Headboard Tufting 101

Have you ever started a project and thought, "This is gonna be so easy it should be a crime"? Then got halfway through it and thought, "Why, oh why, did I think I could do this?!". Yeh, me too. Luckily, this project started off easy and ended easy. It really made me feel like a superstar!

I give you, the making of a button tufted headboard...

The time has come to tackle my master bedroom. I am big believer that the bedroom is a place of refuge, and should be plush, relaxing, and comfortable. My bedroom was none of those things. So let's start with the bed.

Our bed is currently a queen size. Eventually, Mr. Mel would like to upgrade to a king, so I made the headboard big enough to accommodate that size. I started off by cutting a piece of plywood to 76" x 48". I wanted 6 buttons, so I measured out their locations (every 19" horizontally, and 12" vertically) and used a small bit to drill holes through the board.

I ironed my fabric and laid it (right side down) on the floor. I laid my batting over that. Then 1" foam, that I covered in spray adhesive. On top of that I laid my board. **I made sure that each material extended about 2" beyond the edge of the board so it could be wrapped around the edge of the board to create a soft edge**

Using a staple gun (an electric staple gun is a life saver on a project like this), I stapled the fabric to the back of the board starting at the centres of each side then working your way around. When you get to the corners, fold them like you would wrap a present and staple them in place. Make sure that you get the fabric nice and taut while you're doing this. When you're done, trim the excess fabric and padding.

Next up...tufting! I bought a button kit so I could cover my buttons in the same fabric as my headboard. Just follow the 'sructions on the package to make these. Using a fine wire (or upholstery thread), and an upholstery needle, thread it through the holes drilled in the board (start at the back of the headboard) making sure to leave a few inches of wire at the back. Once it's through the front, thread your button on and feed the needle through the front where the button will sit, back through the hole. Using pliers, give the wire a good tug. Be careful not to use bare fingers...the wire can easily slice and no good can come of that! Loop or tie the wire to a nail or washer to hold it in place.

Now you're done! To hang the headboard, I plan to use d-rings. They are super strong and not bulky. You can pick them up at any home centre.

Cost breakdown for this project:
$12 for plywood
$3 for d-rings
$75 for fabric
$4 for button kit
$40 for batting and foam
Total cost = $124