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DIY Upholstered Cushions : How I Transformed my Kitchen Bench for $200

I just ADORE our little white bench seat in our kitchen, but LET’s BE REAL – I have two kids so it turns into a gross spaghetti stained mess and needs a full scrub after almost every meal. Needless to say, that was getting old quick! However, I didn’t want to pay $$ for cushions to fit the space because I knew they would just get jam-handed, and spaghetti splashed as soon as I bought them. What is a mom to do?!

GATHRE TO THE RESCUE

If you aren’t already obsessed with all things Gathre – then let me introduce you. Gathre is an amazing line of bonded leather mats and home goods for literally a millions uses. I have almost every size and shape of mat and they are one of the most used and loved items in our home. They are wipeable and a breeze to clean. I use them from the kitchen, to the soccer field, and the play room and beyond. So – why not upholster some cushions with a mat?! Genius right?! It solves the cleaning problem and provides the comfort that was missing from the kitchen seating area.

I have not upholstered any furniture before, but I figured it couldn’t be too hard. So my pal Jaime and I watched some youtube videos and got to work. It was pretty simple. The stapling took a little bit of practice – especially around the corners but all in all was a simple DIY that I think anyone can do.

Here’s the steps:

“Gathre” your supplies. ( see what I did there? #momjokes) I used 1 Maxi Gathre Mat in Blanc, 1 sheet of hardwood plywood, a Skill Saw ( I have a HART one from Walmart and its the BOMB), a Staple Gun, 2 inch thick Foam padding, and some staples.

1. Measure your bench. I chose to make my cushions in 3 sections to make them fit within the mat sections ( a maxi mat is already divided into 3 pieces that are sewn together) It also makes them easier to remove and clean when needed.
2. Cut your plywood. I used my skill saw to cut my plywood approximately 1/4 inch shorter than I wanted my sections to be so that the foam would completely surround the edges.
3. Cut the mat along the seams into 3 even pieces.
4. Place the mat section on the ground leather side down and place the foam section on top of it. Then place your plywood section on top of the foam.
5. Wrap the sides of the mat up and onto the plywood. Secure along each long side of the plywood with staples.
6. The WATCH THIS VIDEO to learn how to do the corners. You can skip to about 5 minutes in.
7. Trim off the excess fabric and VOILA!! Now you have an amazing bench seat.

Here are some process photos of Jaime and I at work! Also make sure to check out my IGTV video here where you can see my progress from start to finish.

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