Thanks for your comments. No, I did not cut down the legs. As far as skill goes, I think it requires beginner sewing skills and patience. I made bias binding and sewed the welt cord and the side strips together. The tools I used were a cordless screwdriver, electric saw, and a manual staple gun.

Wow....great job!

That looks absolutely fantastic!

Very nice!

Wow! That's amazing!

Wow! I'm impressed!!

You did a great job!!

You did MORE than a great job - it's amazing, especially if you are a beginner! Look at the stripes matching from the top to the sides on the second pic. It's just beautiful, and you should be very proud of that work.

Did you make the pine 'box' around your coffee table to bring the sides out to be the same as the top, so there wouldn't be a 'lip' between them?

I think people are going to be searching their local Craigslist to find a coffee table like the one in your first pic. I'm giving you a virtual standing ovation!

I think it turned out swell! Lovely job...lovely.

I WILL be looking for that book recommendation because I want to re-cover/re-make our ottoman (the foam cushion on top is sliding off and it would be a nice bonus to convert it to a storage ottoman).

Question -- the tufting (IMHO) looks really nice. How strong do you need to be to tuft? I'm always imagining you have to pull really hard and maybe even need a helper!

That is beautiful and inspiring. I am hoping to make my CL coffee table into an ottoman and need to get er done.

WOW!!!! I wish I had those skills (I am definitely lacking in the patience dept). It looks like you bought it that way and paid an arm and a leg for it! Good for YOU!!!

WOW! That's beautiful - both the skill and the coordination in its setting!

That looks really great!

Everyone else has used up the adjectives! I'll add - nice.

That looks amazing! Good job, I'd definitely think that was more than beginner skill level!

Wow, that is a fantastic DIY project. It looks very professional. Nice work, I love it!

mello_sacto-
You can do the tufting by yourself. Here is what I did.
1) Cut roundish holes in the foam and dacron all the way down to the tabletop, a little wider than your covered buttons.
1a) Cover the top with fabric. Note: for my 36"x36" top I needed a 56"x56" piece.
2) Using a long upholstery needle, thread your covered button with a double width of button twine. (See picture.)
3. Starting in the middle hole, from the top, stick the needle down into the hole until the button rests directly on the table top (and you have pulled the thread all the way through.
4) Take a regular flat button (with a least 2 holes in it) and thread each of the 2 pieces of button twine through 2 of holes. Pull tightly on the thread and then tie a knot in it. (You are on the underneath side of the ottoman.)
5) Check the top to make sure the button is lying flat and at this time, adjust your tufting to suit.
6) Repeat this process until you have completed the entire ottoman. Don't be surprised if you have to re-do several along the way!
7) Once you are happy with how it looks, zig-zag the thread, stapling it down as you go (See picture.)

By using buttons on the back, it makes it easy to do it by yourself. Just be sure the buttons are bigger than the holes you drill.

I did make the pine box around the sides. I just screwed the pieces directly into the legs.

Amazing! Looks professionally done. Inspirational.

That's really nice!

Oh, my, that is nice! I'm envious of your talents.

Corgimum Thanks so much for the detailed explanation of the tufting! Love it!

Lovely! And so creative!

You should seriously consider selling these...what a beautiful job!

Wow! That is so impressive. I would have never thought to build out the sides with the box and you did a wonderful job lining up the stripes. Beautiful piece-you should be very proud!

Are you kidding me? Big pat on the back! A few years ago, I made a tufted ottoman with 3 upside down plastic paint pails, clover leaf style. Same tufting method, but used decorative cording instead of welting. I cut plywood to cover the bottom of the pails and put thick foam on top of that. The skirt was pleated. People can try many different bases for an upholstered ottoman. You hit it out of the park!

This is beautiful and the stripes look great! Just what everyone else said! Wow! I rarely am on GW anymore but had to comment on how beautiful and professionally done this looks. Thanks for sharing your pictures and techniques. Inspiring.

You really have talent! I'm impressed!

Impressive attention to detail and an AWESOME finished product! Looks like you bought it in a high-end shop.

Really well done. Congrats!

Do you have online instructions that you followed? If yes, could you post a link?

That looks fabulous!!! I like the stripes with the tufting. You are very talented!

It's perfect! I love the deep tufting.

Corgimum -- thank you for writing out all those steps and including pics! Amazing project, nothing I would have ever imagined for that coffee table which has been reincarnated into a beautiful unique piece :-)

Nosoccermom-

The first time I did this I followed these instructions until the part about the corners:

http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2009/03/make-ottoman-from-coffee-table.html?m=1

Then I sewed a skirt for it and used that to cover the sides.

This time I wanted deep tufting and smooth sides so I framed the edge with 1 x 8 pine boards so that there was a place to staple the side pieces all the way around without the legs causing a problem.

Kristi at the Addicted3Decorating blog did a very nice deep tufted ottoman from scratch. She used a different method to tuft but it's worth checking out. I followed her lead on cutting the foam holes for deep tufting, although I just used scissors while she used a piece of pipe.

http://www.addicted2decorating.com/diy-ottoman-coffee-table-part-1-how-to-do-diamond-tufting.html

Then I followed the instructions in the Singer book (pgs. 124-125) I mentioned earlier to add the welt cord and the side pieces. If you haven't made welt cord before you can google "continuous bias binding" for instructions and then use 3/16" cable cord to make the welting.

I bought most of the supplies at JoAnn fabric. The button twine and dacron came from http://www.diyupholsterysupply.com.

Now THAT is inspiring! I have a table shaped just like that and have been contemplating the same idea for years. Great job! Its beautiful!

That's equally fantastic, Nosoccermom!

Nosoccermom- That looks like a good challenge, too. Let us know if you do it. I have always wondered if it's hard to work with a rug because of the thickness.

Beautiful piece! So well done! Congrats!

This is great...what a professional job! Thanks so much for the detailed info about the tufting...that has always been a complete mystery to me.

Very impressive! I love the ticking stripes.

How vey, very wonderful!

Wow!! Looks wonderful...well done!

Amazing. I have no skills to feel sufficiently inspired, but I'm in awe nonetheless!

That is quite wonderful! Love the fabric choice. Very well done indeed! Great job!

Ha! An outstanding job by a DIYer! I love it!
Diane

Excellent job! Very creative way to transform an old coffee table. The fabric goes well with the other things in your room. Thank you for photos and descriptions of how you did this.

I have upholstered in the past, but never tufted. I may try it someday.
Singer Upholstery Basics is one of the books I used to learn from. It's good to know they have a new version of that old book, now.

Thank you for sharing your diy experience. Do you have any more upholstery projects in the future?

My next project is to redo two cane chairs I found on Craigslist. I've had them for a year and a half but it took awhile to find the right fabric. I'm waiting for warmer weather so I can spray prime outside.Hopefully I'll get one done by the end of 2015!

Beautiful workmanship. You have a real talent.