How to Tuft With Covered Buttons

With some basic sewing supplies, you can make a tufted cushion.

Tufting is a great way to showcase a stuffed cushion and add a classic look to your décor. The tufting made by the buttons makes the stuffing "puff up" between the buttons, which makes the buttons stand out. The thread used to tuft the cushion will create a stronger, more durable cushion. Buttons covered in the same fabric as the cushion you are tufting give your piece a bit more elegance. You can tuft in a variety of ways that give the cushion a neatly designed pattern.

Things You'll Need

• Cushion
• Chalk pencil or fabric marker
• Nylon thread
• Upholstery needle
• Scissors
• Covered buttons
• Covered button tool kit

Instructions

1. Mark your button placement on your fabric with a chalk pencil or a disappearing ink pen. You can make this in a design, such as squares or diamonds. Make each mark the same distance from each other so the marks are symmetrical and even. Make these marks evenly on the top and the bottom of the cushion.

2. Cover your buttons, if necessary. To cover your button, cut out circles of fabric 1 inch bigger than the diameter of your button. Place the top piece of the button face-down on the wrong side of your circle of fabric. Place the top piece into the top plastic section of the button cover tool and fold the raw edges of the fabric over the back side of the top button piece. Place the bottom piece of the button on top of the folded fabric and press it into place with the button presser tool. Remove your covered button.

3. Thread a long upholstery needle with about 12 inches of thin nylon thread. Knot both ends of the thread.

4. Place the needle through a mark on the top of the cushion, through the stuffing, and pull out on the corresponding mark on the bottom side of the cushion.

5. Place one end of the needle through the button shank and pull the thread through. Press the needle through the mark on the bottom side of the cushion up to the mark on the top side of the cushion.

6. Place the needle through the shank of another button on the top side of the cushion and pull the thread through. Pull the thread as tightly as it will go to create the tuft.

7. Push the needle to the bottom button and feed it through the shank, and then through the top button and through the shank. Repeat this step three to four times until the button is firmly in place and doesn't move when you press on it.

8. Lift on the edge of the button and tie a series of small knots to secure it in place. Cut off the thread ends.

9. Repeat on all of the marks you made to create a series of tufts.

References

• Martha Stewart: Tufted Cushions