Simple Steps to Build Your Own Ottoman (Beginner Friendly Woodworking Project)

After a long day at work, there’s nothing I love more than coming home and propping up my feet. The only problem? Our living room has a couch and two wingback chairs, but none of them recline. So, Bryan and I decided it was time to fix that by building our very own ottoman — something sturdy, beautiful, and perfectly sized for our space.

This project was not only fun, but surprisingly beginner‑friendly. If you’ve been wanting to try your hand at furniture building or upholstery, this is a great place to start. Here’s how we built our cherry ottoman from start to finish.

Milling the Cherry Lumber

We started with a mix of 2‑inch and 1‑inch thick cherry boards. The first step was planing everything down so we had smooth, even stock to work with. Once the boards were flat, we edge‑joined them using a level to make sure each piece was perfectly straight.

From there:

• The apron pieces were ripped to 3½ inches wide

• The leg blanks were ripped to 4½ × 1½ inches

• All pieces were cut to final length at the miter saw:

  • Legs: 14½ inches

  • Aprons: two at 13 inches, two at 17 inches

Pocket‑Hole Joinery & Sanding

We used pocket‑hole construction for the entire base — simple, strong, and perfect for hardwood. Each apron piece got two pocket holes before assembly.

Cherry burns easily, so sanding took a little patience. Anywhere we had burn marks, we started with 80‑grit, then moved to 120, and finished with 220 for a silky‑smooth surface.

Assembling & Staining the Base

With everything sanded, we glued and screwed the base together using fine‑thread pocket‑hole screws made for hardwoods.

For the finish, we chose Watco Danish Oil in Dark Walnut to match our existing living room furniture. After the first coat dried, we added a second coat mixed with just a touch of True Black to deepen the color. The result was rich, warm, and exactly what we hoped for — no extra topcoat needed since Danish oil already contains

polyurethane.

Building the Upholstered Top

The top is a simple piece of ¾‑inch plywood, cut to 18 × 22 inches. We attached a 2‑inch foam cushion using spray adhesive, then wrapped the entire piece in batting and fabric.

And here’s my favorite part:

This is a no‑sew ottoman. 

If you can wrap a present, you can upholster this top.

We folded the corners neatly, stapled everything in place, and trimmed the excess fabric. I even added a fabric panel to the underside to hide the plywood — a little detail that makes it feel more finished.

A sweet bonus: the fabric came from a pair of thrifted draperies my mom and I found for just $2. Every time I prop my feet up, I’ll think of that day together.

Final Assembly

Once the cushion was complete, we attached it to the base using 1¼‑inch pocket‑hole screws. And just like that — our very first ottoman build was done.

It’s simple, sturdy, and fits our living room perfectly. For our first attempt at upholstery, I’m proud of how it turned out. We’re already talking about trying something a little fancier next time.

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Happy woodworking!