This one's for the beginners out there looking for a DIY Project to expand their horizons... and are in need of a little extra umph in the bedroom (if you know what I mean which is headboards).
My upstairs bedroom has three walls of windows, and the remaining wall has two doorways and a stairwell. So that left me with the problem of where in the world to place my bed! After re-arranging time and time again, I discovered there was no other solution except to put the bed in front of a window. Thus, I desperately needed a headboard to keep from pulling down the blinds. Plus, adulting.
I searched online for a while, trying to find something reasonably priced for my full-size bed, but to no avail. And after looking at all these upholstered headboards, I thought - how hard can it be? Turns out I was right: This is a DIY Project that any beginner can take on.
Step 1
Always the easiest part - going out and shopping for supplies. I went to the hardware store and bought a quarter-inch thick piece of plywood and two 2 x 4's. At the hardware store, I had them cut the pieces down to size - cuts at my local hardware store are only 25 cents each, so completely worth it even if you have your own tools.
Before I left for the store, I measured the width of my bed frame (then added 2" to either side) to come up with the width for my headboard. For the height, I knew I wanted it tall (so I could lean against the back for reading.) So, I measured the height of my bed and added 30 inches.
I had them cut the plywood to the correct width, but the height wasn't tall enough. So I used the 2x4's to cheat the headboard to the total height that I wanted. (Hence the little legs that you see below.) Once I got all the materials home, I screwed the 2 x 4's to the back of the plywood to create the frame.
Step 2
Next stop was the fabric store. There, I purchased foam, bating, and fabric. I went with 1/2" thick foam, 1/2" bating, and a simple neutral fabric. When you're selecting the fabric, make sure that you can get a single piece to cover the whole headboard. You could sew pieces together, but to me, that just added extra opportunity for error.
Step 3
Next, simply attach the foam to the plywood backing. Cut the foam to size, then hot glue it in place. It really is that simple!
Step 4
To add a little more cush and soften the corners, cover the plywood and foam with bating. Wrap the the bating around the edges and afix it to the backside so that you can't see the staples. And voila! Your project at this stage should look something like this:
Step 5
And finally, wrap the headboard with fabric. Staple it in place just like you did for the bating. I stapled a few on one side, then the other, to make sure that I was able to keep the fabric stretched evenly. You did it!
