Tricks for Making a Padded Bench Top

Find the Bench

• Look around your house and find an old bench or even a sturdy coffee table. If you don't have any of these, purchase one through garage sales or through a friend. The trick is not to spend a lot of money on the bench.

Use Foam

• Go to your local fabric or craft store and purchase a thick piece of foam padding, ideally 3 to 4 inches thick. Go to the discount or clearance section first and see what they have. Sometimes stores will also have remnant sections with even further discounted prices.

Measure Bench and Spray Adhesive

• Take a measuring tape and measure the top of your bench, getting its length and width. Cut the foam with a pair of scissors to match those measurements. Place foam padding on top of the bench to make sure there is no foam overhanging the bench. You want to make sure your padded bench is comfortable with no hard edges cutting into people when they sit.

  Once your pad for your bench is exactly how you want it, take a can of spray adhesive and spray the top of the bench. Carefully lay the foam padding on your bench and press down slightly, making sure it is exactly where you want it.

Cover With Fabric

• The final trick for making a padded bench top is to cover the foam padding with fabric. Using fabric you have lying around the house or that you can purchase from the clearance section at the fabric store, cut a piece of fabric that matches the length and width of the bench (making sure to add the thickness of the foam padding to your measurements). Add 4 inches to each side and cut.
  Lay your fabric on the floor and carefully turn your bench upside down on top of the fabric with the foam padding down. Wrap the fabric tightly over the padding and staple the ends of the fabric to the underside of the bench. Do this on all sides. When you're done, flip the bench over and try out your padded bench.