Wonderful DIY Salvaged Spool Ottoman

DIY Salvaged Spool Ottoman - Finished Salvaged Spool Ottoman — *A gorgeous ottoman from a discarded spool!*

If you can manage to get your hands on an old timber spool, this project will give you an ottoman for a fraction of the cost of a store-bought one. Best of all you’ll be able to tell people that you made it yourself!

A wire spool is a large, round container made of heavy material. The container is designed to hold several spools of wire so that the wire can be easily transported from place to place.

DIY Salvaged Spool Ottoman - Materials needed

An ottoman is a storage box that sits on a coffee table or on the floor and can also be used as a footrest. Ottomans are typically small and often used to store blankets and pillows. An ottoman is typically used in living areas or dens but can be placed in other rooms as well.

Take an old wire spool, add a good coat of stain, a few coats of polyurethane, and voila. The spool’s diameter makes a comfy resting spot for your feet, and the height provides a place to rest your legs. The wire spool is relatively light, so it’s easy to move around.

Many DIYers salvage their discarded furniture to upcycle it into something else. A popular choice is to reuse the wooden spools that wire comes on. Here are a few simple steps to make this DIY project easy to complete.

Remove the wire from the spool. It was good enough to hold the electric wire, but that’s all it was good for. So you can take a hammer and chisel and “liberate” it from the wire spool. Cut the top off to make a 2-inch thick slab on which to build the ottoman.

Then, use three different size hole saw bits to make the holes. Make holes in the slab 3-inch-apart, or whatever that will fit your drill. Cut the slab in half to make two ottomans, so each has a hole that you can use to pull out the ottoman and a hole that you can use to store things in.

Wrap the spool with a layer of fabric. The spool will be sitting on the bottom of the ottoman, so you want to cover the wire wheels and bottom with a layer of fabric. Choose an appropriate fabric that will match the room’s decor.

The legs of your ottoman can be attached with caster wheels. This way, you can easily roll it over where you want it to be. Plus, if yours storing something in it, it won’t be too heavy if it has caster wheels.

Could this be your next weekend’s amazing project?

All you need — aside from the tools and materials listed — are some mid-level carpentry skills, and you’re on your way to having a piece of new furniture that seems like a high-end commercial product!