How to Make a Small Chaise Out of a Storage Ottoman

Push the storage ottoman next to the front edge of your couch and flush with one side so that it forms an L shape with your couch. The top of the ottoman should be level with the seat of your couch when the couch seat cushions are removed. Now the ottoman forms the frame of your small chaise.

Remove the seat and back cushions from the couch. Measure the length from the back of the couch to the front edge of the ottoman. Measure the width of the ottoman along the side that touches the couch.

Buy a slab of foam cushioning of the dimensions you have from Step 2 and about 4 or 5 inches thick. If you get one that is larger, mark the slab with the measurements with a permanent marker and cut the slab yourself with an electric kitchen knife. Now you have the cushion that will lie across the top of your chaise.

Add 1 inch to the length and width measurements from Step 2 for seam allowance. Measure the thickness of your foam slab and add 1 inch for seam allowance. These are the measurements for your cover fabric.

Use durable fabric that does not stretch, and goes well with your couch and ottoman upholstery. Mark 2 layers of fabric of the length and width measurements from Step 4 with tailor's chalk and cut out this fabric for the top and bottom of your cushion cover.

Cut a single piece of fabric as wide as the thickness measurement from Step 5, including the seam allowance. The length of this piece of fabric should be twice the width measurement added to twice the length measurement from Step 4, including the seam allowance. This piece of fabric should wrap all the way around the sides of your cushion.

Pin the long, narrow side piece of fabric to all four edges of the top panel of fabric with right sides together and the side piece lying toward the middle of the top panel. Stitch them together on the edges with ½-inch seams.

Pin the edges of the side panel with right sides together to the bottom panel on three sides, leaving one short side open. The corners of the top and bottom panels must line up exactly. This step requires some care to avoid pinning the top panel to the bottom panel. You want to create the cushion cover inside out. Stitch the top panel to the side piece with ½-inch seams, leaving the short, unpinned side open.

Remove the pins and turn the cushion cover right side out. Insert the foam slab into the cover. Adjust it so that the corners of the slab fit into the corners of the cover correctly.

Turn the unsewn edges of the cover inward and hand-stitch the opening closed. Turn this seam to the rear of the couch. Place the cushion so that it spans from the back of the couch to the front edge of the storage ottoman, completing the small chaise.