Tufted Headboard Tutorial!


A couple months ago, I featured my good friend Jamie Antonioli and her amazing DIY projects here.  I received an overwhelming response from all of you on the gorgeous turquoise tufted headboard.  Remember this beauty?


Well I am thrilled that Jamie agreed to write a tutorial for all of us today!  Like all of you, I've been dying to learn how she created this masterpiece and I'm so glad we get to share it here today.  So I am going to hand it over to Jamie...take it away!

A few years ago, when Mad Men first started, I saw the Draper’s amazing turquoise tufted headboard and decided that I had to own one! Custom furniture is not in my budget, so my dad suggested that we make one. I searched online and checked out every upholstery book I could find at the library and wasn’t able to find very much information on how to do this. Fortunately, my dad came up with a great idea for how to make the tufts. Not only was he the brains behind this operation, but he also had endless patience during this project, took most of the pictures, and helped write this tutorial!

Now, this isn’t a quick afternoon DIY project, but I think the results are well worth it. It took us 2 1/2 days to complete this headboard. I am confident we could make another one much faster but we took our time to figure out the process and not rush through it. The instructions below will help you make your own tufted headboard.

Supplies:

  • 3/4 inch plywood
  • 3 inch thick foam - the foam doesn’t have to be this thick but I think it really creates the deep tufted look
  • Polyester batting
  • Fabric - for my queen size bed I used 3 yards of 54” wide fabric for the headboard and buttons, make sure to buy enough extra fabric to compensate for the tufts
  • Spray adhesive
  • Drill
  • Circular saw or jigsaw
  • Staple gun
  • Upholstery needles - like these
  • Button kit - like this
  • Upholstery twine/thread
  • Zip ties - mine were 8 inches long
 

1.  Cut your 3/4 plywood down to size. You can keep it as a rectangle, do a curved top, or even a more intricate design. We made a queen size headboard so it ended up being 60 inches wide and 34 inches tall at the highest point.


2.  Lay out your button pattern on the plywood. We started our first row 2 1/2 inches down from the top of the plywood and spaced the buttons 9 inches apart. Make sure to not get too close to the edge of the plywood with your spacing. Also, for the diamond pattern, you need to alternate your rows - so the next row of buttons will start 4 1/2 inches below and to the side of the first button. Keep in mind that the more buttons you have, the more work it will be - so space out your buttons accordingly (I had a friend do 12 inches in between buttons and it looks great too.) After you have your pattern laid out, drill small holes through the plywood where each button goes. Make sure the holes are big enough to pass through a zip tie and upholstery needle. 

3.  Cut your foam down to size and use the spray adhesive to secure it to the top of your plywood.

4.  Wrap the batting around the front of the foam and staple it to the back of the plywood


5.  Use your button kit to cover buttons in your fabric. For this step, follow the directions that come with your button kit and make the appropriate amount of buttons for your headboard. Keep in mind that the thicker your fabric is, the harder this will be. I used velvet so this was the hardest step for me!


6.  Cut your upholstery twine in pieces about 8 inches long and tie in a knot to the back of each button.


7.  Now it is time to start the tufts, so drape the fabric over the headboard and find a comfortable place to work. I started in the middle of the headboard and worked my way out from there.

8.  From the back of the headboard, push an upholstery needle through the hole until it starts to come out of the foam on the front side. This is where you will attach your first button.


9.  With your smallest upholstery needle, thread the button through the fabric in the spot where the needle poked through. Then on the back side of the fabric, securely tie the button through the eye of the zip tie.

 

10.           Now tape the end of the zip tie to the upholstery needle and from the back side of the headboard, start pulling the needle slowly through to the back.


11.           Untape the zip tie from the needle once it comes through the plywood. Using a second zip tie, slip the eye end over the zip tie coming through the headboard - holding the tie in place while you tighten the button from the back

12.           Before you fully tighten the button, start to work with the fabric on the front of the headboard to get your folding/pleating in place to get the diamond tufted look. The fabric should do this for the most part on its own as you start to form the diamonds, but you may need to adjust the fabric in places to get it to lay right. I got the best results doing this as the button was about halfway tightened and then fully securing the button once I was happy with the fabric.


13.           Repeat this process, working your way out from the center of the headboard until all tufts are complete. Then wrap the extra fabric around to the back of the headboard and staple it into place.


 You can hang your headboard from the wall or build a frame for it to sit on the ground between the bed and wall when you are finished.


Please do not reprint this or use any of the images without the permission of Jamie Antonioli and Natasha of Schue Love.


Amazing right?!  My husband and I have been talking about making a headboard for as long as I can remember...I really want to make it happen now!

*UPDATE*: The fabric used is from the  Fabricut Renaissance line, the color is Horizon. I purchased though fabriccarolina.com. It's an upholstery weight velvet.  You can find it here.

Thank you to the talented Jamie for sharing with all of us today!!

xo natasha

91 comments :

  1. Amazing! I don't know if I would have the patience for this process but it looks like it is SO worth it!

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  2. Stunning!!! Thanks so much for posting the tutorial. I would love to give this a try for a client.

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  3. my grandmother has one from the 60s and one of those princess telephones. i remember thinking that was just about the fanciest thing i'd ever seen as a kid.

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  4. This is stunning! I saved it for my WANT to do list!!
    Thanks for sharing!

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  5. Wow she is super talented, it came out amazing! Love the color too!

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  6. Fabulous tutorial! Looks completely store bought! Very impressive.

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  7. this is completely gorgeous!!! ooo! i am seeing it in mustard yellow! what a fantastic d.i.y. thanks for sharing this :) xoxoxo brynn

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  8. So beautiful! I wish I had the time to do this -- the outcome is amazing.

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  9. I definitely want to try this for our master bedroom. Thank you for sharing!

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  10. WOW! That is definitely my dream head board. For years, I have been wanting to make my own tufted head board but just didn't know if I could do it. This tutorial is great!! :) It turned out so beautifully!

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  11. I am seriously impressed! Even though this tutorial breaks it down, there is no way I could do this and make it look so profesh!!! Amazing job, Jamie!

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  12. Fabulous tutorial! I've always wanted one of these headboards...is it wrong I don't want my other ones that come with the bed to make this?! haha

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  13. Beautiful! I think the color really makes it!! Great tutorial.

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  14. oh my gosh- i hadn't seen it yet- BEAUTIFUL!!!

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  15. Amazing! This is such a good DIY!

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  16. It looks so intimidating (especially all the tufts)- but great instructions and encouragement! The first couple of pictures (adding the buttons) look like there's no way it's going to look fabulous, but it does!!!! WOW!!! I love the color and the texture. Very inspiring! Gotta love dads!

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  17. Love this!!! Great tutorial and I love the color. Just pinned it:)

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  18. i want one of those soo bad! what a beautifully done project.

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  19. What a great idea to use zip ties! I'm about to start one with 82 tuftings, glad I found this tutorial first. I've done two before, but this might be a better method. Looks great!

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  20. Oh my word...it's beautiful! LOVE this tutorial!

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  21. LOVE!!!! If I was patient I would make one but I'd probably rush through it and mess up. Maybe one day though. :)

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  22. That is so incredible and it looks FABULOUS!!! If only I were feeling that ambitious! The holiday burnout will be over soon, though, right? (c; Great tutorial!

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  23. I'm officially impressed. This is amazing. So grateful for a step-by-step tutorial if I ever find the time to tackle this DIY!

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  24. Thanks for sharing this! I need a headboard for the bed in our spare bedroom! I may just use this tutorial!!!

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  25. ooo I love everything about this! Isn't it funny how styles come around again?

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  26. Absolutely gorgeous! I've always wanted a tufted headboard.

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  27. Wow!! I love the headboard and it is stunning. We currently do not have one--and I have been debating on what to get....I might just try this out. Fingers crossed mine turns out as good as this one.

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  28. That is amazing - I love it! I wish I had the patience and skill to do this!

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  29. This really is so cool! I also loveee the fabric color choice...just beautiful!

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  30. I'm way too lazy and non handy to try and recreate this but it looks amazing. I can't get enough of the blue color, stunning!

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  31. wow that's amazing!

    GTBB,
    http://badjoan.blogspot.com
    http://cookingjoan.blogspot.com

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  32. I love this!! It's stunning and I love that blue color. Now I just need to do it myself ;)

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  33. It's beautiful! A great tutorial and gorgeous fabric. Love the color!

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  34. man that is such a pretty headboard! i don't know if i'm skilled enough but matt might be! it would be so pretty in a little girls room! i just so happen to know one... :)

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  35. Amazing is the perfect word for this headboard. Great tutorial. Now I just need to find the time to make this beauty.

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  36. Love love love this! I am making it as soon as Christmas is over!!! xo

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  37. absolutely in LOVE with this headboard!!
    I'm thinking of making it for a shelf background!
    Thanks for sharing the tutorial! I've always wondered how it's done!!

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  38. you are amazing! great job!

    xoxo navy & orange

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  39. It is GORGEOUS! That would cost super bucks in the store!!! Love it!
    http://sassyuptownchic.blogspot.com/

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  40. What a small world. Found this pic on pinterest and can't believe it was done by Jamie, who is a family friend. I'll have to compliment her on it next time I'm home in Alamo. Small world! Pretty blog, btw. :)

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  41. I'm not fully understanding the zip ties and buttons. Can you show other pictures or maybe a video?

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    Replies
    1. I had the same issue visualizing that step and after staring at the images back and forth for some minutes think I get it. It's two zip ties per button (you can stick multiple ties together if you align the pieces right) and the button and thread are affixed right up against the front one in and on the "eye." The thread simply makes this possible and also makes it a tightening mechanism because neither zip tie "eye" can pull through the hole drilled in the plywood but the other end (skinny, thin) can still feed through the hole and second zip tie "eye" on the back. This makes it a snap to mechanically tighten the tuft.

      Genius. And that's a lot of eyes for one paragraph. Aye!

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  42. Hi Amanda, if you have specific questions, feel free to email me!! I'm happy to help get you more details on Jamie's project! :)

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  43. This is absolutely gorgeous! Where did you get that beautiful fabric for it?

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  44. Hi Nelle, the velvet that I used is from the Renaissance line by Fabricut. I ordered it through an online retailer called "Fabric Carolina".

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  45. this is gorgeous! we've had a diy kingsize headboard on our list for awhile now. thanks for the tutorial. and natasha, i love your new blog header. pam

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  46. Another way to do the tufting is to simply thread an upholstery needle with cord, stick it through the hole in the plywood back, and bring it to the front of the headboard. Thread the button on to the cord and stick the needle through to the back again. Then pull tight and staple the cord a few times, then fold it back the other way and staple 2-3 times again. Done.

    Also, I used to use those button kits but they sometimes pop apart after my project is done, so now I just get buttons covered by an upholsterer. The guy I use only charges 50 cents per button so it's worth it!

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  47. This is brilliant! My husband and I have been wanting to diy a headboard. Thank you for such a detailed tutorial.

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  48. I have always wanted to make my own but wasn't sure I had the patience to make a king size one for my bed so we bought one on line for $320 with nail heads it is a suede brown gorgeous but now that I saw this I am going to attempt to make a full size less intricate one for a murphy bed we bought. I want to make a thin white one to mount to the wall, amazing tutorial and photos thank you for sharing. I will be sure to post photos on my own blog when we are done. Love the turquoise color looks amazing and like it cost a lot of money, great diy job=)

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  49. I love it, could you show is how you fixed it to the wall (or to your bed)?

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  50. Ooh, I love the blue. I wish I'd had this tutorial when I made mine. Don't you love having that soft fabric to prop up on?! :-) Here's mine if you'd like to take a look--looks like we used similar fabrics.
    http://myprojectbag.blogspot.com/2012/03/hello-headboard.html

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  51. Great tutorial and fab headboard! Just curious if you cut holes out where the buttons would go?

    I also take my buttons to get made at an upholsterer, if you can find one with decent pricing that's the way to go.

    You might be able to save time by scrapping the zip tie method. Instead take your needle and attach some thread, push it through the back to the front, grab the button, push it back through the hole out the back and staple the crap out of the thread. Works for me.

    Check out my diamond tufted headboard with nailhead trim: http://orange-sugar.blogspot.com/2012/01/diy-diamond-tufted-headboard-with.html

    Here's another:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/orangesugar/7032915053/in/photostream

    If anyone is interested I sell custom made headboards on etsy.

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  52. I'm having a hard time finding a slab of foam large enough. Only finding 18" or 24" widths. Where did you get your foam?

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    1. Joanns usually has larger pieces, but their foam is really expensive if you don't have a good coupon. I would wait for the foam to be on sale, with a 25% off coupon, including sale items. I would also look online. You can use smaller pieces - just be sure to adhere them really well, and place them tightly together so there are no gaps. If you use a good, thick dacron batting, you won't see any lines from the pieces. :)

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  53. Friend!!! This post was on the stylist home section on the huffington post today!! Congrats :)))

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  54. Just saw this amazing headboard over on Huffington Post style section--congrats to you both!:) Not sure I would have the patience for it, but it's oh-so gorgeous!!!:)

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  55. Saw your feature over at Finding Fabulous. I upholstered a diamond-tufted headboard for my mom recently in a linen-look fabric. But man, that blue velvet makes everything look so glam!!

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  56. Love these im going to do it im folloing you noww

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  57. Question: the queen headboard is 60" wide but the fabric is 54"... Do you rotate it to fit so that 3 yards covers the headboard width-wise?

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  58. I still couldn't quite muster how you can DIY a queen bed sets like that. Amazing! Now I got something to do for summer while I wait for that big belly to grow.

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  59. i was just on the verge of clicking the mouse to buy fabric online for a headboard, when i read the instructions that reminded to buy extra fabric for the tufts. i had not thought about that! you saved me. thanks for the ideas!

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  60. This is absolutely gorgeous! That blue color is perfect!!

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  61. Beautiful! I've seen this done using peg board so you already have the holes drilled.

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  62. I am making the headboard. I am having trouble tying the zip tie to the back of the button. I pull the zip tie through and it comes undone immediately. Do you know how to tie the thread to the zip tie?

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  63. Amazing and so inspiring. This gives me some courage to tackle my own tufted headboard... someday? ;-)

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  64. I so want to do this and have been looking at it for a year now and still no headboard , what am I waiting . Lol

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  65. I am going to try this out today, this is really interesting :)

    http://www.fruition.com.sg

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  66. Thanks so much for this tutorial! We just finished ours (photo here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3606829180325&l=14aad1b77a) and I'm in LOVE with it! We will be making a matching bench for the end of the bed too!!!

    Not sure if these tips will help anyone but I figured I could share some of the lessons we learned just in case it helps someone else.

    TIPS:
    1. Use longer strings. This will make it easier to tie tightly. If the ends bother you, just snip them off although they won't show.
    2. Start in the middle. Lay your fabric evenly and start by attaching the buttons in the middle row first.
    3. Lay your fabric snuggly before poking your hole through to attach the button. Otherwise your fabric will sag. Happy Crafting!!!!

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  67. Thanks for the inspiration...http://theminturnproject.blogspot.com/2012/11/headboard-project.html

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  68. I bought here for $760 http://howdotodo.com/search.php?q=Velvet+tufted+headboard Velvet Tufted Headboards and when I see your, I am ready to pay $1.500 if you want to sell them? They are just gorges!

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  69. way too complicated..... would not even attempt.

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  70. way too complicated..... would not even attempt.

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  71. I am tackling this endeavor and have spent $310.00 and materials alone. They have a similar version on sale at Target for $179.00.

    Yikes!

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  72. My husband and I are making this this weekend. I am so excited!!!

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    1. Here's how my headboard came out :)
      https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1001398_10151541014931078_1965909047_n.jpg

      Thanks for the tutorial!!!

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  73. I am totally lost after step 9. I don't understand how the zip ties work. Can someone please help? I really want to try this.

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    1. The way she did it was tied the string to the end of 1 zip tie (the open part that locks). Then slid the end through the drilled hole on the board and used a second zip tie to secure it into place.

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  74. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  75. A year after making one, I have a couple more tips on top of the ones I listed on now that we've had ours for awhile.

    If you use the button to create the tufts the zip ties (we used the strongest ones available at Home Depot) will inevitably break when someone leans against it. My darling boyfriend managed to pop two of them. Which, because they are connected to the button means you lose a button AND the tuft.

    I would suggest, tuft WITHOUT the fabric covered button. Sew the button on before or after with a separate string then tuft with a new string. That way if you do lose a zip tie for some reason it is as simple as redoing the tuft and you won't destroy a button too. OR staple the string down rather than zip tie or both. We will be redoing ours once I can find the perfect shade of plum velvet I previously purchased for less.

    Despite the small snag this headboard is still beautiful and thank you again for the wonderful tutorial!

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  76. I so want to do this! I just googled and surprise-- look who's blog popped up! What a great DIY!! Xo

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  77. Pro Cable connection Wrap is actually specific regarding CAT6 cable help and it is supplied with 'back in order to back' hold. Just reduce programs and link.
    http://www.dueltek.com.au/collections/cable-ties

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  78. That's a great tutorial. Love the color.

    I've added it to my Pinterest board - DIY Tufted Headboard Tutorials.

    Keep up the great work.

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  79. your Murphy bed mechanism is really a patented, special USE device that enables ones bed for you to become quickly lifted up into the recess or maybe effortlessly pulled decrease into a good sleeping position. ones basic subject of any mechanism is usually in excess of one hundred a long time old. The item was invented IN ADDITION TO patented coming from William L. Murphy for the early 1900s. murphy bed ikea

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  80. Hi there, I am gathering my supplies this week as my mom is coming into town to help me reupholster a King Size Head Board that I was given. What size button did you use to complete your project? Thank you so much for your assistance. Melissa

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