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Have you had a Pinterest party yet? It’s the thing to do. The Goodwill Indy Interns took on a hefty project for their first Pinterest party – tufting. They both began strong, but in the end, Allie was the victor with a truly fabulous tufted night stand. Alix still has a ways to tuft, but will surely prove to be a tufting queen in the weeks to come.
This project may look intimidating, but its bark is worse than its bite. For reference, the interns recommend the tutorial by a couple of blogs, Less Than Perfect Life of Bliss and Brick City Love .
What you’ll need (and my cost):
Table legs – with or without table top – $3 (coffee table, ottoman, bench, etc.)
Plywood – free (if no tabletop is present)
Foam – $12 (with a 50% off coupon at Jo-Ann Fabrics), at least 2″ – feel free to go with more if you want a real deep tuft.
Batting – $5
twine
upholstery needle – $5.99
button cover kit – $4/per pack and 3 packs were needed, $12
fabric – $10
glue
fabric glue – $7 (it was a big container)
ruler
scissors
box cutter
drill
staple gun
pneumatic staple gun (not necessary, but does make life easier)
fabric glue
Scotchgard upholstery protector
Step one: For Allie, step one was attaching a piece of plywood to her coffee table legs. She found a coffee table’s bottom half (originally it must of had a glass top) in a Goodwill Outlet Bin. (She became a bit of an Outlet addict after her first adventure there.) The plywood was cut to fit over the entire top of the table to keep it as sturdy and strong as possible. We drilled it into place with a few screws.
Step Two: Cut foam for table top. Hang it off the edge of the table a little so your edges will still be padded. Glue it down so it won’t move all over the place while you’re working.
Step Three: Determine where your buttons will go – rulers or tape measure help here. You want to make sure spacing is even. Mark your foam clearly in each spot you would like a button to be.
Step Four: Take your drill and in short, quick bursts, drill into your foam at the marked positions. Go all the way through the plywood. Depending on the depth of your foam, you may need to first do your foam and rip bits off the drill (be sure to get any scragglers on the actual foam peice!), then carry on down to the plywood.
Step Five: Batting and buttons. Lay your batting over top of your foam – try keeping it even on all sides in regards to length. For your buttons, be sure to pick up a “kit” for button covers. This will come with the needed tools to take your fabric and cover your buttons with it so that it all matches beautifully. Follow the instructions on the kit to successfully cover your buttons.
Step Six: Well, truthfully, this was the most complex part of this whole project. We managed one tuft almost effortlessly, but then somehow completely forget how we did it. We then had to go back to sorting out how to do it, so here’s what worked for us – and yes, this was definitely a two person section. First we tied the twine onto the button – knotted it, actually:
Then, we took the upholstery needle and poked it up through the bottom – eye up (not the sharp end) then threaded the twine through the eye of the needle and pulled down – it should bring the entire twine down to where you can tug from under the plywood (or table top) and create the tuft with the button and twine tension.
Step Seven: Secure the tuft to whatever depth you want by stapling the twine in a zig-zag pattern with the staple gun.
Repeat steps six and seven for each of your tufts. Then admire your work.
Step Eight: Wrap your fabric tightly over your foam and meet it with an edge in your table. Secure it with a staple gun – or if you have a pneumatic staple gun/trimmer – go with that. It really makes life much easier. Work your way around all sides, keeping the line of stapling even.
Step Nine: Trim the excess fabric.
Step Ten: Tuck or fold the rough edge of your fabric under itself and using fabric glue, create a hem. Using a measuring tool (in this case, one designed for hems) to ensure an even fold all the way around. Gluing the fabric with fabric glue — Let the fabric speak to you. It won’t be perfectly creased or flat but it will turn out looking great anyways. Especially with the corners — give yourself some grace with corners because they won’t all look exactly the same but each one will be unique and quirky in their own way. Don’t use too much glue because it will leak onto the wood and become very tacky. If you want to add trim or decorative edging, now would be the time to do so. This was more of a simple, clean, no frills kind of style.
Finally, admire your newly created tufted seat or table. In this case – it worked beautifully as a night stand!
Some finally words of advice, go with it – as a first time tufter – there was a lot of improvising and making things up along the way. Chances are — even if you mess up and a button tuft is a little off center or a corner looks a little wonky – no one will notice except for you. Also, use Scotchgard. After I finished my tufted masterpiece, I applied two coats of Scotchgard to protect the fabric and keep it looking fresh.
We’ll work on Alix and report on how her bench-to-be turns out in a later post. Until then, don’t forget to share any tufting projects that became of any of your Goodwill or Goodwill Outlet finds!
alliegriebel says: August 16, 2012 at 7:16 pm Reblogged this on allie griebel and commented: Feeling famous. Check out my tufting DIY on Goodwill’s DIY blog! Reply
Reblogged this on allie griebel and commented: Feeling famous. Check out my tufting DIY on Goodwill’s DIY blog!
Mike Weoh says: August 16, 2012 at 7:31 pm Challenge; make an item like or similar to this but use only materials and items found in the Indy Outlets There are tools here & there, lots of fabric and everything you could dream of waiting to be re-purposed. We just got back to Minnesota with a rental Toyota RAV4 packed to the ceiling front to back from the East & North Outlet stores We tried hard to get a rental Prius so we could get some pictures at the Outlet stores with it packed full, but Hertz did not have any Prius to rent Mike Reply gwgoodstuff says: August 16, 2012 at 7:34 pm Great idea!!! I accept your challenge! Well, I’d say if you make it down here again with any vehicle of the smaller variety and manage to pack it with treasures galore – I’m interested in taking a photo and meeting you all, for sure! Clearly I could gain some intricate packing knowledge too. ;o) Thanks! Reply Mike Weoh says: August 16, 2012 at 7:40 pm Yes that would be fun. What store do we go to for pictures and whom do we ask for? That was the mystery my wife & I talked about while we were at the East Outlet. This trip was a bit silly as we bought two large luggage bags at the North Outlet and packed them both full of items that could get wet and tied them to the roof rack!!! It was hilarious having the inside so packed full then two large luggage bags on the rack We make it to Indy a few times a year so there will be plenty of opportunities to meet us. We really miss Denise from the East Outlet She was cool. gwgoodstuff says: August 16, 2012 at 7:44 pm You can always tweet @Goodwillindy if it’s last minute or email social@gwgoodstuff.org if you can give me a heads up! Mike Weoh says: August 16, 2012 at 8:01 pm Perfect. My wife says we will be there in mid February for sure. Plans are to rent a Swagger Wagon (Toyota Sienna) so we can really go nuts shopping One of these days we are going to show up with a enclosed trailer & SUV
Challenge; make an item like or similar to this but use only materials and items found in the Indy Outlets There are tools here & there, lots of fabric and everything you could dream of waiting to be re-purposed. We just got back to Minnesota with a rental Toyota RAV4 packed to the ceiling front to back from the East & North Outlet stores We tried hard to get a rental Prius so we could get some pictures at the Outlet stores with it packed full, but Hertz did not have any Prius to rent
Mike
gwgoodstuff says: August 16, 2012 at 7:34 pm Great idea!!! I accept your challenge! Well, I’d say if you make it down here again with any vehicle of the smaller variety and manage to pack it with treasures galore – I’m interested in taking a photo and meeting you all, for sure! Clearly I could gain some intricate packing knowledge too. ;o) Thanks! Reply Mike Weoh says: August 16, 2012 at 7:40 pm Yes that would be fun. What store do we go to for pictures and whom do we ask for? That was the mystery my wife & I talked about while we were at the East Outlet. This trip was a bit silly as we bought two large luggage bags at the North Outlet and packed them both full of items that could get wet and tied them to the roof rack!!! It was hilarious having the inside so packed full then two large luggage bags on the rack We make it to Indy a few times a year so there will be plenty of opportunities to meet us. We really miss Denise from the East Outlet She was cool. gwgoodstuff says: August 16, 2012 at 7:44 pm You can always tweet @Goodwillindy if it’s last minute or email social@gwgoodstuff.org if you can give me a heads up! Mike Weoh says: August 16, 2012 at 8:01 pm Perfect. My wife says we will be there in mid February for sure. Plans are to rent a Swagger Wagon (Toyota Sienna) so we can really go nuts shopping One of these days we are going to show up with a enclosed trailer & SUV
Great idea!!! I accept your challenge! Well, I’d say if you make it down here again with any vehicle of the smaller variety and manage to pack it with treasures galore – I’m interested in taking a photo and meeting you all, for sure! Clearly I could gain some intricate packing knowledge too. ;o) Thanks!
Mike Weoh says: August 16, 2012 at 7:40 pm Yes that would be fun. What store do we go to for pictures and whom do we ask for? That was the mystery my wife & I talked about while we were at the East Outlet. This trip was a bit silly as we bought two large luggage bags at the North Outlet and packed them both full of items that could get wet and tied them to the roof rack!!! It was hilarious having the inside so packed full then two large luggage bags on the rack We make it to Indy a few times a year so there will be plenty of opportunities to meet us. We really miss Denise from the East Outlet She was cool.
Yes that would be fun. What store do we go to for pictures and whom do we ask for? That was the mystery my wife & I talked about while we were at the East Outlet. This trip was a bit silly as we bought two large luggage bags at the North Outlet and packed them both full of items that could get wet and tied them to the roof rack!!! It was hilarious having the inside so packed full then two large luggage bags on the rack
We make it to Indy a few times a year so there will be plenty of opportunities to meet us. We really miss Denise from the East Outlet She was cool.
gwgoodstuff says: August 16, 2012 at 7:44 pm You can always tweet @Goodwillindy if it’s last minute or email social@gwgoodstuff.org if you can give me a heads up!
You can always tweet @Goodwillindy if it’s last minute or email social@gwgoodstuff.org if you can give me a heads up!
Mike Weoh says: August 16, 2012 at 8:01 pm Perfect. My wife says we will be there in mid February for sure. Plans are to rent a Swagger Wagon (Toyota Sienna) so we can really go nuts shopping One of these days we are going to show up with a enclosed trailer & SUV
Perfect. My wife says we will be there in mid February for sure. Plans are to rent a Swagger Wagon (Toyota Sienna) so we can really go nuts shopping One of these days we are going to show up with a enclosed trailer & SUV
Patti O says: August 19, 2012 at 12:16 am Wow, the tufted night stand is really cool! I have some extra canvas, which would be a little thicker. I hope that would work as well as the fabric. Just love the quilt in the photo too – is that handmade? I’ve never seen one like that before. Oh, and the mirror finishes off the night stand beautifully! Thanks for blogging about this. I’m sending it to a friend who is much more crafty than I am. I think she’ll love it too! Reply gwgoodstuff says: August 20, 2012 at 12:40 pm Thanks! We’ve been contemplating a canvas project, yes it should work pretty well. You would just need to make sure you don’t skimp on the amount of fabric around the edges as canvas can unravel. I’ll have to see where Allie picked that up, she is one for great finds! Reply
Wow, the tufted night stand is really cool! I have some extra canvas, which would be a little thicker. I hope that would work as well as the fabric.
Just love the quilt in the photo too – is that handmade? I’ve never seen one like that before.
Oh, and the mirror finishes off the night stand beautifully! Thanks for blogging about this. I’m sending it to a friend who is much more crafty than I am. I think she’ll love it too!
gwgoodstuff says: August 20, 2012 at 12:40 pm Thanks! We’ve been contemplating a canvas project, yes it should work pretty well. You would just need to make sure you don’t skimp on the amount of fabric around the edges as canvas can unravel. I’ll have to see where Allie picked that up, she is one for great finds! Reply
Thanks! We’ve been contemplating a canvas project, yes it should work pretty well. You would just need to make sure you don’t skimp on the amount of fabric around the edges as canvas can unravel. I’ll have to see where Allie picked that up, she is one for great finds!
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