I Made My Own Headboard

This July will mark one year since 'Operation 509' began. Built in 1972, our home was in desperate need of regular maintenance and modernization.

We started with a much-needed central heat and air system which required new duct work and if you've never gone through that renovation gem, prepare yourself for complete destruction.

Many, many updates later, we've finally crept to the point I've looked forward to the most: decorating.

I've scoured stores and websites looking for the perfect headboard for the master bedroom for the past two months but every prospect I found was either too expensive, cheaply made or no where close to what I envisioned. In a moment of frustration, I declared to several friends that I would make my own.

I started with a bolt of fabric at Hancock that had caught my eye a few months back and took my measurements to a nice lady there who suggested I purchase five yards along with a box of 1" thick batting.

Of course I chose the most challenging of patterns (stripes) and decided the only way to get around the inevitability of human error was to cover individual panels and alternate the direction of the stripes.

I went to Home Depot and purchased pre-cut 24 x 24 plywood squares. Assisted by my friend Benessa, who ingeniously suggested I use adhesive spray to set the batting before wrapping the edges, we stapled the padding to the back of the wooden panel.

We then placed the cotton-covered board onto the material and cut the fabric horizontally. We allowed for a little more fabric around the edges to cover the batting and make adjustments to the pattern as needed. We used 3/4" staples and stapled along the edges in a windmill fashion. (Pro Tip: use a basic staple gun. The razzle-dazzle models are junk and not worth the money.)

Once the panels were complete, we drilled a 1/2" thick sheet of plywood to the wall. Using Power Grab, we adhered each panel individually and held them for five minutes or more until they 'took'.

To give the headboard a finished look, I covered two round wooden craft discs with the excess fabric (which wasn't much...five yards was right on the money) and hot glued them to the corner.

VOILA! Headboard complete at a fraction of the cost. See the gallery below and if you want to tackle your own, feel free to reach out with any questions.

Just be sure to show me your before and after.