What You Need:
- 1 yd. fabric, preferably upholstery-weight (I opted for silk and reinforced with iron-on interfacing)
- 4-pack of 1-inch (or desired size) self-coverable buttons, found at any fabric store
- 4 upholstery tacks or similar
- drill
- hammer
- screwdriver
- tape
- pencil with eraser top
- Fabric scissors, fabric chalk, large sewing needle, upholstery thread
- Optional: 1 yd. batting and staple gun to cover original seat
- Using screwdriver, remove seat from wood base. Cover with batting, if desired. Place batting on flat surface and center seat (top facing down) onto batting. Fold two opposite sides over to bottom of seat and staple in place, about ½ inch from edge. Repeat with other two sides, mitering corners. Cut any extra batting beyond ¾ inch from edge.
- Following packaging instructions, cover buttons with fabric, making sure to cut fabric from edge.
- Using tape, create a center square on bottom of seat, about 2 inches from each edge.
- Drill holes where tape crosses (as shown), large enough for pencil to fit through to other side. Hammer a tack about 1/2 inch from each hole, leaving room to wrap thread around nail before hammering down completely.
- Place fabric on flat, clean surface, right side facing down. Center seat on top of fabric, top side down. Fold fabric as you did with batting in Step 1. Trim and fold over edges to 1 inch, then staple, avoiding tacks and holes.
- Using fabric chalk, mark four dots on seat, where you want your buttons to be placed.
- Thread needle with 1-2 feet of thread and poke threaded edge into pencil eraser. Push pencil through hole, needle first, stopping when needle pierces through fabric. Grab needle on fabric side, pulling pencil back through hole. Make sure there is still enough thread on bottom end to wrap around nail to secure (after next step).
- Stitch needle through a self-coverable button on top of seat, stitching back through hole in seat, using pencil again on other side (push through, eraser first). With both ends of thread on bottom of seat, pull thread tight to tuft button on other side. Wrap thread around nail, and hammer down. Repeat with other three buttons. Trim any excess thread.
(Images: Theresa Gonzalez)
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I've done this same thing but you can purchase longer needles at a fabric or craft store.
I also 'stapled' fishing line (I did not use thread) to the bottom of the chair instead of hammering in a nail.
But I am greatful for the tutorial because I can always learn a better way. Thanks so mcuh.
Nice tutorial! Definitely trying this soon.
Thanks for sharing this! I have a chair seat to refinish and never even though of making it tufted but now I will! :)
This is a great post. Thank you for sharing.
It's one thing to have a button at your back, quite another to have one under your ass. I'm not sure tufting is suited to seat cushions, unless it was very deep.
Can't say I think it improves the chair. (Technique is interesting, implementation maybe not so much.)