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No - A proper tufting job is much more difficult/labor/fabric intensive than the DIY's would have you believe - more than just sewing little buttons in an upholstered piece, it requires intricate folds to be correct

This is one of those things that are worth the $$$ to hire a professional to do the job for you.

i entirely agree with bepsf. tufting is hard - this is one of the DIY's i would not even attempt.
actually, I have also been on the market for something like this (different scale, though) and decided to pay the price and just order a custom one.

Bobbycat, can you share where you ordered, and what kind of cost for what kind of fabric/size?

I agree with bepsf as well; especially so given the headboard in the picture with your question. That particular one is much more complicated even than standard tufting.

I'd suggest the way I did it. I found a great headboard on steep discount and took it to "my" upholsterer (he's done 7 peices for me now, so I he's in my phone along with my hair stylist and the vet). Even with fabric purchase (online, discount) and labor, the headboard was still $300 under full retail.

And yeah, great tufting is best obtained from a pro.

Love the headboard! It would look great in a velvet... sorry, I know nothing about DIY tufting :-)

I don't see how intricate folds come into play for this type of tufting. The photos don't look to have the deep tufts that you'd see in old funiture (that are indeed difficult to do).
If Stacy is fine foregoing the quilted fabric (or if she knows how to quilt the fabric to her liking), it would be fairly easy to copy the headboard - all you do is attach 1-1 1/2" high density foam to a piece of plywood, measure out and drill small holes for the buttons (2 for each, and yes, you drill through the foam), and cover the board with your fabric, and run buttons (covered in the same fabric) through with upholstery thread or wire and tie them in the back. To be kind to your wall, you will probably want to cover the ply somehow (attach duck cloth or another durable fabric to the back). I've done this kind of thing with several pieces (and no prior experience) and have never had a problem. Again, the tufts in the headboard don't look that deep, and I don't see why this would be an impossible DIY.

I would check out this project guide from JoAnn Fabrics. It's a project that I've wanted to tackle for awhile now...good luck!

http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.jsp?CATID=cat13860&PRODID=xprd509570

A bad tufting job is miserable and a waste of time, money and effort. Leave it to a professional upholsterer.

~Lorrie @ mydesignsecrets.com.

A couple years ago I spent a lot of time looking for a fabric tufted headboard. I don't know how many newer ones are out now, but I ended getting a cute one from Urban Outfitters while it was on sale for like $235. Its very nice and holds up well because it is just a headboard, not a full bed frame. Looks just as nice today.

Velvet headboard

I imagine that getting all the buttons pulled to an equal depth is a tough job. If some are sitting higher than others - the eye will focus on those. Maybe you can make one without the tufting?

I made it and it looked great. I'll send AT a pic and how to so haters and be hatererrs!!!! LOL

The tufting you like on this headboard isn't that difficult, just a lot of time at the sewing machine. The "folds" are sewn in. You draw a grid on the wrong side of the fabric and very carefully and methodically fold and pin all vertical lines, with say a 1/2" fold or seam allowance. Next, you would fold and pin all the horizontal lines with the same allowance. Where the seam allowances intersect, you can snip carefully so it's not so bulky. On the plywood piece that's your headboard, mark the points of intersection and drill holes through the wood. Now, if you did a really good job with measurements, all you have to do is thread the buttons with twine and with a long needle pull the buttons through the holes and staple on the back of the plywood. Sometimes if someone is helping you, they can tell you if the indentations look even.

ModHomeEcTeacher gave excellent instructions and that is what I did when I tried to make this exact same headboard. I will post pictures when I get home. I tufted without buttons only thread. The sewing really gives it the tufted look. I still think mine looks DIY but I like it. The threading is the hardest part as there are so many squares (I did 8"). One thing I would have done instead of plywood is use pegboard which would have eliminated the drilling and also use 2" or 3" foam instead of 1" foam.

Viesso in Santa Monica can make a similar headboard for you. You'll have it finished and in the bedroom in around three weeks. Check their website under headboards - they have an online pricing mechanism that will help you determine what the headboard would cost. There is also an option for using your own fabric.

http://www.viesso.com

On another note, all "leatherette" is not equal. You don't want vinyl - you want a faux leather that is 100% polyurethane. It is much much cheaper than the real thing, does not involve killing anything, is way easier to clean and work with than the real thing, and it has a great hand. Great faux leather is virtually indistinguishable from the real leather.

Try UltraLeather brand faux leather or something like Joseph Noble's "Great Fake Leather" line. This is my source for discount UltraLeather:

http://newtoto.stores.yahoo.net/ululul70br.html

HGTV.com has a ton of articles and videos on how to make a tufted headboard. It can be done. Just depends on how skilled the DIYer is, really. Some people who sew alot can make a very beautiful one at a fraction of the cost of buying one. And you have the satisfaction of it being handmade.

Thanks guys! I had nightmares that ya'll would say it was hideous to begin with or something...

Now I have some great sources in case I decide to take on the task. AT readers are awesome!

wrtau23 - great idea with the pegboard, I'll have to give that a try next time. Lining up the holes has been one of the most time consuming parts.