There were no pictures taken of my process, so you just have to trust me when I say I DID make it myself :) (with my dad's help). Looking at the pictures on Little Green Notebook will help you a lot. Here is a list of the tools I used:
Pegboard
Fabric
batting
Button Cover kit in the 5/8" size (28 buttons)
spray adhesive
wire or super-strong thin rope
1"hole saw drill bit (optional)
permanent marker
tape measure
scissors
staple gun
- For our queen sized bed I got pegboard that was cut to 3'x5', but you can measure your own bed and decide how big you want it. This size is exactly the width of our mattress.
- I decided on getting the three mattress toppers because I wanted it to be thick. I would not recommend getting foam less than 3" thick, otherwise it will not be comfy to lean up against! One other option for the foam is getting actual upholstery foam at Joanns. It ends up being about the same price if you can find a 40% off coupon (download the Joann Fabric app), but my issue with that foam is that it is not three feet wide, so I wouldn't have been able to have the entire headboard padded.
- I used 2 yards of fabric, and 2 yards of batting and had none left over.
- Covering the buttons takes some time and patience, but I think it is worth it because it makes the finished product look professional.
- If you don't have the 1" hole saw bit you can just cut the holes like the Little Green Notebook did, but the saw makes it go much faster!
- I only had 28 tufts and that was plenty for me! :)
So here is the order I went in:
- iron your fabric
- cover your buttons
- mark out your tufts on the back of your pegboard
- use spray adhesive to attach the foam to the pegboard by circling the holes you plan to use (this can take some time to make sure they are even, this is the part that took us the longest! I have a rows of 6, 5, 6, 5, 6 for a total of 28 tufts. You can do more or less if you want, just make sure they are equal distances apart.
- use the doll needle to mark your foam by pushing it through the back of the pegboard in each of your marked holes and mark the top of the foam with a marker
- cut or saw the holes in your foam--you want them to be an inch wide so that the button can go all the way down to the pegboard--that is what makes your tufts look really expensive :)
- lay the batting on top of your foam, then lay your fabric on top of that. you will be able to slide your hand along the surface and feel where the holes are
- string your wire or string through the eye of the button and tie it--the Little Green Notebook makes it difficult in my opinion because she makes it so you have to go down through the hole and then back up, but if you tie the string to the button and then string it through your needle you only have to go through the hole once, it should look like this:
- Starting in the middle of your board and working your way out, start stringing the buttons through and staple the remaining string to the back of the board in all different ways, making sure it is snug. It helps if one person pushes down on the top of the button while the other pulls and staples.The tufts will naturally start to take shape, just gently coax them into the diamond pattern as you go.
- when you are all done with the buttons, secure the remaining fabric around the outside of the headboard by pulling gently and stapling to the back.
That's it! It sounds like a lot, but as you go you will be able to problem solve and it should turn out great! I would not recommend using a fabric that has a pattern because it would be hard to keep it all lined up. Try not to use a fabric that has stretch to it, I think that would make it harder as well. If you have any questions just let me know and I can try to help! :) Have fun--and be patient It will all come together in the end if you take your time and don't rush through it.
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