DIY cowhide cocktail ottoman

I wish I had thought to take some “before” pictures, but I didn’t so all you get here is the finished product! I will tell you a little bit about how I did it though.

We had a boring, brown leather cocktail ottoman that came with a sectional we no longer have. While it served it’s purpose, I was more than tired of it and have been actively looking for a new coffee table instead. A couple of months ago I bought this great cowhide rug from IKEA and although I LOVED it, I decided that with all the hardwood in the house, I really wanted something more cozy & fluffy on the floor. A few weeks went by as I looked at these two pieces and finally it clicked — I should re-upholster the ottoman with the cowhide rug! It was perfect — I got to keep my cowhide front and center in the living room, plus we didn’t lose the functionality of the ottoman and the floor space was clear for me to find the perfect fuzzy rug for underfoot.

My friend Pam came over to lend a hand with the project and it basically went like this:

1. Unscrew wood feet from the ottoman

2. Position cowhide on ottoman right-side-up to make sure it is aligned the way I wanted it

3. Flip hide & ottoman upside down

4. Use staple gun to attach cowhide to underside of frame on the middle of each side (one person stretched the hide tight by hand, the other stapled)

5. Trim off as much excess material as possible & fold in corners, attaching with more staples

6. Staple hide along underside of the frame, making sure it is securely attached

7. Screw wooden feet back on and flip right-side-up

Finished!!!

Now I love my new ottoman and just have to find the perfect area rug to complete the room. Oh, and by the way… we only have a small percentage of wallpaper left to peel in the living/dining room. We will officially have one room finished before you know it! And — in case you were wondering, that handsome devil in front of the ottoman is the newest addition to the family, George. He is the sweetest, most snugly 10-year old Rottweiler you have ever met, adopted from the county animal shelter at the beginning of February.

Stay tuned for more updates on the house!