Design TikToker Shows How To Turn A Thrifted Bench And Rug Into A Beautiful Place To Sit

Buying second-hand furniture is a great way to revamp your living space on a budget, but sometimes affordable thrift store finds aren't exactly our dream furniture pieces. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to improve furniture, and it doesn't get much easier than this DIY bench and rug idea from TikToker Sarah Teresinski (@redeux_style). For this clever project, all you need is a thrifted bench and a 3 by 5-foot rug with an attractive print. In the end, you'll have a beautiful piece that can add class and style to an entryway, living room, or any other space you wish.

The basic idea for this hack is to use a cute rug to do a quick reupholstering job on the bench seat. Teresinski gets both her bench and her rug from a thrift store (for a delightfully low spending total of $20) but if you prefer to get a new rug, you can still find plenty of inexpensive small with eye-catching prints, such as this colorful striped rug from Target. 

As for the bench itself, look for a bench at a thrift store with a sturdy frame — after all, there's no point spending time improving furniture that's going to fall apart in the near future. You should also look for one with a seat that's either separate from the frame or easily detachable with a screwdriver. Once you have these two basic pieces, you'll have your own custom bench in no time.

Start by removing the seat from the bench frame. Depending on the style of bench you have, the seat cushion may already be detachable, but if it's not, you will need to unscrew the nails that secure the seat to the frame. If you like, you can also take this as an opportunity to repaint the legs of the bench. Before wrapping the rug around the bench, trim off any thick edges on the rug, as these can make it difficult for the seat to lay flat on the frame.

Starting at the corners, wrap the rug over the top of the seat, folding the ends on the bottom side. The corners will be the bulkiest part of the rug, so be sure to fold them over tightly and trim any excess as needed. Use a staple gun to secure the folded corners into place. Next, fold the sides over the bench seat as well, stretching each side into a smooth, tight line before stapling it down. Be liberal with the number of staples you use — as Teresinski points out in her tutorial, nobody sees the bottom side of the bench, so do as much folding and stapling as you need to make sure the fabric is secure. After the bench seat is finished, you can reattach it to the frame, and you'll have a gorgeous new bench at a thrift store price.