Ottoman**

You know there is ‘always something’ that I am wanting and looking for. Well, aren’t you like that too?

For a month or so, I have been wanting an ottoman. See that couch above in the picture? It is a very nice couch, but to sit on it for a long time,  you need something to put your feet on. Since I donated my coffee table (not sorry I did), it’s hard to stay comfortable for long. Most times we are in our recliners, but sometimes you just need a ‘new seat’ for awhile, or you might get company. Gotta have somewhere comfortable for them to sit!

Now I know you know me well enough by now, to know that I don’t like paying retail for anything! I like recycling, repurposing, and just getting my ‘stuff’ for as close to free as possible. I don’t care if I need to work on it to make it like new…that’s half the fun!

While I was off on vacation, I was surfing the internet looking for places that sold ottomans, because after a few weeks of looking at the thrift stores, I was coming up empty handed. Louie and I went to Big Lots one night to check out their ‘on sale’ ottoman for that week, and it was just too wimpy. It was BIG, but not sturdy. I wanted to be able to sit on it if I wanted to. We left empty handed and disappointed.

A day or two after that, I had to go to the dentist in DeWitt, and there is a very nice furniture store there where we have purchased La-Z-Boy recliners in the past, and our newest La-Z-Boy loveseat recliner. I thought about stopping, but in the end, I just couldn’t make myself. I knew if I did, I would more than likely have a new ottoman, and a new debt to pay. I wanted a bargain.

Louie took a few days off while I was on vacation, and we went junkin’ in Cedar Rapids one day. The first thing I saw when I went back by furniture was a BIG RED ottoman!  It did NOT look like it does in the picture above. It was red, and the same cover that is on it now, but it needed some ‘crispin’ up’! It was sturdy though, and peeking underneath the red cover, revealed a very nicely built, quality ottoman (if you like beige with blue checks). I can see why the previous owners covered it. They did the best they could.

That same day, we went to another thrift store, and on that day, I had it in my head that I would recover it. I found some dusty rose upholstery fabric for $5. I had a plan. Then at another thrift store, I found the rope fringe. Now, I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I knew I could live with it.

After I had it at home with the fringe, I decided that maybe I would just try adding the fringe to it and ‘crisp it up’. The previous owners had left lots of ‘raw’ edges, and used staples to attach the edges. I tried attaching the fringe with a staple gun, but found that staples just were NOT going to work, so I ordered some upholstery tacks. 300 of them.

Why does it take FOUR days to make it from Indiana to Iowa? You would think for $7 shipping for 4 itty bitty packages of upholstery tacks, it could be sent for less. Ok, I get it. Shipping and handling…but really, FOUR days to make it 344 miles???? (ok…rant over…sorry!)

I used lots of tacks to tack down the fringe. I did not want it coming off when we grabbed it to move it, or sat on it. Do you know that when I was all done, I only had about 8 inches of fringe left over? How’s that for ‘just enough’?

I am NOT an upholsterer, and I didn’t have a clue where to start from scratch, so I just upgraded this one. I like the color well enough. I would have preferred a darker red/maroon, but beggers can’t be choosers, right? I did a lot of trimming, turning under of fabric so there were no raw edges, and I used LOTS of tacks.  144 of them, to be exact, plus the 6 I bent, before my sweet husband told me what I was doing wrong.  Yes, the ‘feet’ look funky, don’t they? I actually thought this ottoman was home made when we first found it. I thought someone used ‘weights’ that you fill with sand or something for the feet, but when I was working on it, I discovered that they are NOT weights. They actually came with the ottoman. There is a ‘post’ on the other side of the foot, which fits down into a hole on the frame. I’ve never seen anything like it before.

When we aren’t using the ottoman, we push it over to the other side of the room right where it is sitting in this picture…at the end of the fainting couch, which matches the couch. Since the fainting couch is short, we could also use it to extend the fainting couch and someone could lie on that too.

We paid $20.38 for the ottoman, $1.77 for the fringe, and $6 for the tacks (plus $7 postage). Labor was free. Not bad for a $35.15 ottoman. I like it!

Have a great week!

Michelle

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:11-13

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**An ottoman is a piece of furniture consisting of a padded, upholstered seat or bench having neither back nor arms, often used as a stool or footstool, or in some cases as an improvised coffee table. Ottomans are often sold as coordinating furniture with armchairs or gliders.

An ottoman can also be known as a footstool, tuffet, hassock, bisset, or pouffe.^[1] Some ottomans are hollow and used for storage.

Etymology

The word ottoman was introduced into English in the "footstool" sense in 1806 (probably from the identical French word, which also denotes a type of textile fabric), because the ottoman's typical use in a reclining position was associated in Europe with the Orient, in line with fashionable Turkish style. The shape of the first footstools called ottoman were cylindrical and tall; similar to Ottoman government official's tall and round distinctive hats. Beyond 18th century the use of ottoman furniture became common in upper middle class families in western Europe.