a DIY coffee sack ottoman!

while we were home over christmas, my mother-in-law made us a super awesome ottoman using old coffee bean sacks & a used footstool!

she took photos along the way in case it "turned out cute enough for a blog post".  well, it is so darn cute, so here we go:

things you will need:
an ottoman of some sort
2 coffee sacks
thick cording
jute string
a yarn needle
pins, sewing machine, tan thread, marker & yardstick {she LOVES yardsticks :)}

she found these awesome coffee sacks at one of her favorite shops & the footstool at a used furniture store.

our footstool is actually a "sewing bench" with a top that opens to reveal a stash of old sewing supplies.  so cool!  since we always need more storage, i am positive i will find a good use for the new hidden extra space.

#1.  remove the side stitching of the coffee sack, so you have one long piece of burlap.  you can either rip or snip the side stitches with a seam-stripper or small scissors.  be VERY careful not to snip any of the burlap, as it will unravel.  the safest way is to loosen a stitch & then unravel the rest by hand.

{key: burlap ravels terribly.  the sewn sides are "selvages" or finished edges.  save them to use later to finish edges.}

you will end up with a long strip, about 6' long by 2' wide.  {ours had been sliced open along one side....machette-like...}

#2.  decide how you want the printing from the sacks to be on your ottoman.  we wanted the design on top but not perfectly centered.  we made the top & three sides from one sack and the fourth side from the second sack.

mark edges with pins.

#3.  measure & cut your pieces.  remember to allow for the seam & cording.  {we had a 5/8" seam allowance.  & a 2" cording circumfrence which means 1" allowance.}

double check all your measurements!  {measure twice...cut once.}  make sure your bottom edge is on the selvage edge.  so each side piece will have three cut edges & one selvage edge.

{tanky helped!}

#4.  using a sewing machine, sew the pieces together with a tight, straight stitch.  {goal: to keep the burlap from unraveling}.  burlap is double-sided, so make sure the pretty side is on the outside.  & make sure the selvage is the opposite end from the sewn side.

then sew the side seams to create a slip cover.  be careful with your seam allowances.  press open all of the seam allowances & press the hem.

{check out the progress!}

#5.  cording!  cut twelve pieces of cording - four for each side of the top & four for each corner edge & four for each side of the bottom.  cut each 1 1/2" shorter than the edge measures, as the corners will be pretty stiff on their own.

cording also unravels easily, so tape the ends & cut through the middle of the tape, leaving it taped.

{how the end will fray if you don't tape it!}

sew the cording in by hand with jute string & a yarn needle.

place the cording along each seam with the seam allowance flat & pin it in place.  start sewing about an inch from the corner - take a little stitch & pull the thread almost all the way through, then tie the ends together for the first knot.  pull tight.

stitch with a running stitch, making sure the stitches are even.  knot at each corner.

sew the cording in the hem with the same running stitch going right through the selvage.

 {please play, grandma!}

& the finished stool is fantastic!!  we absolutely love it.  perfectly urban & homey all at the same time.

total cost = $66:
footstool: $40
two coffee sacks: $20
7 yards cording: $6.

{confession: i know NOTHING about sewing.  so not only did my MIL make this awesome coffee sack ottoman, she also wrote the crafty blog post.}

thank you, lisa!!

love love,
kjp.