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You are here: Home / DIY / How to Upholster a Headboard

How to Upholster a Headboard

September 28, 2016 By Karen Cooper 2 Comments

We had a headboard that I really, really didn’t like.

Until now…

How to Upholster a Headboard - DIY - thediybungalow.com

Now I love it!

I lived with this wicker headboard for umpteen years.

How to Upholster a Headboard - DIY - thediybungalow.com

I could live with the wicker, but I never really liked it. It was in the guest room, so I didn’t see it every day.

How to Upholster a Headboard - DIY - thediybungalow.com

But when I was spring cleaning, I noticed that the wicker was only attached with screws and a plywood backing.

The wheels started turning…and before I knew it, I had removed the wicker insert.

How to Upholster a Headboard - DIY - thediybungalow.com

I had fabric that I knew would work for an upholstered headboard insert, so I just needed supplies.

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Materials Needed:

  • 1/4-inch plywood, cut to size – see note below
  • batting
  • 1-inch thick upholstery foam (1-1/2-inch foam is also ok, but it doesn’t need to be that thick)
  • spray adhesive
  • spray paint if needed for the frame (I only use Rust-Oleum spray paint – it’s the best!)
  • fabric (I already had – from IKEA)
  • staple gun
  • screwdriver (This is my favorite screwdriver (it’s a ratcheting screwdriver) – I use it for everything!)

Note: I went to the hardware store for supplies and figured I’d have the plywood cut to size there. The big box hardware stores will cut the wood for you.

I went to Lowe’s, got the plywood, and the nice person there cut it to the size of the insert.  Or so I thought.

If you learn nothing else from this post – although I hope you learn how to upholster a headboard, too – learn this: when you have a piece of wood cut at a hardware store, measure the cut piece before you leave the cutting area. Make sure it’s actually cut to the right measurements.

How to Upholster a Headboard - DIY - thediybungalow.com

Because I watched the guy measure the wood and then cut it, and I just assumed he cut it accurately.

He didn’t. He cut it an eighth of an inch too wide. And that’s a lot when you need the plywood to fit into a frame.

Unfortunately, I didn’t notice this until I had already upholstered the board and tried to fit it into the headboard frame. Oops.

I ended up sanding the board down the eighth of an inch I needed and it fit perfectly. Whew. But lesson learned.

OK, back to our upholstering story…Here’s how to upholster a headboard:

1. Cut the foam.

To upholster the board, first cut the foam to the size of the plywood. You can use a knife or very sharp scissors for this (if the foam isn’t too thick).

Then, take the plywood outside and spray it with spray adhesive. Attach the foam to the plywood by laying it on top of the adhesive.

Let the adhesive dry, then get ready for batting and fabric.

How to Upholster a Headboard - DIY - thediybungalow.com

2. Cut the batting and fabric.

Cut the batting and fabric to size. The best way to do this is to lay the fabric, face down, on the floor. Keep in mind the pattern of the fabric – you want to make sure to lay it down so that the pattern is in the position you want it in permanently.

Next, lay the batting on top of the fabric. Put the board with the foam on it, foam-side down, on top of the batting.

Wrap the batting and fabric around the foam and board, making sure you leave plenty of room to staple them to the back of the board. Double check to make sure the pattern is in the right place for the headboard, then cut the fabric and batting. You can always cut off the extra fabric, so err on the side of it being too big.

How to Upholster a Headboard - DIY - thediybungalow.com

Here you can see the layers: board, foam, batting, fabric.

3. Attach the batting and fabric with a staple gun.

Once cut, wrap the batting and fabric around the board, pull it tight, and staple it in place with a staple gun.

How to Upholster a Headboard - DIY - thediybungalow.com

The trick here is to pull the fabric tight enough to make sure there are no wrinkles on the face of the headboard as you staple it, while not moving the fabric from where you placed it initially.

To make the corners neat, fold them the way you would when wrapping a present.

How to Upholster a Headboard - DIY - thediybungalow.com

And there it is.

Now, if you aren’t upholstering an insert, you can upholster plywood this same way, attach 2x4s to the back of it for the legs, attach it to the wall or bed frame, and make a headboard that way. But I had an insert, so here’s what I did next.

For the frame, I spray painted it with Rustoleum Universal – Paint and Primer in One – in Satin Black.

How to Upholster a Headboard - DIY - thediybungalow.com

For my favorite spray painting tips, please see THIS POST.

Once the paint had dried completely, I attached the upholstered plywood to the frame with the original screws.

How to Upholster a Headboard - DIY - thediybungalow.com

How to Upholster a Headboard - DIY - thediybungalow.com

And now I love this headboard!

Pin this project for later –

How to Upholster a Headboard - an easy DIY project - thediybungalow.com

You might also like:

  • Headboard Improvement
    Headboard Improvement
  • Guest Room Redo
    Guest Room Redo
  • How to Make a Bench from an Old Headboard
    How to Make a Bench from an Old Headboard

Filed Under: Decorating, DIY, Repurposing and Upcycling Tagged With: Bedrooms 2 Comments

About Karen Cooper

Hi! I'm Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer” - I traded in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY adventures. Join me for DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organizing projects and tips as I transform a 1929 Tudor bungalow into our home. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.

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Comments

  1. Karen says

    September 28, 2016 at 3:37 pm

    The difference is night and day! What an inspiration and transformation! Great job! Just curious, what did you do to the footboard? Eliminate it? Paint it all black? Cover with fabric but no batting?

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      September 28, 2016 at 5:07 pm

      Thank you, Karen! The footboard ended up in the attic – I liked the room better without it. It really opened up the bed area and whole room! That said, were I to redo the footboard, I would have to upholster both sides of the insert, because they’re both visible (unlike the headboard where the back of it is to the wall).

      Reply

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Hi! I’m Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer,” because I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. This blog is all about DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organization. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.




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About Karen

A "recovering lawyer," I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home. Read More…

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