A few years back, my in-laws made our daughter a beautiful toybox for Christmas. We ended up having to keep it in our living room because her room is so small. I decided that I’d like to hide the toy clutter with a toy box cover. However, I also wanted the cover to be pretty and functional. That’s when I decided to learn how to build a DIY cushion seat for a toy box.
As it starts with all projects that I’m unfamiliar with, I was a little skeptical about how it would go. I’ve never once upholstered something and it seemed like it would be so tricky.
I bought the fabric for it ages ago with the intent of starting on the project. However, I never got around to it. Finally, I decided it had to be done.
My husband picked up some plywood and cut it to size so it would fit over the opening at the top of the toy box. I then painted the side that would go down white to match the outside of the toy box.
I spent some time researching cushions, trying to figure out what on earth I was even looking for. In my mind initially, this cushion was filled with batting, which is why it seemed so daunting to put fabric over. Turns out, they sell cushion foam just for this sort of project.
Tools Needed to Build a DIY Cushion Seat for Toy Box
- Circular Saw
- Scissors
- Staple Gun
- Hammer
- Knife (exacto or bread knife)
- Drill
Materials Needed to Build a DIY Cushion Seat for Toy Box
- Plywood
- Cushion Foam
- Fabric
- Staples
- Spray Glue
- Non-Mortise Hinges (2)
Instructions on How to Build a DIY Cushion Seat for a Toy Box
1. Cut the Wood for the Base
The first step to building a DIY cushion seat for a toy box is to measure the toy box opening to determine how large the base for the seat needs to be.
Make sure you measure so there is enough wood on the base to sit on the ledge of the toy box.
Using the circular saw, cut the wood to size. If you want the bottom of the plywood colored to match the rest of the toy box, paint or stain it before attaching the fabric. Otherwise, you can just leave it as is.
2. Cut the Foam Cushion
Lay the wood piece out you cut for the base out on top of the foam.
Using an exacto knife or bread knife cut around the wood to cut the foam to size.
Alternatively, you could measure and draw on the foam.
I chose to opt for the first method and just use the board for size. It worked pretty well.
3. Glue the Foam to the Board
Using spray glue, spray the board and press the foam down on top of the board.
Leave it dry and make sure it is sticking to the board fairly well. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
The reason for this step is to make sure the foam and board don’t shift around while you are trying to attach the fabric.
4. Cut the Fabric
On a flat surface lay out the board with the foam on top. Then lay the fabric out on top of it.
Make sure the fabric is placed in such a way that it is how you’d like to see it on the finished product.
Fold the fabric over the edges and leave an extra few inches past the edge of the foam/board combination for the overlay on the bottom of the board.
You want those extra few inches to make sure you have enough fabric to put the staples in to hold it onto the board.
Once you have the fabric in place, cut it using sharp scissors.
5. Attach the Fabric
Flip the board over once you have the fabric placed and cut. Make sure to hold the fabric in place so it doesn’t slide when you flip it over.
Using a staple gun, attach the fabric to the underside of the board.
I started in the middle on the long end and folded the fabric tightly over the side.
Then use a staple gun to attach the fabric to the board. Slowly work your way along each side toward the corners.
If any of the staples are sticking up too high, use a hammer to make them flat against the board.
Leave the corners for last. They can be tricky to get to lay just right.
Folding Corners
I decided to fold the corners like you would wrap a present. As I did so, I made sure there were no awkward creases that I didn’t want showing after it was attached in place.
I then used the staple gun to attach the fabric in the corners to the board.
Use the same method for all 4 corners.
Make sure that as you are folding the corners, the creases are to the side you want them to be. I made sure that all 4 of my creases were on the short end of the board.
6. Cut Excess Fabric
There is likely some excess fabric along the bottom of the board. Use your scissors to cut it off, leaving an even edge around the sides.
7. Attach the Seat to the Toy Box
Using the drill, attach the hinge to the back of the of the toy box. Attach the second hinge to the other side of the toy box so they are evenly spaced along the back for the two hinges.
Once the two hinges are attached to the toybox, bring in the board for the cushion seat and attach that to each hinge along the long backside of the cushion seat.
Complete DIY Cushion Seat for a Toy Box
The end result was a beautiful toy box cover!
Now the toys are hidden from sight when not in use. This creates a much more calming atmosphere in the living room. It allows me to relax more in the evenings since the living room can be picked up.
Bonus result: increased confidence in my abilities to perform simple DIY tasks!
It is always nice trying something new and finding out that it can turn out okay, even if you doubted your skills in the beginning.
My grandma on my dad’s side used to upholster a ton. Although I’ve never met her, I like to think she was there in spirit ensuring that my mini-project turned out alright in the end.
I hope these easy instructions on how to build a DIY cushion seat for a toy box inspire you to try your own DIY projects!
