1. Pick Your Style

When you're learning how to make a tufted headboard, just like preparing an outfit to go out, you need to pick the style of headboard you want to fall asleep under. Look at different design magazines or Google images of tufted headboard for inspiration. There are so many different shapes and materials to choose from. It might be a little overwhelming at first, but pick some designs and sit with them for a few days until you’re ready to commit.

2. Buy Your Wood

Once you’ve chosen the shape of your headboard and take measurements of your bed, head on out to your local hardware store and have a piece of MDF cut for you. You can ask the guy to cut it in the shape you want as well.

3. Get Your Foam

Using a mattress foam pad works best as your cushioning. It’s cheaper and lasts longer. Once you’ve cut your foam to line up with your wood, use batting or thin fabric to cover the foam and staple it to the back of the wood to secure it.

4. It’s Time for Your Fabric

You can go to a fabric store and pick out whatever you little heart desires, or if you’re looking for an even easier way, check out the drapes at Target as another option. They’re thick and sturdy enough to really hold your foam and headboard together, and the designs are really cool.

5. Drill Your Tuft Holes

Figure out where you want your tuft holes to be, then take an electric drill and drill holes through your foam and through the back of your wood. Get creative with this or look at other headboards for inspiration.

6. Start Stapling

You’re going to want to get yourself a super heavy duty staple gun to staple your fabric the back of your wood. Pull the fabric around so that there’s enough material (around 3-5 inches worth) to staple down to the back of the headboard. Fold the corners like you’re making a bed and staple down.

7. Tufting

Grab some wax thread from the fabric store and buttons. You can also make your own fabric-covered buttons if you prefer. Button kits are available at any fabric store and take a couple of minutes to assemble. To start tufting, first thread a long upholstery needle and make a little knot at one end. Then staple that end to the back of the headboard. Take your needle and push it through the hole you’ve drilled until it comes out of the other side. Once on the other side, thread it through the back of the button and thread through the hole again. Do this until the button feels secure and then staple the end of the thread the back of the wood to secure it.

That’s it! You can be as simple or complex with your tufting just as long as you have fun and love what you’re doing. It’s really not that hard and when you’re done with it you can always look up at it and know that you made it! Have you made a tufted headboard before? Tell us how by leaving a comment!