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Piano benches are built in many different ways, but there is something familiar about all of them. That is, that over time, they all wear out. Piano benches get much abuse even for the most careful users. In many families young children are not as careful as they could be when sitting at the piano and before long, most benches look very used. The bench most always wears out before the piano.
Piano benches can be sanded down and refinished. This process takes a lot of time and energy, not to mention skill, to get a beautiful finished product. Seldom are you able to get a perfect match in staining. Stains change color to a small degree over time and it is very hard to match the color of the bench to the piano when you restain it.
There is a way to make your piano bench look beautiful again without sanding and restaining. Turn it into a padded piano bench. It is easy to do and can be adapted to fit any style home décor. With very few supplies and very little time, your worn out bench can look like new again. You will need fabric the size of your bench plus five extra inches for each side of the bench, quilt batting the size of your bench plus one inch, and a staple gun. Padding a piano bench is easier with two people working together, one holding the fabric in place and the other stapling.
The fabric can be your choice but keep these hints in mind when purchasing: A tightly woven fabric works best. Loosely woven fabric can tear much more easily when stapled to the bench. Have the fabric match the style of the room. Usually a piano bench is not what you want to be the focal point of the room, so make the fabric blend in rather than attract attention. Sometimes it works to use the same fabric as throw pillows or curtains. Durable fabric is a good idea. Thicker fabrics work best, especially if your piano gets a lot of use. The padding is also a matter of preference, depending on the softness or look that you want the bench to have. About a one inch batting works well.
If the top of the bench can be removed from the bottom portion, it is best to remove it. The top of the bench can usually be removed easily by unscrewing the two hinges attaching it. Some people like to put a piece of plastic used in covering kitchen chairs on the wood before beginning to guard against spills. This plastic can also be cut larger and used at the end to cover the bench, but is much less comfortable for people using the piano.
On a clean floor or large worktable, lay out the fabric right side down. Center the batting on the fabric. Batting does not have a right side. If the top of the bench is still attached, carefully lay the entire bench on its’ side so the top of the opened bench is lying on the top of the batting. Hopefully, you have been able to detach the top of the bench. In that case, lay the top of the bench, right side facing down on the batting. Turn the fabric under one inch along one of the long sides of the fabric. You then begin on that same side, folding it over the edge of the bench. Start at one end of the bench, making sure your folds are the same size and staple the fabric to the back of the bench. Stapling every inch and a half to two inches works well. This is where having someone fold and hold the fabric while someone else staples is most convenient. It can, however, be done alone. Just work systematically making sure the fold is even, taking it up over the edge of the bench and stapling to the backside. After completing the long side of the bench do the same thing on the other long side except pull the fabric snuggly as you continue to take it up over the edge of the bench to the back. Make sure it isn’t loose. A tight padding works best Fold the corners as you would when wrapping a present. This gives the padded bench a finished look. Then proceed to do the two short sides of the bench in the same manner. If the top of the bench is attached, make a cut on each side of the hinges, cut the fabric back far enough so you can make a little fold, leaving room for the hinge.
If your top has been removed, reattach it to the bench by screwing the hinges back in place. One side of the hinge will be screwed onto the backside of the top of the bench on the top of the fabric. Just screw in the screws right through the fabric.
A lovely, functional padded piano bench awaits you. If you ever change your décor, just change the padding. A new piece of fabric will accomplish your desired look.
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