jjbe58's Profile

For my first-time tufting, I went "big time".

In my bathroom, I tufted a wall panel 48" wide x l06" high. To be able to do this alone, I used 2" finishing nails to anchor the thread. Using two strands of embroidery thread, I ran the upholstery needle through the drilled hole to the front, ran it through the button hook then ran the thread back through. I made a loose loop around the nail, pulling the thread to make the the nail fit flat against the backside of the hole, then pulled and tightened again. By using the nail, I could really tug to get a tight tuft, and the thread didn't loosen up until I could tie my knot. Worked like a charm.

To get a deeper tuft, before adding the batting, I used a piece of copper pipe that was more narrow than the size of the button, sharpened one end then cut right through the foam using a twisting motion.