New life for a sad, old ottoman

In one of my first posts earlier this month, I told you about recovering 80s pillows for our new-t0-us couch and loveseat. When we got rid of our old furniture, we decided to keep our ottoman. the dogs love it, and it is (now) the only piece of furniture they're allowed to be on. To say that this old ottoman has seen better days is an understatement.

While I wanted our furry children to continue to have this space, I could no longer look at the ugliness. So, what's a domestic girl like myself to do? Whip up* an ottoman slip cover, of course! 


My mother-in-law cleaned out her fabric stores, and had the perfect piece to use for the bulk of the project. I started by measuring the ottoman on all sides. I still had some leftover fabric from the pillows, so I decided to add a panel for accents. 


The measurements: 
2 panels-long sides: 34"x16"
2 panels-long accent: 34"x8"
2 panels-short sides: 24"x16"
2 panels-short accent: 24"x8"
1 panel-top: 24"x34"

After cutting all the necessary pieces, I sewed the appropriate accent panel to the top of each side panel. 

The next step was sewing the side panels together. I was incredibly careful to make sure that the panels lined up correctly so there would be a straight line all around the ottoman.

After I had the panels together, I pinned the top panel to the sides. It was a NIGHTMARE. I turned that baby inside out, slipped it on the ottoman and measured for the hem. 


The final result:

While this project was ultimately successful, I'm sure I did not approach it in the best manner.  If I ever do another box shape sewing project, I will go about it differently. How, I'm not entirely sure, but I will blog about it and let you know. 


What's better is that now, I can take the slip cover off and wash it when necessary. This is a phenomenal benefit since my puppies LOVE it. Case and point.

*Let's be clear that there was very little whipping.