Decorating Tip #6 Make Your Own Headboards

Making headboards is easy to do. I have made dozens for model homes myself so if I can do it, anyone can. The following is a standard style. You can make a template out of newspaper for the top in any style you want but for the sake of simplicity...I will use a simple arch.

What you will need:

• 4'x8'x5/8 piece of plywood
• Jigsaw
• Drill
  
• Measuring tape
• Newspaper for template
• Roll of 3"or4" thick batting
• Staple gun
• Hot glue gun or 2 way tape
• Ready made welt or cording optional
  
• Paint optional for plywood
• Scissors
  

Plywood:

Cut piece of plywood the width of your bed, ie twin is 40"x48", Queen 60"x48", Cal-king 72"x48" and King 80"x48". Make a template out of newspaper in any shape you want. Mark the center of the width of the wood and draw the style you want for 1/2. Then flip the template to the other side and repeat. Cut where your marks are. That way both sides come out exactly the same.

The bottom cutout opening should not be above the top of the mattress. Measure your bed's width and height to make sure before you cut. The standard for a twin is 20" from the floor for the cutout and 6" wide legs. (Bed frames vary in height.)

Hold the board up to the head of the bed and drill holes in the wood where it will attach to the frame.

Now is the time to paint the wood if you do not want raw wood showing on the back side.

Batting:

Lay your batting over the cut plywood. You want to leave a 3" overhang all the way around so trim batting the shape of your wood with a 3" excess. In other words you will have 3" all the way around that is larger than the wood. It is easier to work with if you attach your batting to the wood either with a hot glue gun or 2 way tape. This will secure it and keep it from moving when you are applying the fabric.

Fabric:

Most decorator fabric comes in 54" widths which is perfect for a headboard. Cut the fabric 2" larger than the batting. You will railroad your fabirc. (running lengthwise horizontally so make sure if you have a pattern that will not be sideways). Railroading your fabric avoids visible seems. Lay your fabric onto the headboard and batting and smoothe but do not stretch. Using your staple gun, lift one side of the headboard and staple the fabric to the back to secure it. Now do the same to the other side. You should be able to stand the headboard up now without it falling apart.

With one person holding the headboard upright, the other person will smoothe the fabric around the edges and the person holding will staple the fabric to the wood on the back. *** Turn your fabric under 1" before you staple it and that will give you 1" to staple the fabric to the board leaving a nice flat edge.

Now that you have stapled the outside edges of the headboard, you will need the wrap the inside of the legs and the cutout of the bottom, being careful not to cut too much fabric away.

*** You will have some folds and play in your fabric so ease the fabric along until it is smoothe.

That is all there is to it!

If you want a 6" roll as seen in this picture, then lay your fabric on the headboard and make a template out of newspaper to match the outside border of the wood 6" smaller. Lay the small template over the fabric and mark the fabric with chalk. Then closely staple the fabric to the heaboard at the chalk line. Once that is done, wrap the remaining fabric around to the back and staple turning 1" under as described above.

Apply the welt with a hot glue gun or fabric glue where you have stapled the fabric defining the roll.

If I missed a step please let me know.