Ottoman Coffee Table From a Pallet

Half pallets are sturdy yet light and, at 24 by 31″ (60 x 80cm), a really comfortable size for a large coffee table that won’t take up the entire living room. I was surprised at how quickly this project went. It was done in less than an hour!

To start off, get some scrap wood and create a frame for the bottom of your pallet. Creating a frame will allow you to tack the batting and fabric all around the ottoman.

Next, cut the upholstery foam to fit the pallet. Apply some glue to the pallet and press in your pieces of foam. This will hold the pieces in place so you can manipulate the pallet before tacking the batting around.

Turn the pallet over and place it on top of the batting, foam pad facing down. With your staple gun, tack one side of the batting to the wood frame. Move to the other side and pull on the batting to make it taut before stapling it to the frame.

Next, move on to the corners. Grab the corner of the batting and pull it tight over the corner of the wood frame. Staple it in place.

Feel free to check out the Ottoman Coffee Table post if you need very detailed step-by-step pictures.

Finally, cut the excess batting close to the wood frame with a pair of strong fabric scissors.

Place your pallet on top of the upholstery fabric. Starting in the middle, pull the fabric over the wooden frame and staple it in place. Next, move on to the opposite side and pull the fabric taut over the frame before tacking it to the wood.

To upholster the corners with fabric, start pulling the fabric to one side and create a fold along the ridge of the corner, like in the pictures above. Pull this fold tight and staple the fabric under the pallet to secure it in place.

When you’re done with all four corners, cut the fabric short around the inner wood frame.

Finally, with the ottoman flat on the floor, take the furniture leg hardware and place it on top of each corner. I attached mine about 3/4″ (2cm) away from the edge.

That’s all! Turn your DIY Ottoman Coffee Table over and put up your feet 😉. While this ottoman has a boho vibe because I picked a Persian rug pattern for the upholstery fabric, the project is very adaptable. Choosing different legs and fabric will make this DIY look anything from modern to farmhouse!

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