Storage Bench - DIY Cushion

We are making major progress on the guestroom and hopefully once the bedding gets out of the dryer, we will be almost done! To distract our little Teddy from laying on the new guest bedding, we wanted to have some kind of window seat for him. I tried making the simple three cube shelves work, but they were way (WAY) too short. The storage cube bench at Target was also too short, but I eventually found the perfect one at Home Depot:

Martha Stewart Living White Storage Bench

It isn't huge, but it is still a decent size for what we are wanting. That cushion had to go because it didn't match my color scheme at all. Plus, I wanted to add some height by adding in more padding. The cover unzipped, which was nice, so I could pull the padding foam out. I also purchased 1 inch foam from Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store, as well as my fabric. Having the padding from the actual cushion helps with measuring out the other foam. To upholster the cushion, I used a staple gun. In order to have something steady to staple into, I used cardboard on the bottom. Figuring out a wood situation was stressing me out and the cardboard worked great - had to get creative! The project took about 30 minutes for two people - one building the bench and the other getting the cushion re-upholstered.

Here are the steps in pictures to help visualize:

1. Cut your cardboard to the needed size.

2. If you want the cushion to be thicker, purchase extra foam. It is pretty pricey, so having a special or coupon definitely helps!

3. Cut your additional foam to the correct size. I wanted to add 2 more inches so I used the other half of the foam. It wasn't quite wide enough, but I used the leftovers to cut strips to make it match. That piece was put in the middle so it stayed together.

4. Stack the foam and cardboard on top of your fabric. Make sure it's lined up. If you purchase this exact bench, you'll need ~1 yard of foam length and 1.25 yards of fabric. I would get extra though, especially for the fabric because you need some to pull around.

5. Figure out how you want the fabric to look on the cushion - aka how do you want the corners to fold in? You have to mess with it until you find something you like. I stapled long sides first and then folded up the shorted ends.

6. Staple away! Make sure you pull really tight while stapling. It helps to have someone else with you to pull on the fabric while you staple. Once you are done, it helps to add velcro strips to the bottom. Stick them on top of the actual bench. That way the cushion won't just slide off.

Funny story about stapling fabric. My wonderful friend, Hailey, has helped me re-upholster 10 chair cushions and we used this old school metal fabric stapler on every one. When we were working on the last of the dining room chairs, Dustin comes in and says, "You know I have an electric stapler." ARE YOU KIDDING ME! Well today I was able to use that fancy electric stapler.  Definitely doesn't hurt your hands like the old school style does, but both work just as well.

Ok, so here is the final product!

The Kate Spade storage boxes are definitely a fun touch - thanks Aunt Mary!

The best part, Teddy actually likes it! The neighborhood watch has a new view to check out...

Photos via me

There are a lot of nice, expensive window seats and benches out there in the world. I am very glad I was able to get one completed for $100 - including the bench, extra foam and fabric (depending on your fabric and if you want extra foam, you can accomplish for more or less). This works great for our guestroom because our guests are able to put their bags on it or have an extra spot to sit. I think this would also work great in a kid's bedroom or a mud room/entry way. It's nice to know that you can change the generic cushion these benches come with to something that goes great with your room.

I promise the guestroom reveal will come out very soon! So excited to share with you all.

Lots of Love,