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    Home » Repurposed Furniture » Table » Coffee Table Bench Easy Button Tufted Upholstery

    Coffee Table Bench Easy Button Tufted Upholstery

    Published by Gail | Published September 26, 2017 | Updated August 26, 2021
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    An upholstered coffee table bench made from a topless vintage coffee table makes the perfect end of bed bench, helpful for pets to get on and off the bed. #MyRepurposedLife #repurposed #upcycled #coffeetable #bench via @repurposedlife

    Why would such a simple upholstered coffee table bench take over a year to complete? I'll tell you. I bought this u fix it topless coffee table in March 2016! It was a steal at Vendors’ Village for only $3.99. Of course I had no idea what I was going to do with the topless coffee table, but I knew it was worth four bucks!

    Unwanted broken coffee table

    u fix it coffee table

    I’m guessing the coffee table must have had glass inserts at one time. After I got it home I thought maybe I could use some reclaimed wood to replace the inserts that were missing.

    coffee table bench upholstered for end of the bed


    Pin IT!

    *this post contains affiliate links, read more here*

    Make any necessary repairs

    repair vintage coffee table Gorilla Wood Glue

    The date on this image is from May 2016. I used Gorilla Wood Glue and a Rockler silicone glue brush to aid in getting the glue into the tight spaces. As usual, I clamped the table using scrap wood to prevent the clamp from making an indentation.

    Easy painting with a paint sprayer

    homeright paint sprayer coffee table

    After all the repairs I painted the coffee table with my Homeright Finish Max.

    Finding the right option for the table top

    vintage coffee table with reclaimed wood inserts

    I attempted to use stained pallet boards as the inserts. It worked pretty well in these two spaces, but not so much in the last space. I scrapped the idea and the table sat waiting in the garage for over a year.

    vintage coffee table new top

    Fast forward to June 2017. I dug out the table, and found a piece of cheap plywood that I buy in small sheets to use as a top. You can see I paid $3.88 for the plywood. This will aid in it becoming the perfect coffee table bench.

    cut plywood

    Because my table saw was not easily accessible, I used my large compound miter saw to trim the board to size. NOTE: I clamped the board down tight so that it wouldn’t budge.

    Adding plywood as new coffee table top to make a bench

    old coffee table new top

    After the simple cut, the top fit perfectly for the vintage coffee table bench.

    How to cut foam without an electric knife

    memory foam topper for upholstery

    I had a memory foam mattress topper in the basement that I wasn’t using. You've probably seen  a lot of people use electric knives for this, but I don’t own one.

    use serated knife to cut memory foam

    I ran a serrated knife down the edge of the board to get the proper size foam piece for the upholstered coffee table bench.

    Double memory foam for coffee table bench

    two layers memory foam

    I used two layers of the mattress topper memory foam and drop cloth to upholster the coffee table bench.

    Secure drop cloth upholstery with a staple gun

    staple drop cloth on upholstered coffee table bench

    A staple gun was used to tack down the folded over edge of the drop cloth.

    coffee table into upholstered bench

    I placed the upholstered top onto the coffee table and checked it out. But it seemed like it needed a little more!

    Easy Button Tufting

    easy button tufting cheat method using screws and washers

    I used the same easy button tufted cheat method using screws and washers that I used on my Upholstered Corner Headboard Bench. Oh my just thinking about that corner headboard bench makes me want to make another for my craft show in October! I used dritz craft cover button kit  to make the buttons match the drop cloth. I love using drop cloth for upholstery. It is so sturdy!

    button tufted upholstered bench

    Although I love the way the top looks with the easy button tufting, but I do not like the color of the coffee table with the drop cloth fabric.

    Time for Plan b

    black glaze over white paint coffee table

    This was before I got my new favorite chalked smoked glaze. I was using a black paint wash to give it a glaze and  I wasn’t loving it.

    more homeright finish max painting

    It was time to bring out the Homeright Finish Max Super . As always I started painting my project upside down.

    So much better in black

    color makes or breaks a project

    As you probably know, color definitely makes or breaks a project. I struggle with color a LOT since I’m making projects to sell.

    glazed table

    See? Here is the coffee table bench with the black wash on it. Unfortunately, I am not a fan!

    black coffee table upholstered bench

    This is the other side. Notice I left the wooden pieces on one side. I know—strange, right?

    upholstered coffee table bench MyRepurposedLife

    The upholstered coffee table bench is great for the living room . . .

    repurposed coffee table upholstered end of bed bench for pets MyRepurposedLife.com

    . . . but even better for an end of the bed upholstered bench to help a fur baby get on and off the bed! Miss Lulu Mae likes her regular coffee table bench at the end of the bed.

    Pin it!

    It took over a year to complete, but I generally keep working on a project until I’m happy with it no matter how long it takes.

    gail

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    See the latest  Small Updates | Big Change

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Danielle

      November 28, 2021 at 4:14 pm

      Gail, you inspire me! I am a perfectionist and I tend to abandon projects that don't turn out as I imagined. And I also struggle with inspiration... You are much more experienced than I will ever be and I find it encouraging that sometimes you feel the need to rethink your ideas. The table top bench turned out great, just like a piece out of a fancy decorator's shop! My new goal will be to keep at it until I get it right. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        December 02, 2021 at 7:20 pm

        Danielle,

        Thank you so much for your comment. I'm sorry it took so long to respond. I've been out of town, sort of off the grid. I try to keep it real for my friends. I want to make sure I explain my thought process so you know that things don't always go as planned.

        Keep on keeping on! Never, ever give up my friend!

        gail

    2. Lizzy

      November 28, 2021 at 1:42 pm

      That's beautiful. The wood details give it a bit of a Louis XVI style. Great find and makeover!

      Reply
    3. Carol S

      September 26, 2017 at 9:42 pm

      Wow, I love your persistence. I hate it when a project doesn't come together as imagined. I have one in my garage now that I have to revisit that has been ignored for too long. Thanks for the inspiration to keep trying! This project turned out great! Love the button tufting tip.

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        September 26, 2017 at 10:20 pm

        Thank you Carol. I rarely give up, but sometimes it takes a while to figure it all out. 😉

        gail

    4. Deanna

      September 26, 2017 at 6:38 pm

      Excellent job. I have a heavier coffee table that I wanted to do this to. Great Ideas.

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        September 26, 2017 at 8:23 pm

        Awesome Deanna! I'm glad you like my ideas. I hope your project goes quick and easy.

        gail

    5. Eliz~

      September 26, 2017 at 5:16 pm

      The bench is beautiful. The buttons are perfect! I have a table a table at the end of my bed! I have too much stuff! LOL!

      Reply
    6. Terri Hughes

      September 26, 2017 at 4:27 pm

      I love what you did with the coffee table, the black paint and tuft buttons, really made a big difference. And Miss Lulu Mae looks like she approves, lol. She is adorable!

      Reply
    7. Jennie

      September 26, 2017 at 9:40 am

      This is a great way to baby proof a coffee table. I know my daughter has been looking for a solution.

      Reply
    8. Fonda

      September 26, 2017 at 9:11 am

      Very nice! We have a very old, and very sturdy, coffee table. This might be a great idea for it. It has it's top, so I'm lucky that I don't have to do something about that before painting and making the soft part.

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        September 26, 2017 at 3:34 pm

        Awesome! Do let me know if you make your table into a bench, k?

        gail

    9. Paula

      September 26, 2017 at 6:57 am

      Love the tufted top and the black combined with the drop cloth upholstery is a winning look.

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        September 26, 2017 at 3:34 pm

        Thanks Paula, I love the black as well.... happy I didn't quit on it in it's earlier stages. 😉

        gail

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    Hi, there! I’m Gail Wilson, the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. I’m obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believe that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again—myself included! I hope you’ll enjoy the journey and pick up a few tools along the way… literally!

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