I’ve made a couple of diamond-tufted headboards now (Joanna’s was only my second though) and I feel like I have a pretty good sense of the easiest DIY approach now. For another tufted headboard tutorial I did, check out this post. I would say any upholstery job involving tufting is sort of an advanced DIY, but is this project definitely doable (maybe even fun?).
Gone are the days when I spend hours mapping out and drilling holes in plywood! I’ve been using pegboard and it is PERFECT for these headboard projects. Cheap, lightweight and sturdy enough. You’ll be hanging the pegboard on the wall so it’s okay that the board is not completely rigid.
I had Home Depot cut down the board for me, so it was just the right size for Alex and Joanna’s queen bed. The holes on pegboard are 1″ apart. You do have to do a little math and mapping out to figure out your button placements, but once you have the formula down, it’s just a matter of counting it out and marking the holes with chalk.
I had three rows of nine buttons and two rows of eight for a total of 45 tufts. (!) I wanted a lot of tufts though, so you could do less. I think it’s a good idea to look at inspiration images first and count the buttons on that headboard and estimate the spacing you’ll need for the look you’re after.
I purchased my 3″ upholstery foam at Joann’s with a 50% off coupon. I definitely recommend using exactly 3″ foam for this project. Otherwise the headboard will look thin and cheap. An important note – you only need enough foam to cover the top two-thrids or so of your pegboard. My foam was 24″ tall and my pegboard was 40″. The bottom part without the foam goes behind the bed.
So, to mark out your foam, lay the pegboard down perfectly on top of foam and use your registration marks and a sharpie.
One of the secrets of getting deep tufts is removing the foam where the buttons go. My method is pretty lame – I just use a paring knife to cut a hole around the registration marks. You just grab the foam bit, twist and pull out.
You’ll fly through this step. It’s a fun and easy one.
See how the foam only covers the top two-thirds or so of the pegboard?
Secure the foam to the pegboard using spray adhesive.
And lay down a sheet of high-loft batting on the top of your foam. The fabric goes on top of the batting.
**EDIT: A quick note about fabric. I used two yards of SOLID color fabric for this project. If you want to use a pattern (which I don’t really recommend for tufting, unless the scale is super small), you’ll have to piece together two or three panels of the fabric so that the piece is wide enough and so that the pattern matches up and runs the right way. Better yet, just use a solid fabric :) You can run the fabric horizontally (called railroading) and just get two yards and call it good.
PS You really will only need two yards for a queen size headboard. I was worried that the tufts would take up lots of extra fabric. Not at all. Maybe an extra couple inches total were needed for the whole headboard.
Here’s the part where you’ll need lots of buttons. You can buy button making kits and refills for just a few dollars (I used the 5/8″ size). It does take some time to make all the buttons though, so this would be a good place to enlist the help of a friend and get it done assembly style.
Using a long upholstery needle and doubled up upholstery grade thread (NOT the all-purpose stuff! This thread is more like twine), triple knot your button, and find your first button hole.
From the front of the headboard, push the needle through the fabric, batting, foam hole and pegboard hole, all the way out the back.
Pulling out and down as tight as you can, put a staple into the pegboard over the thread. But still keep pulling that thread to keep the tension. Put in a bunch of staples with the thread being pulled in different directions to secure that button in as deep as it can sit.
And your first tuft is done! You always want to start in the center and work your way out horizontally.
Be sure to leave the edges for last. I found it was taking me about an hour per row in the beginning. By the end I had it down to 20 minutes a row. Honestly though, my fingers were absolutely throbbing at this point! I busted this headboard out in a night and it would have been better to split up the tufting part into two nights, just to give my fingers a rest :)
Like any upholstery project, there is something to be said for keeping a soft hand and sort of artfully playing with the fabric. Especially when deciding where to place the button in the fabric and in getting the fabric to fold right. Play with the fabric and it will work with you. It’s absolutely begging to sit in a diamond shape if you help it along a little. :)
Once all the tufting is done, you’ll just need to finish off the edges. Don’t just roll the fabric back behind the pegboard and staple it down. The key to nice looking upholstery projects is all in the lines. Minimize the bumps and wrinkles! The fabric, especially along the edges should be flat and smooth. To make the edges of a headboard smooth, fold in a line going straight out from each tuft toward the perimeter. The fold takes care of all the excess fabric so that the edges can be smooth and taut and ready for you to staple down on the back side.
To finish the bottom of the headboard, where the foam ends, just push your staple gun up under the foam a little and run a row of staples along the whole front bottom. Then pull the fabric down over the bottom edge of the exposed pegboard, neatly fold behind and staple back, like you did with the other three edges of the headboard. And that’s it!
We screwed three D-rings into the back and used a couple Wall Dog screws in the wall to mount the headboard.
You can see in this shot how the foam only starts above the mattress. This way the mattress sort of sits into the headboard.
PS The camel linen is from Gray Line linen, from their Warsa line (only $9 a yard and it comes in all the colors under the rainbow).
It looks so awesome! The pegboard is genius! Pinning for a later date. :)
I have been WAITING for this tutorial ever since Joanna said that you would be posting the DIYs for her room. I am going to tackle this immediately, your directions make it sound so simple!
Wow, this looks amazing. Great instructions and the finished product is fantastic + I love how you accessorized the room. Well done!
This is AMAZING! We're totally making this once we move
Beautifully and professionally done! Thanks for sharing your method!
Fantastic tutorial! Thanks! It looks fabulous!
Holy Cannoli. That was brilliant.
You are so amazing! And Joanna's headboard looks fantastic! You did a great job!
It's beautiful. Excellent taste and idea. Thanks for sharing.
I'm so impressed. In the earlier posts, I thought it was professionally done. And the pegboard is pure genius!!!! Ah-mazing!
This is phenomenal!!! I cannot believe you were able to do this yourself! xx
Absolute genius. I love your DIYs- you make it look like the rest of us mere mortals can do it too and I love that about you! You even inspired me to tackle that Maskros-Sputnik and it's now one of my favorite things in our home. The headboard is going to make it onto the project list as well.
Hi! Love the pegboard idea. So clever! I also love the lamps! Could you please share where you got them? Thanks!
Thanks for the tutorial… on my list to make. I love the lights… would you mind sharing your source for those.
Is the pegboard all one huge piece, or is that two pieces put together? If it's two pieces, how did you get the two pieces to stay together?
(Thanks so much this is an awesome DIY tutorial!!!)
I read your post, I definitely don't have the motivation to try it myself but it was very interesting!
I am so glad you posted this DIY. I have been needing to make a headboard and want to tuft one, but have been putting it off due to not really knowing how to get started. Thanks Jenny!
WOW!!! I am so impressed!! That is awesome!! =)
I have been showing my husband pictures of this headboard since I found it saying 'THAT is the headboard I want to make'. (We've been talking about making one for awhile) So I practically squealed out loud when i saw that you posted instructions! I can't wait to get started on this project!
How smart to use pegboard! I'm sure that makes things way faster.. brilliant. I love the mustard yellow you used, it picks up the yellow in the pillow perfectly.
Hi Jenny, I tufted a little bench recently and when I got to the folding and pleating of the sides, it just wasn't laying as neatly as I would have liked. A quick search on the internet led me to an upholsterer's site who suggested slicing a straight line (about a 1/3" deep)from the button hole on the top of the foam and then down the side of the foam. The extra fabric easily tucked in straight and neat. I hope that makes sense. I think on my next tufting project (cause there WILL be a next one)I'm going to make shallow slices for the diamonds as well.
Love your blog, keep up the good work!
This is the best DIY upholstered headboard I've seen, my husband and I are really excited to do this. I had a quick question though! What size buttons did you use?
I totally forgot to mention the size of the buttons! Thanks Ariel! I used 5/8".
xx
Fabulous tutorial! I've recently made a headboard sans diamonds and am now considering redoing the job. Thankyou for posting – and I'll be checking out some more of your blog.
Hi! This weekend, we followed your tutorial and made our very own king size headboard! The details you included in addition to the pictures were exactly what we needed! Like you, we finished the project in 1 night and our hands were KILLING us, but in the end, we LOVE the finished project! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I am so in love with this headboard, I can't believe it is something I can actually make!
Hi Jenny,
My husband and I are DEFINITELY trying this project. We were wondering if that is one piece of pegboard, or two that are somehow connected? Do you mind sharing the dimensions of the pegboard?
Thank you so much! Your projects are amazing!
you are amazing! this tutorial is so perfect and makes me want to go tuft everything in sight! thanks so much for all your helpful tips always. you have the most gorgeous design aesthetic!
Found your tutorial through pinterest and I must say, yours is the best tutorial I have read concerning Headboards. I have been looking for weeks for one that not only explains making the headboard, but explains tufting in a manner that I can understand. I will be using this tutorial when I go to make my head board.
I need help ASAP! I am in the middle of this project and my brand new staple gun doesn't seem to be getting the job done. I don't know if it is the gun, the pegboard, my technique or all of the above.
1 out of 5 staples barely penetrate the board. They seem to be wavy/curved (not straight) and once I reposition the thread to keep tension the staple just pops right out and I have to start all over again.
It's too late to turn back now and I've searched everywhere for advice…HELP!!
Ginny, I use a powerShot Pro staple gun with the same brand staples (important!), and my staples went in flush 90% of the time. Hope that helps!
How did you attach it to the wall?
How wide did you make the headboard? I don't want it to look too puny above my queen mattress, but don't want it to look oversized either.
Looks great! Fab tip on using a pegboard. I was thinking about doing a tufted headboard so this post is very timely. Thanks for all the great info!
I love, love, love this headboard! I can't wait to buy myself a staple gun and give it a try.
Where are those amazing lamps from?? Will this be in a future blog post? I just can't get enough of them!
Excellent source for info! I was hesitant to do the project thinking i would not drill the holes even, but the peg board is BRILLIANT!!!THANK YOU!
OMG…i love you! Awesome detailed post just in time for my next project!
Thank you!
What a great idea! Peg board. Looks great.
Great tutorial– just one problem though! I made my own headboard from this and it was working great, but I needed more than two yards of fabric. Maybe I didn't pull as tight or something but lesson learned! Err on the big side… I'm ordering 3 yards of fabric now and redoing it. Otherwise looks awesome.
Popped over from Nesting Place…
Thanks for the fabulous tutorial! Can't wait to try it. We have been headboardless for ten years…how tragic. ;)
Jenny,
Repeating what everyone else said – this is hands down the BEST tutorial for this project. I was so excited to see it come up in my Google Reader because I had been putting off tackling this b/c it seemed like it could be difficult, but your tips make it seem so much more manageable!
I just have one technical question. Once you are finished stapling down the thread on the back, what do you do? Do you need to tie it to secure it or do the staples secure it enough? It makes me nervous, like the thread would eventually snake back out the staples over time?
I completed this project up until I tried stapling into the pegboard which has been impossible. Even turning it upside down & using bodyweight just makes them crumple.
I will now have to start over with some plywood & start drilling holes.
How did you get plywood & staples(I used a heavy duty stapler) to work?
Mamm3 – I use a PowerShot Pro stapler from Home Depot (about $35) with the same brand staples and it worked great for me. Every 10th staple or so would go in well, but great otherwise.
About the tying question – I didn't feel the need to tie the thread ends because I used a lot of staples, but no harm in doing that if it makes you feel more secure!
xx
I am dying for the fabric on that throw pillow! Will keep scanning comments after I post this one, but I don't suppose you could share the source of that? Thanks! xoxo
can you please tell me about the linen you used. The price is awesome, and was thinking about it for a chair slipcover. Is the weight of that fabric durable enough? Thanks! Amy
Amy – I would say it is durable enough for medium use upholstery. I probably wouldn't put it on my primary sofa for my living room. They do have heavier duty fabrics with bigger weaves. You should call them to ask. Those only come in very neutral colors. Good luck!
Can't wait to start this! thanks for the inspiration.
It looks like you used 2 or 3 pieces of pegboard. How did you attached them together?
You are a GENIUS! I am definitely going to try this myself. Thank you for a brilliant tutorial!
I loved this post so much I tried my own version! I think it worked out pretty well!
http://happyhappyyum.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/makea-padded-bedhead.html
Courtney
HELP! It's me again, Melissa. Did you use a specific depth of staples. After running out to purchase the staple gun that you suggested, hardly any are going all the way in. Still. Thanks for any input.