DIY Vintage Kilim Upholstered Scalloped Wooden Bench

Check out this DIY vintage Kilim rug upholstered scalloped wooden bench that I just made to go at the foot of our bed! I’ve had this vintage Kilim rug I purchased from Etsy a few years ago and haven’t had the perfect project for it until now. When I purchased it I knew the colors would work in my house since it was an earth tone neutral, but I couldn’t imagine it would ever become a bench until now. Want to see how it’s made? Let’s go!

 

Supplies Needed: 

• Vintage Kilim Rug
• Bench Legs, custom order from this shop
• Wood Glue
• Project Foam 1” Thick
• Poly-Fil Extra Loft Batting
• Minwax Wood Finish Water-based Solid Stain
• Fiddes & Sons Furniture Supreme Wax Polish – Antique Brown

 

Tools Needed:

• Dewalt 18-gauge Brad Nailer
• Dewalt Drill
• Dewalt Jig Saw
• Dewalt Saw Blade Set
• Drum Sanders for drill
• Dewalt Orbital Sander
• Cordless Electric Staple Gun
• Corner Clamps
• Clamps
• Sewing Machine

 

Creating the Scalloped Frame

Print out the single page numbered PDF template on US Letter size paper (8.5 in x 11 in). Lay them out horizontally in numbered order 1-4. Here is also the full sized version of the PDF template. Tape and cut out your paper scalloped template. Once you have your template ready to go, trace it onto a 1×4 board (I’m using white oak wood) and cut it out. I used my Dewalt Jig Saw to cut around the entire border, giving it the scalloped edge. 

Next, I sanded around the entire scalloped border to smooth out the rough edges. These drum sander drill bits came in handy for sanding all of the curved edges. They can be used with any power drill. And of course, I did a thorough sand on all 4 bench pieces with my Dewalt Orbital Sander.

 

 

Determine the overall desired length and width of your wooden bench. Mine is 18″ deep by 63″ wide and it fits nicely at the bottom of our king-sized bed. Cut two pieces of your desired length and two pieces of your desired width and assemble the scalloped frame. I mitered the corners for a cleaner look and I just used some wood glue, corner clamps, and brad nails to create the frame.

 

 

Construct the Bench Cushion Frame

The scalloped frame that we just created is purely decorative and it will just mount to the underside of the cushioned top. We need to construct a basic frame for our cushioned top. Cut 2 pieces for the length using 2×4 boards and another 2 pieces for the width using 4×4 boards. I’m using a 4×4 on the ends, so there is more surface area for the legs to mount to. This frame will have the same outer dimensions as the scalloped frame (18″ deep by 63″ wide for mine). You could even make it slightly shy to accommodate the cushioning. I added 4 additional 2×4 boards inside the bench seat for added support. 

 

 

Use a 1/2″ thick piece of plywood and cut it to size to fit the bench seat. Lay your plywood on top of the basic frame and screw it into place.

 

 

Upholstering the Bench Seat

Cut your Project Foam 1” Thick to the exact measurement of your bench seat. Some spray adhesive will help to hold the foam in place, but it’s not necessary. Pro tip— A bread knife works beautifully to cut through foam.

 

 

Lay your Poly-Fil Extra Loft Batting around the entire bench seat, pull taut and use your Cordless Electric Staple Gun to attach the batting to the bench underside. I used two layers of batting on my bench.

 

 

Lay out your Kilim rug centered on the bench. I used my laser measuring tool to create a straight line around each side of the bench so I could cut the fabric evenly.

Once the fabric was cut, I flipped it upside down, draped it over the bench again, and pinned the fabric at the corners to make a faux slipcover. Next, I took it to my Sewing Machine and sewed each corner seam to give the bench fabric a crisp structured look. Then I laid the slipcover on top of the bench, pulled taut, and secured it with my Cordless Electric Staple Gun.

If you prefer not to do any sewing you can fold and staple the corners. Sewing the corners will give it a cleaner look, but folding works as well.

 

 

Finishing and Assembling the Bench

To finish the scalloped frame and Bench legs I used Minwax Wood Finish Water-based Solid Stain. Once dried I applied Fiddes & Sons Furniture Supreme Wax Polish – Antique Brown to give it a protective matte finish.

 

 

To attach the scalloped frame to the bench seat, I used blocks of wood and screwed it to the bench seat framing as well as the scalloped frame. Lastly, I attached the 4 bench legs with the bolts that were supplied and came with the legs.

 

 

The Final Reveal

 

 

What do you think? Does it give the room a finished touch? Was it worth it? Let me know in the comments!

 

Project Sources

Vintage Kilim Rug | Bench Legs, custom order from this shop | Corner Clamps | Clamps | Wood Glue | Project Foam 1” Thick | Poly-Fil Extra Loft Batting | Sewing Machine | Minwax Wood Finish Water-based Solid Stain | Fiddes & Sons Furniture Supreme Wax Polish – Antique Brown

 

Room Sources

Dalton Bed with Harper Side Table   |   Loloi Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines Sinclair Rug   |   Calabria Reggio Table Lamp  |  Distiller Metal Arch Paneled Floor Mirror (Mine are a DIY version: Here!)  |  Double Curtain Rod  |  Jawara Luxury Linen Cotton Curtain Pleated  |  Sheets  |  Linen Duvet Cover  |  Organic Cloud Cotton Quilt  |  Organic Cloud Cotton Euro Sham  |  Organic Cloud Cotton Sham  |  Cotton Fleece Blanket, color Suede  |  Neutral Hemp hand woven Pillow Cover   |  Printed Linen Bolster Pillow Cover

 

Reference Sources

More info at this highlight: here and here on Instagram.

 

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