DIY Coffee Table Bench

This DIY Coffee Table Bench project is a must for your bedroom!

I’m sure you recognize this topless coffee table. I got it from Joey’s booth for $3.96.

Coffee Table Into Bench

I put it at the end of the bed for a couple of days to see if it was the right size. Once I decided that it would work perfectly,  I wiped it down with TSP so that I could paint it. After I wiped it down I thought it looked pretty good, but when I actually started to change it into a bench I was having second thoughts about the finish.

Touch up scratches with Restor-a-Finish

See? It was a little scarred.

I had a lot of stain on hand, but decided to bring out the RestorAFinish instead. Mahogany wasn’t the perfect match, but it would do. You know I’m all about using what you have.

Here is what it looked like after I put it on while it was still wet. It’s going to be the prettiest diy coffee table bench for my bedroom!

I let it dry, then wiped it off a little. It is okay with me that it doesn’t look brand new.

Make a new top for former coffee table

I had a piece of scrap mdf. I cut it to the proper size and drilled holes in it so I could do some button tufting. The drill bit I used was  probably too small. If I were to do it again I would use a larger bit.

Using reclaimed foam for new project

This is where my project got delayed. I had a piece of foam that a friend had given me last year. I thought it was too dirty, so I got the bright idea to hose it down. It was drenched! I hung it on the fence for an entire day while the sun was brightly shining and the temperature was about 95 degrees. It did not dry at all. That night I took it for a spin in the dryer (two cycles).

The next morning I let ‘er rip for another 90 minute cycle in the dryer. I cut the foam to size I actually needed for the top of the bench, and continued to let it dry in the sun for another whole day. The next day I put it outside in the sun, but this time on the black top driveway. That night I put it in front of a fan in the living room and I left it there for 36 hours. Finally I felt like it was dry enough to continue.

Upholster DIY coffee table bench project

I covered the top with the foam and some batting, using a drop cloth for the upholstery fabric. You can see how tiny my holes were for the button tufting.

How to diy button covers

I covered the buttons with the sheet fabric that coordinates with the rest of the accessories. If you’ve never done the button kits, they really aren’t that hard. I do think they were a little on the pricey side, (a little under $3.00 a package) but I had already decided that I wanted the buttons to match the other accessories.

This is what they look like. These are not the ones I used, this is a picture from the internet.

Coffee Table into Bench

Again, I’m fighting with the lighting. I will show with and without flash.

Using a Coffee Table as a Bench at the End of the Bed

So, I have a new DIY coffee table bench at the end of my bed for only the price of the button kit and less than $4.00 for the topless table. I had everything else on hand.

Edited to add:

Want to see how I updated the this project for my sweet Lulu Mae?

gail

See other fun benches here

Looking for projects for your pets?