The C.O.S.U

C.O.S.U = Console + Ottoman + Storage Unit

I was having 3 problems in the RVing that needed solving:

1) There was no place to put anything when I was driving.  No place to stash a granola bar or a tissue.  The passenger seat is too far away and the seats are so high that the floor is out of reach.  If something gets dropped it falls in the “no man’s zone” and cannot be retrieved until I stop.  In many ways this is a good thing because the fewer distractions while driving the better, but I really felt like it would be better if I had a place to put stuff.

2) The passenger seat swivels to become the “living room” seat while I’m parked.  I don’t always use the feature – the passenger seat is always covered with stuff that I’d have to move, but it’s nice when I don’t have a picnic table to eat at or if it’s too cold to be outside.  The seat is so high that my feet don’t quite touch the floor when the seat is swiveled and it’s uncomfortable.  I needed an ottoman.

3) I’m re-thinking how I’d like to arrange the closet and looking to put some plastic drawers in there, which means I needed to find a new place for my shoes. 

I was rolling around ideas for what would work and how to solve all three problems with 1 new piece of furniture. 

I found a crate in the basement – it came home from school with me at some point, I have no idea when or how I acquired it or who’s it was before it was mine!  The crate fit perfectly between the front seats and was the right height for the ottoman.  I took the crate with me when I went to Williamsburg over Memorial Day weekend, thinking Mom and I would come up with something. 

I’d seen some ideas on Pinterest for Milk Crate Stools and was thinking that I needed a lid for the crate and then I could create a cushion for it.  Mom helped me hatch the plan for the organizer on top…just glue some baskets to the back of the lid and flip it depending on what you need! Genius!

I needed a lid of some sort so we looked around the garage and came up with several options – a thick piece of plywood, a thiner piece of what looked like white paneling – looks like it would be a good back for a bookcase, and some other stuff I can’t remember.  I opted for the paneling and Dad pulled out his tape measure and saw and in about 10 minutes had the lid made.

I took the crate and the lid home and once home found a stash of fabric that had several good options, I also discovered a pile of polyester batting, and more than enough hot glue sticks!  I was going to be able to make the entire project without spending a penny!

Today I assembled the new piece of furniture!

The crate:

The lid Dad cut – it looks like it’s a white board, but it’s not really:

The fabric choices, the batting & the hot glue gun:

I was very close to using the striped fabric, but the hot pink was speaking to me this morning!  I think it works better with the purple baskets than the stripe would have.  I hadn’t even decided on the purple baskets when I picked the pink though!

To make the cushion I measured the fabric 3 inches larger than the lid I just guessed what I thought would work…and it worked, then folded a piece of batting up until it would fit on the lid with an edge around it so it would sit in the lip of the crate, and then glued the fabric to the lid.  I used hot glue to attach it, but I didn’t think it was going to hold long term so I decided to cover the fabric with Modge Podge.  This worked perfectly – the Modge Podge soaked into the fabric and stuck it like cement to the lid! 

I’d originally planned to put some trim around the edges of the fabric on the flip side of the lid (the side that was going to become the console), but when I actually did it I decided that the baskets I was attaching would cover the edge just fine!

Before I applied the Modge Podge I wanted to test the basket placement and make sure it fit when I flipped the lid over.  I attached them baskets with hot glue, thinking I’d just pulled them off since the fabric wasn’t sticking very well.  I was wrong.  The hot glue held those baskets like super glue! I was able to get them off, and applied copious amounts of Modge Podge!

After the Modge Podge dried I used hot glue to re-attach the baskets and I was done! :-)  Hopefully the hot glue holds for life, but it it doesn’t superglue is readily available!

The finished product: 

Set up as an ottoman:

Lid flipped over to reveal baskets for holding snacks and other necessities while driving:

Filled with all my shoes I’m taking (except my hiking boots…those are in the RV, hopefully they fit, but one pair of shoes will be on my feet so that will make room):

3 problems solved! A few hours of time!  And not a penny spent! :-)

YAY!!!!!