Look what I made! A tufted headboard. We finally feel like adults, and now we can comfortably sit in bed and read or watch TV. This was such an easy project too, I decided to make a little tutorial for the blog.
supplies:
pegboard
upholstery foam
batting
Foam Board PL glue
button covering kit
upholstery fabric
staple gun
extra strong thread
long 6" upholstery needle
regular buttons
Step 1: Cut the pegboard to the width of your mattress and whatever height you prefer. MAKE SURE that the holes are symmetrical before you cut it. It's best if you have a hole right in the center of the board.
Step 2: Find the center and place the buttons in the pattern that you like and make sure you have enough (I had to go buy more). Mark the holes that you want to have buttons in.
Step 2: Glue the upholstery foam to the pegboard using PL Foam Board glue.
My upholstery foam came in three sections (it was actually a fold-up bed before) because upholstery foam can be VERY pricey. I got mine for $14.
Step 3: I layed out my fabric and 2 layers of batting (I wanted it extra cushy) and cut it down to size. You will need at least 10 inches of excess fabric all around.
Step 4: Make sure the batting is laying perfectly flat with no creases and wrap both layers around the whole thing and staple it in.
Step 5: Do the same with the fabric taking extra care around the corners to fold it nicely and staple further in than the batting staples.
Be careful not to try pulling staples out because the pegboard can get broken. But I stapled the crap out of that thing.
Step 6: Covering the buttons in fabric. The kit comes with a "pattern" so you will know what size of circles you'll need. Trace and cut out the circles of fabric then it's actually really easy to pop the buttons into the little tools it comes with.
Step 7: I hovered my headboard between a barstool and counter so I could sew the buttons in from underneath. You could also just lean it up against a wall and work sideways.
Using the holes in the pegboard that you marked for buttons, just put the needle and thread through and put a button on, then push the needle back down. It is difficult to find the hole again on the way down, but it is possible! Just try to keep the needle VERY straight. On the backside you put the thread through a regular button and tie a knot. You will need another person to help press the buttons in while you tie the knot. The button holds everything in place.
Step 8: You could mount it to the wall using hooks and screws… We just placed it there and it has never fallen yet! haha
I don't know if you can tell but the fabric I chose has a really nice gold thread going through it that glistens when the light hits it. So beautiful.
Simple enough right? I saved so much money by taking a little time to make my own, it feels extra good!
