How to make a bed headboard at home?

May 2022 – Did you know that an average person sleeps 26 years of their life? To some of you, this might sound like a dreamy idea, right? What is even more surprising is the fact that you spend a staggering seven years of your life trying to fall asleep. This sound more like a nightmare. A suitable and, most importantly, a high-quality mattress is crucial to your sleep and rest. However, what grabs the most attention in visual terms are the bed frame and headboard.

Bed headboards have in recent years become the focus of attention in bed design and selection. The choice of headboard has become virtually as important as the choice of a high-quality mattress. Recent years have seen a growing popularity of upholstered headboards that offer much greater comfort to the user.

 

Simple solution: wooden headboard

The easiest and fastest way to build your own headboard is from a large piece of wood or a wooden board. This is the simplest and most affordable way to transform your bedroom without investing a great amount of labour and energy.

 

To make a wooden headboard you will need:

  • A large wooden board or OSB board (of preferred dimensions)
  • Wooden slats (their width should match the bed frame width)
  • Sandpaper
  • A power drill with the required bits
  • Screws

 

To construct your own wooden headboard, first select a large wooden board. Its size depends on your preferences. If you like the latest trend, it can be wider than the bed frame, or you could go simply for the same width as the bed. Alternatively, you could get some long wooden slats and place them side by side to make a rectangle or even arrange them out of line. You can do this by sliding one to the left, the next one to the right, and repeat all the way to the top of the headboard. Another material you can use is an OSB board, which is easy to fix to the wall above the head of the bed.

If necessary, sand the wooden board or slats with sandpaper to remove any splinters and give it as a smooth finish. Next, decide which side of the board will be the front and screw the wooden slats onto the back of the board using a drill. The slats are there to help you mount the headboard to the bed frame and, if so preferred, to the wall by the bed frame. The two side slats should be longer than the rest; they will be screwed to the bed frame. Now apply Neostik FIX & SEAL FOR ALL SURFACES to the parts of the slats placed directly on the headboard and parallel to the wall. Neostik sealant will ensure better adhesion of the headboard to the bed frame and its stability.

 

Headboard made of scrap pallets

The versatile use or rather re-use of old scrap pallets in furniture making has been an exciting trend in the last few years. Old, reclaimed pallets are getting a second lease on life, a new chance to function in homes as club tables, dining room benches, bookcases, balcony planters, colourful outdoor furniture for the garden and the list goes on. Here is how you can use scrap pallets to make a new headboard for your bed.

To construct a wooden headboard from scrap pallets you will need:

When reclaiming scrap pallets, you should first determine whether they are in good enough condition to serve as a headboard. The pallets should be firm enough and, above all, dry. It is just as important to check the wood for any parasites. If you were able to find pallets in good condition, you can go ahead with the construction. Scrap pallets first need to be sanded down to remove any protruding fragments that could snag or prick you while resting or making the headboard. Once the pallets are cleaned up, you can screw them to the bed frame with a power drill. Finally, apply some Neostik FIX & SEAL FOR ALL SURFACES to the backside of the pallets for greater stability as the reclaimed pallet headboard is positioned against the wall.

 

Upholstered headboard

Upholstered headboards have an extremely stylish and timeless look, and their comfortable appearance is very inviting. However, if photos of upholstered headboards first make you think of expensive price tags, rest assured you are no exception. Often, upholstered headboards and bed frames are not in the low-price range.  Nevertheless, don’t give up your dream about a plush headboard just yet because there is a simple way to make one by yourself at home without having to dig deep into your pocket. You might be surprised how simple it is to construct.

To make an upholstered headboard, you will need:

  • Wooden slats (their width should match the bed frame)
  • Plywood panel (matching the width and length of the slats)
  • Fabric (material, colour and design of preference)
  • Circular or bench saw
  • Scissors
  • Staple gun
  • A power drill with the required bits
  • Screws
  • Foam
  • Upholstering buttons
  • Needle
  • Thread
  • Measuring tape
  • Neostik FIX & SEAL FOR ALL SURFACES
  • Adhesive spray Neostik SPRAY PROFI UNIVERSAL (to stick the foam to the plywood panel)

 

Before you start making an upholstered headboard, you should measure the bed frame and decide how big you want your headboard to be. You can make the headboard wider than the bed frame or just as wide as the frame, whichever you prefer. The choice depends on the look you are aiming for. Use a measuring tape and note down the measurements to make sure you purchase the right sized plywood and slats. This will also allow you to estimate the amount of fabric or textile needed to make the upholstery that will be attached to the plywood base panel. The choice of material that will cover the headboard is entirely up to you. Shops with fabric by the meter usually offer a vast array of textiles, colours, materials and patterns. The choice of colour and pattern is certainly important as they can serve to bring a new vibe and life to your bedroom. If your aim is a bed that is soothing to the eye, we would suggest selecting gentle colour tones such as pale blue, tender green, pastel pink, beige, off-white, or light grey. On the other hand, if you want to liven up the room, you may go for bolder tones such as yellow, orange or red.

 

Once you have all the tools and materials ready, it is time to get down to work. If you couldn’t purchase a plywood panel or base in the right size, you will first have to use a saw to cut it to the desired size of your headboard. Next, screw the wooden slats to the back of the plywood panel using a drill. The slats should be as wide and long as the panel so that they can be properly mounted to the wall above the bed frame.

Apply the adhesive spray Neostik SPRAY PROFI UNIVERSAL to the front surface of the plywood panel. Then affix the foam to the adhesive, and if the foam is larger than the panel cut off the excess material with scissors. For greater comfort, you can repeat the process by applying another coat of adhesive spray and sticking another layer of foam on top.

Before covering the foam with fabric or textile it should first be ironed to avoid any creases. Then place the fabric, which will serve as a cover for the upholstered headboard, on top of the foam on the wooden base. Next, turn the headboard face down so that the covering is at the bottom. Now you can cut the edges of the cover if it is too large but be careful to leave the sides at least a few centimeters longer than the foam as this will allow you to attach the cover to the back of the base where the wooden slats are.

 

Before stapling the textile cover to the wooden slats make sure that it is stretched enough to prevent any loose pockets that will sag. Using a staple gun, attach the cover to the wooden slats along the width and length.

If you wish to embellish the headboard by adding buttons, first think about how you are going to arrange them. Take a pencil and mark the spots on the back side of the panel where you want the buttons. To ensure the buttons are evenly arranged, use a measuring tape. Next, drill small holes through the back side of the panel, only deep enough to drill through the plywood but not the foam, because you don’t want to damage it.

With all the holes drilled, take some thick thread or thin wire to sow the upholstery buttons to the front side of the headboard. Thread a needle with the thread or wire along with the button and push it through the surface of the fabric and foam. Repeat a few times until the button is firmly sown onto the headboard. When you feel that the button is firmly attached to the upholstered headboard, pull the needle through the hole at the back of the plywood base and secure the thread or wire to make sure it stays in place. This will keep the button in front from falling off. You can secure the thread or wire by stapling it to the base with a staple gun.

Now that you are all set up, move on to the last step of affixing the upholstered headboard onto the wall at the head of the bed. Apply Neostik FIX & SEAL FOR ALL SURFACES to the wooden slats at the back of the headboard and stick the wooden base to the wall.