Living Green: How to Create an Ottoman from a Wooden Pallet

FOXY INTERIORS INCORPORATED SERVING CENTRAL FLORIDA

HOME STAGING. REDESIGN. RENOVATION

We all hear of living green, green design, recycling, reusing, up cycling and saving the environment.  Our children learn about these topics in school.  You study about them in college.  You may have received certification to reflect that you have studied these topics.  The bigger question:  Are you doing your part to save the environment?

My son is taking AP Environmental Science in high school.  The topics they study greatly interest me.  My son and I viewed a 20 minute video together the other night Story of Stuff, Full Version; How Things Work, About Stuff.  What I learned, unfortunately, is that we are destroying mother earth – the very creation that sustains our lives. This video is well worth watching and you, too, will agree we’re caught up in a vicious cycle.

At home our family recycles and we have water-saving irrigation, toilets, dishwasher, and a washing machine.  To further continue the conservation of water and reuse/recycle efforts, one afternoon during a stroll, I found a wooden pallet by the trash.  I asked around to make sure it was okay to take and, with permission, I put it into the back of my car.  I did some web research to go idea seeking and decided to make an ottoman.

Ottomans seem easy to make probably because Jim, my husband, likes to build things.  I like the feel and texture of fabrics and making objects look pretty.  If you want to try this at home, I’ve included a materials list and instructions below.

Materials List for 36” Square Ottoman

Four 9” unfinished turned legs [The hardware items we purchased from Lowe's.]

Four triangle brackets for leg mounts

¼” plywood to create a foundation to secure the materials and to close in the sides

1-1/2 yards black speaker netting (for the bottom)

1-3/4 yards upholstery fabric

5” foam (36” x 36” square) [This is costly so shop with your coupons.  We went to Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store.]

1-3/4 yards polyester batting [The kind used for making quilts.]

Instructions

• Locate a wooden pallet, preferably one near the closest dumpster.
• Go shopping for the items on the materials list.
• Cut the plywood and secure to the sides to make a stable frame.
• Finish the turned legs in your favorite color stain and seal.
• Lay the foam on your foundation.
• Wrap the top and sides with the polyester batting on top of the foam.
• Cover with fabric, carefully wrapping the corners.  [Jim is particularly good at this because the plumber side of him comes through from forming shower pans.  I know, lucky me, right?]
• Use a staple gun to secure at the bottom.
• Lay the speaker netting on the bottom and carefully turn under the edge and staple into a finished edge.

For more detailed photos of this ottoman, visit our Houzz page by clicking this link.

Enjoy your creation and remember that you have just helped the environment by repurposing a wooden pallet that otherwise may have ended up in the landfill.

Thanks for dropping by and reading Living Green:  How to Create an Ottoman from a Wooden Pallet.  If you decide to try this at home, drop back by and let me know how your creation turned out.