DIY Ottoman Reupholster

We are pug people! In front of our bed Blake and I have a storage ottoman. (This one from Target) The real reason it is there is so that Delly, our 3 year old pug, can jump up on our bed. Needless to say, this poor ottoman has been scratched and torn. It was starting to look really bad. I had searched and searched for the perfect solution. I looked at other ottomans and benches...and found out that they are very expensive! And to pay a lot of money for something that is inevitably going to get pug hair all over it just didn't appeal to me...

So! I thought Duh! I can just recover it. Last year Blake and I made a headboard for our guest room, and that ended up being pretty easy-so how hard could this be? 

Here is how I did it. 

What you need: 

-1 yard of fabric 

-Fabric scissors

-Loaded Staple Gun

-Screwdriver

• Start by removing the lid of the ottoman. Don't lose your screws! 
• I did not remove the existing fabric. I was too scared because it was faux leather and didn't want to ruin it.
• Iron your fabric. Decide what direction you want the pattern to go in. Measure the length, width, and depth of the cushion. Add a few inches for wiggle room. Trim the fabric to the desired size.
• I laid out the fabric on our dining room table. Lay the top of the ottoman on the fabric (which will be upside down). 
• Pull the fabric tightly and begin stapling the edge of the fabric to the cushion. I began with one of the long sides, and then the opposite long side. Keep pulling the fabric tightly. When you get to the corners act like you are gift wrapping. 
• Cut any excess fabric, especially near where it screws to the bottom of the ottoman. Reattach! 

Before

After

I love how it turned out! It isn't so pretty underneath the lid, but who cares!

The hardest part was picking out the fabric. We have a patterned duvet cover, and I have never been good at mixing patterns. I decided to go with this one from fabric.com. I love fabric.com! I bought this fabric for that headboard I mentioned. 

I love that I saved my family hundreds, spent $10 and it seriously only took me 1 hour to do this project. 

What do you think? What is your best DIY?