It seems the design world is cuckoo for cognac-hued leather at the moment (especially when it comes to sofas), and I, Erin, am no exception to the craze! Like most of us though, it’s not exactly feasible to run out and buy a new sofa at the drop of a hat (although wouldn’t that be amazing?!), so I’ve decided to satisfy my cognac leather craving with a more affordable sort of furniture piece. One I can actually make myself with a little ingenuity and cleverly wielded materials.
If you too are looking for a way to introduce cognac leather into your home without throwing your savings out the window, this DIY woven leather stool has your name written all over it…
½”- 1” thick MDF or plywood board cut to 9”W x 15”L dimensions
1 yard of faux leather or leather – Specifically I used this faux leather
9 yards of 1” diameter piping cord filler (Found at most fabric stores)
Synthetic fiber batting
Basic Sewing Supplies: pins, scissors, thread, white colored pencil or chalk
Qty 4, 12”H tapered wood legs
Qty 4, Angled leg brackets
Lightweight cotton fabric (optional)
Cut faux leather in 4” wide strips at two lengths: You’ll need seven strips at 29”L & ten strips at 18”L. Then cut cording into seven strips at 26”L & ten strips at 15”L. Once the faux leather and cording is cut, start encasing the cording in the leather strips. Center the short cording strips on the short faux leather strips, and fold the faux leather in half (around the casing). Pin into place. Do the same with the longer faux leather & cording.
Next thread your machine (I used contrast thread) and move your needle all the way over so it’s as close to the leather cording as possible. Sew a straight stitch along the length of the cording, removing pins as you go. Repeat with all cordings.
Position the angled leg brackets at each corner of the board. Mark with a pencil and pre-drill holes.
Flip the board over. Cut four layers of batting the same size as the board and attach onto the board with a staple in each corner.
Next begin stapling the long leather strips along the underside of the shorter edge of the board, and the short leather strips along the underside of the longer edge of the board.
Next flip the board over and lay the long strips over the length of the board. If you’re familiar with weaving, think of the long strips as your warp (running lengthwise) and your shorter strips as your weft (running right to left). Begin weaving the strips together with a basket type weave comprised of ‘over one, under one.’ Make sure to push the shorter strips back up towards the top, and pull everything very tight as you go. As soon as you’ve woven in about 3 short strips, staple those 3 weft cords on the bottom side of the board towards the edge. I didn’t worry too much about the contrast stitching showing, as I liked the handmade quality it added.
Continue weaving until the entire top of the stool is woven. Finish by stapling the long warp strips to the bottom side of the board. Then cut back any strips (& re-staple, if necessary) any that cover up your pre-drilled bracket holes.
At this point, you may want to conceal the craziness on the bottom of the stool with lightweight cotton fabric. This step is totally optional, but I think it creates a more finished looking piece. Cut a piece of lightweight cotton 1-2” larger than the size of the board. Fold raw edges under so that it’s the size of the board and iron to keep in place.
Lay the fabric over the bottom of the stool and staple one edge into place. Mark pre-drilled bracket holes on the surface of the fabric with a white colored pencil. Staple the remaining sides of the fabric into place. Screw brackets into place and screw in legs.
Pair this textural bad boy with your favorite lounge chair, or tuck a pair of them under a console for additional seating when needed. Either way, your space just got an upgrade! What do you think? Are you into the cognac leather trend?
Erin Francois
