Bench beautification

I bought this ugly (read: UGLY) bench off Craigslist one day, about a year ago, for some reason. I'm not really sure why... but at the time I had an idea. Anyway, it cost a whopping $9 and it's been in my garage ever since.

Fast forward to my son's birthday. I just got a new table, inherited from my Grandpa (thanks!) and it seats 6, but I only have 4 chairs.... and the dilemma is I have a bunch of kids coming for pizza and cake. So, I drag out the 'ol bench and it is disgusting. I mean, nasty. It's a lot dirtier than I remembered. I quickly dig through the linen closet and find a bed skirt to throw over it and tie it up in the back with a hair tie and shove it against the wall. It's a quick fix that didn't look half bad.

The next day I snuck away from the kids and the dude and went to Goodwill, on a mission! I found a perfectly pleated chocolate brown bed skirt and a nice piece of fabric that is both water resistant and a good color (plus, it's reversible!) so I bought them and headed home to dig my staple gun out of the closet. I cut the white part off the bed skirt (the part that lays on the mattress) and just used the skirt. Then, I stapled the fabric from the underside on the front of the bench, so you wouldn't notice the staples. Since the bench sits against the wall, I wasn't too worried about the backside. You can't see them anyway unless you are laying on the floor.. so baby Henry is really the only one with a crummy view :)

Here is the process of beautifying the bench, in pictures:

Ugly $9 bench

King size bed skirt from Goodwill.

Two toned fabric. I used the sage green side.

I cut the white part off and stapled the skirt. It was a bad cut job, but it didn't matter because the fabric would cover it all anyway.

Skirted.

I flipped the fabric over on the front of the bench and stapled from the inside.

When I pull it over, you can't see the staples. This is the side everyone will see.

Finished! It looks better in person. The lighting in my house sucks and made it look a little lumpy.

Here it is, under the window. Perfect fit :)