legs. It also has cross members that are mounted so that when moving they fall into the gap between the upper bars. We also need bars-limiters, which are attached to the crossbars.
Plywood is laid on top. Since this will be the basis for the mattress, it is important that it is well cleaned. You can buy a ready-made mattress in the store (orthopedic will be useful for the back), but even you can do it yourself. To do this, you need sheet foam and upholstery.
Children's ottoman
If you decide to make this furniture for the first time, the children's option is just what you need. Each time, buying a new bed for fast-growing children is very expensive. Alternatively, you can try to make an exclusive version to your liking. If we assume that the ottoman will have dimensions of 1.5 by 0.8 meters, the instruction will look like this:
- Prepare the bars for the frame. The required size is 3 by 4 centimeters. Attach the metal corners and screw the legs (you can make them from small bars or purchase finished parts in a furniture store).
- With the help of furniture panels or wood boards, you need to sheathe the frame on the sides. Unclosed leave only the top. Thus we get a box that is partitioned by a wooden beam across. Now slabs or panels need to be processed from the inside and outside: first the primer, then the painting.
- For the back and seat you need to prepare thick plywood. We cut out the necessary details and paste over with two layers of foam rubber. When the glue dries, the parts are covered with batting. After that, the ottoman upholstery will follow.
- The backrest is attached to the ottoman with screws and corners, and the seat is fixed with furniture hinges.
Everything, on this, the manufacture of an ottoman with your own hands is completed. Let's consider other options.
How to remake an ottoman from a bed?
Sometimes there is not enough money for a new purchased model, and it is simply necessary to refresh the interior. But if you have an old bed lying around somewhere, it will help you get out of the situation. A little skill, perseverance and patience - and your new ottoman will be ready soon.
The process consists of the following steps:
- First disassemble the bed, remove the legs and backs. If the bed is too old, the frame will also have to be dismantled for spare parts, otherwise the couch may creak during operation. Lubricate the disassembled frame with PVA glue, reassemble it and allow some time for the glue to dry.
- After measuring the details, make a cover. Try to pick up dense quality material. Attach the cover using a furniture stapler or glue.
- We return to the place the old mattress, if it was originally there (and if it was not, we get a new one or do it ourselves). For a mattress, you will need foam rubber and some more fabric for a cover.
- The backrest must be attached to the frame and marked out according to the shape of the desired backrest for the new ottoman.
- Use a jigsaw to cut out the back. Next, prepare a synthetic winterizer - they need to paste over both the back and legs of the ottoman-bed. Do not forget to make a cover of upholstery fabric for every detail.
- Turn the frame over, cover the legs and screw them, hiding the edges of the upholstery.
- Hem upholstery fabric on the back and tighten with screws.
After all the above manipulations, the new furniture will be ready.
Do it yourself furniture
In order for you to create a beautiful ottoman, created with your own hands, you need to choose the model that suits you, create a drawing and determine the size. Do not forget to take measurements of the space where the ottoman will be located.
Prepare slabs for the frame and several wooden beams measuring 3 by 4 centimeters. After all preparations, the assembly of the ottoman begins:
- First, the details are cut out. You will need two side parts, one front and one back part. Please note: the height of the front part is lower than the back (depending on the height of the future back), and the left should be lower than the right.
- Assemble the parts by fastening them with screws. Attach also the bars, leaving on top about a centimeter. Two more crossbars need to be attached in the middle of the ottoman.
- Prepare the pads that secure the edges of the slab. Use glue and nails. Then comes the primer and painting of the frame (if desired, you can varnish instead of paint).
- Now it's up to the pillows. You will need three pillows for sitting and three for a back. Cut the foam to the required size and make two covers for each pillow. The inner cover must be solid. For the exterior, take two hewn fabric cuts. At the edges there should be eyelets that are pulled together by a cord. After this, the ottoman, created with your own hands, will be ready for use.
Blueprints
If, when starting work, you do not plan to produce something very complex and intricate (for example, you decide to make a rectangular ottoman-sofa with one back), you can handle the drawing yourself. It is only important to calculate the dimensions correctly. If you are completely new to such matters, or you want to do something more interesting, you can take a lot of ready-made drawings as a basis.
Conclusion
So, we looked at how to make an ottoman yourself. As you can see, work does not require much experience. However, you must always follow the instructions and do not deviate from the drawings. As a result, we get high-quality and reliable furniture that will be not only attractive in appearance, but also functional. And the service life of the ottoman, assembled by yourself, does not differ from that purchased in the store.