How to Add Button Tufting to a Sofa Cushion

Dress up a sofa cushion with tufting.

Give an existing sofa a new look with button tufting. Button tufting dresses up a plain piece of furniture, adding a subtle decorative accessory. Use a button that matches the fabric on the cushion, or make a more dramatic impact by using a button that contrasts with the fabric. With the use of some basic materials from a craft or fabric supply shop, you can add button tufting to your sofa cushions.

Things You'll Need

• Marker
• Upholstery needle
• Thread
• Button

Instructions

1. Remove the cushion that you want to add tufting to from the sofa. Place it on a flat surface.

2. Decide where you want to add the buttons on the cushion. For example, you can place a single button in the center of the cushion, or you can add two or three rows of two or three buttons along the cushion.

3. Mark where you want the buttons to sit on the cushion with a black marker.

4. Thread a long upholstery needle with 2 to 3 feet of thick thread. Tie a knot in the end of the thread.

5. Push the needle through the back of the cushion so that the needle will come through one of the marks on the front of the cushion. Leave a long length of thread hanging from the back of the cushion.

6. Thread the button onto the needle so that it sits on the front of the cushion. Push the needle through the back of the cushion so that it exits the cushion near the location it originally entered.

7. Remove the needle from the thread. Tie the two lengths of thread on the back of the cushion together in a double knot. Clip the remaining thread off the back of the cushion.