This project goes way back, and I’m shocked that I never shared it here before. It was my first attempt at upholstering a tufted piece, and I learned so much along the way.
I found this upholstered blue bench at a thrift store. It was torn, stained, and in desperate need of love. The fabric was a thin, stretchy polyester that had no business being on furniture in the first place. The fact that it only had a few holes was nothing short of a miracle. But the bones of the piece were solid, and the price was too good to pass up. So I bought it.
And then I let it sit. For a very long time while I worked up my nerve.
Eventually, I decided to go for it.
Tackling My First Tufted Project
First came the fabric choice. There was no way I was going to try to tuft a pattern or a striped fabric. I opted for a neutral look, so I used my favorite budget-friendly option: a painter’s drop cloth. It has a great texture, takes paint and wear well, and gives a high-end look without the high-end price.
Stripping It Down
The first step was removing the old fabric and buttons. Once I opened the back I realized they had used prong back tufting pins to hold the original tufting in place. Here’s the nice thing about starting with an already-tufted piece: the holes in the foam and the base are already there. If you were starting from scratch, you would need special tools to cut through the foam and create those deep, tapered holes that make tufting look professional.
The tufted buttons were my next hurdle. I knew making my own covered buttons was out of the question. I’ve tried making covered buttons before and failed miserably.
I tried to DIY the situation and use decoupage glue to “recover” the buttons. That was a miserable failure. They looked ok but not really very nice.
This was a terrible idea
Lucky for me, I found these gorgeous gem-like upholstery pins on Amazon. They had just the right amount of sparkle to elevate the look of the drop-cloth and give the whole piece a more upscale feel.
Re-Tufting with Upholstery Pins
Instead of cutting and shaping the fabric to fit, I started in the center with the fabric laid smoothly across the foam. I inserted my first tufting pin into the middle hole, secured it tightly, and then worked outward, one button at a time.
This part was a little tricky. Every time I adjusted one pleat, it seemed to pull another out of place. There was a lot of fiddling and re-adjusting, but eventually, the pleats fell into line and the fabric looked the way it should. At least to my untrained eye.
Once the tufting was complete, I stapled the fabric around the edges just like any other upholstery project. I started at the center of each side, pulling the fabric tight, and then worked my way around until everything was secure. After reattaching the legs, it was finally finished.
I decided to cover the bottom of the bench to cover all the ugly wood and give the bench a finished look. Since I still had part of my drop cloth left, I decided to use it to cover instead of a typical black upholstery netting. That way I wasn’t wasting anything. Lucky for me one edge was finished so I didn’t have a ragged edge where I couldn’t fold over the fabric.
The Finished Bench
For my very first tufted upholstery project, I am happy with how it turned out. The neutral drop cloth and sparkling pins completely transformed this sad little thrift store find into a high-end bench.
Would I tackle tufted furniture again? Absolutely. This project taught me so much that I know my next attempt would be even better.
I ended up putting the bench in my shop, and it sold the very first day. A young woman picked it up to place at the foot of her bed, and she was so excited to take it home. That’s always the best part, seeing something rescued, reimagined, and loved again.
Let’s Stay Connected!
Don’t forget to share this post, follow me on Instagram for all the latest updates, and—of course—subscribe to my YouTube channel, where I do projects like this all the time.
Follow me on your favorite platform so you never miss a makeover!
- Instagram for behind-the-scenes and sneak peeks
- Facebook for live updates and community fun
- YouTube to watch the full DIY process in real time
No matter where you scroll, I’m sharing tips, tricks, and creative projects to inspire your next flip. So pick your place and hit that follow button—I’d love to have you along for the ride!
