This DIY Upholstered Bench Is the Perfect Addition to Any Home

Updated on May 8, 2015 at 12:15 PM

Thanks to the interior design stylings and DIYs of Homepolish, you can build this sturdy-yet-chic upholstered bench. From full-on home makeovers to a room revamp, Homepolish's interior design services and DIYs are a no-brainer. This bench will surely be a great addition to any home. Read on to get all the details!

We have a new one for your Cool Interior Ideas list. After banana leaf print wall decor, copper details and hairpin legs add "mud cloth bench." The traditionally handmade Malian black and white graphic fabric is super beautiful and durable. Perfect for furniture upholstery, pillow covers or just draping over your sofa until you have time for an afternoon DIY (hey, we know how time flies).

When our designer Tina casually mentioned that she was thinking about making a mud cloth bench we were all, "CAN WE COME?! And bring our camera?" Follow Tina's step-by-step instructions and make your own amazing bench.

WHO
Tina, Homepolish designer

WHAT
Tell your friends you made a bench because you did!

WHERE
New York City

HOMEPOLISH TIME PURCHASED
5 hours

TALKING POINTS
Grab some fabric (we suggest beautiful, durable mud cloth), follow our instructions and upgrade your space with a bench you made yourself.

MATERIALS
2" x 12" x 44" Wood (or as long as you want)
Hairpin Legs
Fabric
Upholstery Foam
Spray Adhesive
Staple Gun & Staples
Scissors
Wood Screws
Drill
Sanding Block

With these instructions you do actually have this under control.

Also known as Bògòlanfini, mud cloth is traditionally handmade and dyed with fermented mud in Mali!

Gather your materials! I ordered 16" hairpin legs from hairpinlegs.com and found this AMAZING mud cloth fabric on Etsy. You can purchase your wood from a lumber yard and have them cut it down to any size. My bench is 44" long — a perfect 2-seater!

Splinters are not cute! Use a sanding block to smooth any rough edges on the wood.

Trace around your board on the foam.

Cut the foam to size using your wood as a template.

Secure your foam to the wood using a multi-purpose spray adhesive.

Lay the fabric on top of your foam. If you have a busy pattern like mine, make sure you are aware of the pattern when choosing placement. I decided to go asymmetrical — keeps life interesting!

Cut off any excess fabric — just make sure you have enough to cover the sides plus a couple of inches. Keep the extra fabric for the pillows you are going to make in the near future — you are on your way to becoming an upholstery wizard after all!

Use your staple gun to secure the fabric on one side, stapling about an inch from the edge of the bench and spacing the staples about 1" apart.

Hammer in the staples so they're in there REAL GOOD. Repeat on the other side.

The ends can be a bit tricky! Start by folding in the sides as if you were wrapping a gift and staple these flaps down.

Fold the rest of the fabric up, making sure that the seam is along the edge of the bench (not at a diagonal like a gift).

Staple, hammer, repeat.

Place your hairpin legs about 3" from the edge of the bench for stability.

Using your drill and wood screws, secure your hairpin legs to the wood through the pre-drilled holes.

Flip her over and take a seat. You did it. You made a bench.