Cheap & Chic DIY Headboard Ideas
Make a personal statement in your bedroom retreat with a pretty DIY headboard for the bed.
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Go beyond the basic headboard and make the entire wall behind your bed a headboard. Distressed barnwood planks run the length of the wall behind this bed. To create the look, measure your wall to determine what length of planks you'll need and how many it will take to cover the wall from top to bottom. Starting at the ceiling, secure the planks using nails at several points along the board, ensuring some of the nails are driven into studs. Continue down the wall, butting the top of the next board against the bottom of the previous board. You may need to cut a board horizontally when you get to the bottom. Including a regular, upholstered headboard with the bed will add comfort to the wall.
Break an oversize headboard into small squares for an easy upholstered headboard project. To make this headboard, cut plywood into enough squares to fit your space. Ours are 18 inches square. Wrap the front of each square in quilt batting, stapling to the back. Cut a square of fabric at least 2 inches wider on each side than the plywood square. Stretch the fabric over the batting and staple to the back of the plywood. Trim away excess fabric (especially at the corners) to make hanging easier. To hang, place a sawtooth picture hanger on the back of each panel and arrange on the wall above your bed.
For less than $100, you can make a headboard out of basics from your local home center. On a piece of medium-density fiberboard (MDF), draw a design that's as wide as the mattress and about 40 inches tall; cut out. Use wood glue to cover the MDF with a piece of beaded board cut into the same shape. Glue strips of veneer over the rough edges. Glue or screw trim to the top edge and a finial in the cutout. Paint the entire piece. When dry, mount the headboard to the wall with 1 1/2-inch spacers.
Use these easy steps to paint a headboard and other wood furniture.
This no-sew, no tools required update is an easy and affordable way to revive a metal headboard. Simply drape a length of fabric, whether it’s yardage, a woven floorcloth, or a blanket, over an existing headboard. Clip both sides of the fabric together with curtain rings, and loop ribbon through the ring and around the bed frame and secure with a bow. Use several curtain rings on both sides of the headboard.
Instead of constructing a headboard, paint one on the wall behind your bed. To make this faux bois headboard, you'll need a wood-graining tool, a rubber roller that is engraved with a wood-grain pattern. Look for the tool in the paint section at a crafts store. Mask off the area where you'll be painting the headboard with painter's tape. Paint a base coat (we used a light blue); let dry. Mix 4 parts glaze medium with 1 part paint in a darker color. Apply the glaze mix using the wood-graining tool and following the manufacturer's instructions of rocking the tool back and forth as you pull it across a surface. Repeat until complete. Remove masking and let dry. Spray with a clear finishing sealer if desired.
Trace a curvaceous pattern on a piece of medium-density fiberboard, and cut out. Paint the edge white and cover the front with wallpaper. The pattern will look striking against a blank wall, doubling as artwork in a bedroom.: If using multiple pieces of wallpaper, take care to match the pattern for a chic, finished look.
Add a vintage country look to your bedroom with a feed-sack-covered headboard. A large feed sack provides enough fabric to cover a twin-size headboard. Staple two layers of batting over the front side of a piece of plywood, and then staple the feed sack on top of the batting. Pull the fabric taut as you add staples to the center of each side and then as you work your way to the corners. For a stunning finish, nail a piece of architectural salvage to the top of the upholstered headboard.
Create a one-of-a-kind headboard with built-in storage using old dresser drawers. Search salvage shops and secondhand stores for cast-off drawers and old dressers. Plan your layout on the floor, using fillers (such as storage cubes) and leaving spaces where the wall can show through. Once you've perfected your design, screw the pieces together. (We also cut plywood doors to fit a few openings and secured them with hinges.) To embellish your headboard, give it a few coats of paint and wallpaper the drawer backs and doors. Hang the headboard on the wall using a few 1x4-inch cleats.
Spice up a bedroom by creating a framed headboard from a graphic print. Stretch fabric over heavy cardboard or foam-core board and secure on the back. Insert the panels into two inexpensive poster frames spray-painted a coordinating color.
Scout out a large picture frame from a flea market or secondhand shop and repurpose it as a headboard. Paint the frame to match your decor. Cut a wallpaper piece to fit inside the frame. Apply the paper to the frame backing following the manufacturer's instructions.
Give old closet doors a new purpose as a headboard. Two closet doors mounted on the wall behind the bed create a sleek focal point in this midcentury-modern bedroom. Plus, the tall headboard gives the room a sense of height.
Revamp an old wooden headboard with a new treatment. Sand off the existing stain and refinish the headboard with a glaze or whitewash.
With a bit of sewing skill, this high-end designer lookalike headboard can be created in a weekend. Check out our step-by-step instructions for creating this beautiful headboard.
No one will suspect such an elegant metal headboard was created from a cheap find at a discount home store. Look for metal scrollwork in interesting motifs. Two panels can be hung together to create a modern headboard. These pieces were covered with two coats of brushed-silver paint to give them a soft, chic look.
Inexpensive picture frames can be found at garage sales or thrift shops and made into a magnificent headboard. Remove the glass from the frames and cut quilt batting the same size as the frame back. Cut fabric to size, adding 2 inches on each side. Lay the fabric facedown, center the batting on the fabric, and add the frame back. Wrap the fabric and secure to the frame back with duct tape. Insert into the frame. Hang the frames side by side for a picture-perfect headboard
Love the look of wrought-iron headboards, but not the price? Get the look without the cost by painting one on your wall. Find a stencil at a local crafts store or make your own. Cut the stencil from acetate with a crafts knife, affix the stencil to the wall using a spray adhesive or low-tack tape, and apply paint inside the stencil. Use acrylic paint or specially formulated stenciling cream.
Cozy up your bedroom by unfolding a fireplace screen and hanging it on the wall behind your bed as a headboard. For an antique look, spray paint the screen in desired color. After it’s dry, dip a sponge in bronze paint and wipe a light coat on the spray-painted screen. Repeat with copper paint. Finish with a clear spray-on sealant.
A solid pine door is the perfect way to make a bold statement with a headboard. Cut 15 inches off the bottom of the door. Paint the door and let dry. Mount the door to the wall about 4 inches above the floor using two brackets. Reinforce with one bracket on top. To hide the top bracket, use finishing nails to attach a piece of molding to its top edge 1 inch above the door. Fill holes with wood filler, sand, and paint.
Create an elegant headboard like this one by spraying two shutters with two coats of primer and two coats of metallic paint, then finishing with two coats of sealant. Allow the shutters to dry between coats. Measure the inside of each panel and cut fabric to fit each opening, adding 1/2 inch on all sides. Place thick batting inside the panel to cover the entire area. Cover with a piece of fabric. Secure the corners and the edges by stapling to the panel. Hot-glue ribbon to hide the raw edges. Repeat for each panel.
Make a bold statement with a headboard created from a curtain panel. Use fabric markers of different thicknesses or colors to write favorite quotes, poems, or lyrics on the panel. Hang the creation from a curtain rod using clip rings.
Two single window panels are the perfect alternative to an ordinary headboard. To get this look, find windows that measure approximately the width of your mattress. Remove the glass and install fiberboard or thin plywood over the back for safety. Cut fabric to fit each section and secure it in place with spray adhesive.
In place of a headboard, a salvaged mantel gives this bedroom architectural flair. The more distressed the better for a vintage look like this.
Upgrade a plain wooden headboard with paint. First, sand all surfaces and coat with a water-base sealer. Using a household trim brush, base-coat the entire headboard with white satin paint. Next, apply a stripe-and-dot border. For the flower, download the pattern below, transfer onto the headboard, and paint.
For a fanciful flourish, paint your own trompe l'oeil headboard. This handcrafted beauty mimics the ornate scrolls of a wrought-iron version without any hard edges to impede peaceful slumber. Not an artist? No problem. This look was created with a two-layered stencil. Look for stencils like this one at your local crafts or hobby store.
For a new take on an upholstered headboard, hang a bench cushion by its ties from wall-mounted hooks. Top the hooks with a piece of over-door molding, which you can find at a home center. To create a tufted look, sew covered buttons to the cushion with ribbon, poking both ends through the bottom of the cushion. Pull the ends tight and tie.
Create an alphabet headboard from letters found at crafts stores or flea markets. Choose a variety of letters, sizes, and fonts for an interesting display. Arrange letters graphically or spell out words.
Make this ultramodern headboard in an hour. Buy a piece of plywood from your local home supply store. Sand it, stain it, seal it, then set it behind your bed. The clean lines will help you sleep in style.
Add even more personality to your bedroom with these easy custom pillows.
