Storage Ottoman for Mom's Tired Feet

Every time I have gone to a department store in the last couple of years I look at those great Storage ottomans, but i couldn't see paying $50 or more for something I would only be putting my feet on. So I decided that this mothers day I would do something special for myself and make one. After all I'm a busy mom of 4 why can't I sew up a gift for me? I wanted my ottoman to fit a few requirements :
1. It had to look nice
2. it had to have plenty of storage space to hid some of my yarn that seems to have taken over the house
3. I wanted to use things I had around the house. I didn't want to spend a dime on it.

I looked around the house gathered up somethings that would have been thrown away if I didn't find a use for them and went to work. Now some of my yarn has a new home and my feet have a comfy spot to rest.

materials needed:
5 gal bucket
heavy weight cardboard box
old quilt
fabric or flannel sheet (for outside)
knit fabric or jersey sheet (for inside)
double sided tape
glue gun
stuffing from old pillow
extra floor tiles
razor knife
needle
thread
sewing machine

Measure the height and diameter of your bucket. Most buckets are larger around the top then they are around the bottom so make sure to jot down both measurements.

Add 3" to the height to allow enough room to turn over the edges of the fabric.

Lay your old quilt down on a flat surface and cut 3 pieces to match your measurements. After you cut the quilt the fabric should pull easily away from the batting. Put the fabric aside for another project we will only be using the batting for this one.

Wrap the bucket with 2 pieces of the batting you cut from the old quilt, layering one on top of the other as shown in the picture. .Pin in place.
Using a needle and thread Hand stitch the batting edges together, Make sure you catch both layers of batting in your stitching.

Most 5 gal buckets have a wide rim at the top to even this out we need to add an extra layer of batting just below that rim.
Wrap your 3rd piece of batting below the rim and hand stitch into place.

Trim the batting even with the top and bottom of the bucket.
Using the hot glue gun, glue the batting to the bottom rim of the bucket. Do the same to the top rim of the bucket.

Cut 4 12wx20L rectangles from the fabric you have chosen for the outside of your ottoman.

Lay the bucket upside down onto the folded fabric and trace and cut out 2 circles. Put aside.

Machine stitch the 4 rectangles together length wise using a 1/4" seam allowance.

With right sides in wrap the long fabric strip around the bucket.

Tightly pin the edges of the strip together being careful not to catch batting in the pins Trim exess fabric away leaving enough of a seam allowance.

Carefully slip the pined fabric tube off the bucket and machine stitch a 1/4th " seam.

Using one of the fabric circles as a guide, trace and cut out 3 circles from the cardboard box.

Glue one of the cardboard circles to the bottom of the bucket. Carefully cut away any excess cardboard.

With right sides together pin one of the fabric circles to the fabric tube. Machine stitch using a 1/4th " seam.
Turn right side out.
Slip onto bucket.

that you choose for the inside liner of the ottoman.
Using Fig A as a guide, cut a piece of fabric with those dimensions.

From the same fabric cut out four 11" circles

Sew the sides of the ottoman liner together using a 1/4th" seam.

With right sides together pin one of the 11" circles to the liner stitch. Do not turn right side out

inside the bucket on the sides and bottom.

Fold the outside fabric into the bucket securing it on the tape.

Place the liner inside the bucket using the tape to keep the bottom smooth and the sides from sliding.

Fold the liner edge under 1/2". Pin the liner to the outside cover.

Hand stitch the liner to the outside cover.

that you cut earlier. Place it on top of the bucket and trim away any excess cardboard so that it sits flush with the outside wall of the ottoman.

Take the baking paper off of one of the floor tiles and place the cardboard circle onto it. Press down firmly to make sure it is well attached. Using the razor knife carefully trace around the circle. once the tile has been scored it can be easily broken.
Remove the baking paper off the second tile and place the cardboard side of the circle on top trace around with razor knife break away tile. You should be left with a piece of cardboard sandwiched in between two tile circles.

on top of the ottoman. using the razor knife, carefully trim enough cardboard away so that the circle fits just inside the rim of the bucket without falling inside. Place this circle on top of one of the lining fabric circles using tape secure it all around the circle pulling the fabric taut. Remove the paper from the last tile place the fabric covered circle down on the tile cardboard side down press firmly together. trace the circle with the razor knife and break away excess tile. Put this circle aside for now.

machine stitch them together leaving a small opening. Turn right side out. Stuff with the stuffing from the old pillow. hand stitch the opening closed. Lay the remaining fabric circle on top of the circle pillow you just made. Sew a button through the pillow and fabric circle pull the thread tight Hot glue the fabric circle to the bottom of the large tile circle.

to the bottom of the pillow topped circle . Hand stitch the two circles together. Place the cover on the ottoman.
Find a comfy place to sit and put your feet up!!

Enjoy!!!