DIY Padded Bench

Don't you just love Ikea! I do! Sometimes I spend so much time in the store that my husband thinks I should clock in!! :) Who can beat the prices of there furniture and textiles!! This DIY bench is made with Ikea's Expedit bookshelf just tipped onto its side. It worked out perfect for a blank space in Easton's room that I was trying to fill. It will serve duel purposes as well... a comfy seat for Easton and any visitors willing to read to him, as well as a space to store and tuck away his toys, books, etc. I am super happy with the finished product and once you have all of your materials on hand, it couldn't be easier! If you are looking for a great little bench to fill a space and serve a purpose then follow these simple instructions.

Lets begin:

Materials you will need:

Ikea Expedit bookshelf

cushion, foam or mattress for reupholstering

batting to cover cushion

fabric for cushion

wood board for cushion

staple gun and staples

Here is the bookshelf turned onto its side that we picked up from Ikea. I also nabbed some fabric for the cushion as well as some baskets for some of Easton's toys that we would be sliding into the cavities of the bookshelf.

I just fell in love with this fabric at Ikea. My favorite parts of the design....the two goats fighting on the bridge and the dead goat heads floating in the water below...kinda macabre but totally awesome!

My second favorite part of the pattern is the big mountain with the climber at the top and his little cottage to the right. Love love love.

I searched my local craft stores for the cheapest foam for the cushion I would be using to upholster and was shocked at how expensive it was!! So instead of giving in and paying for overpriced foam padding I did something a bit more unconventional. I bought a twin size 1 1/2 inch memory foam mattress topper from target and was able to cut it into two pieces and double my width of cushion. I ended up spending a quarter of the price for this mattress topper as I would have for the foam pad, not to mention the foam pad I would have purchased was half the thickness. Plus, and extra bonus was that the memory foam was mint scented! Ha! The cushion is not only going to look great but also smell fresh!

I bought my partical board at Home Depot and had them cut it down to size for me. I then laid it atop my memory foam pad and traced it.

Next I cut the foam with my rotary cutter along the traced line (you could also use scissors). I then placed the wood back atop the remaining memory foam, traced and cut again.

I then placed my batting down onto a flat surface, then the memory foam, then my partical board.

I pulled the batting up over the layers and stapled it to my wood.

To help give the underside of my bench a more finished look I laid a fabric onto the wood and tucked it under the excess batting.

Next I laid my cut and ironed fabric onto a flat surface, pattern side down, and then placed my batting covered cushion on top of it.

I then pulled my fabric up and over all of the layers and folded it in and over the batting and orange fabric, and stapled to secure. I worked my way around the entire bench stapling the straight edges and saving the corners for last. 

The last thing I did was use stick on Velcro to secure the padded cushion to the Ikea bookshelf.

Now it was time to move the bench into Easton's room and show him for the first time! 

I'm thinkin he loves it!!!