How to Tuft a Door

Remove the door using a hammer and flat screwdriver. Tap out the hinge pins. Lay the door flat on sawhorses.

Lay out a tuft pattern on the door using 6- or 8-inch squares and spacing. A tuft pattern can be even rows of buttons or offset rows of buttons. An even row will position all of the buttons in a straight vertical and horizontal line. An offset pattern will have alternating rows. For example, row one will have three evenly spaced buttons, row two will have two buttons centered between the top three, row three will look like row one, etc. Mark your button locations.

Drill through the door at the button locations. Spray one side of the door with spray adhesive for foam. Press 1-inch sheet foam into the adhesive. Trim around the door handle and outside of the foam using an electric carving knife.

Insert a long upholstery needle through the door and straight through the foam. Mark the exit point with a marker. Repeat for all tufting holes. Spray the remaining side of the door with spray adhesive for foam. Press 1-inch sheet foam into the adhesive. Trim around the door handle and outside of the foam using an electric carving knife.

Insert a long upholstery needle through the marked foam, the door and straight through the foam. Mark the exit point with a marker. Repeat for all tufting holes.

Cut fabric twice the width of the door plus twice the thickness of the door with the foam. Measure the height plus twice the thickness of the door with the foam. Cut your fabric. In some cases you will need to join two pieces of fabric with a seam for the width you need.

Fold the width of the fabric in half. Fit the fabric to the handle and latch end of the door. Cut a slit for the door handles after centering the fabric along the edge of the door. Apply hot glue to the edge of the door except at the latch plate. Press the fabric to the door edge making it tight and flat.

Stretch the fabric across the top side of the door. Hot glue the hinge edge of the door except at the hinges. Press the fabric taut along the edge and staple through the fabric, glue and into the door. Turn the door on edge. Insert your needle through the marked spots on the foam back and through the fabric. Mark the locations of your holes with tailor's chalk on your fabric. Mark each hole. Turn the door fabric side down.

Stretch the fabric across the foam to the hinge side. Turn the edge of the fabric under to create a finished edge and hot glue and staple the finished edge. Use a sharp artist knife to cut the fabric at the hinges to expose the hinges. Use additional glue to glue down the fabric edges if necessary. Stretch, glue and staple the fabric along the top and bottom edge folding your finished edges under for best appearance.

Cut fabric 1 inch wider than the top of a covered button. Place the fabric face down. Place the button top over the fabric. Wrap the fabric over the sides and into the underside teeth. Press the bottom of the button into the top until they snap together. Make two covered buttons for each hole in the door.

Thread the long needle with heavy-duty thread. Tie the ends to the stem of one covered button. Send the needle through the tailor's chalk mark on the fabric, through the foam, door, foam and out through the tailor's chalk mark on the other side. Thread on a second covered button. Send the needle back through the door and through the stem of the first button. Pull the thread to draw the buttons down and tight. Repeat your stitching from button to button two or three times and tie the thread off on one of the buttons. Repeat for all of the buttons.

Unscrew the door handles and reinstall over the top of the fabric for the best finished appearance. Use the artist knife to expose the end latch assembly after the knob is finished. Add hot glue along the edges if the fabric is loose.