Make Your Own Headboard

54 inches wide is not enough for a queen sized headboard to fit in the frame properly! Don't make my mistake by following directions -- measure first! You'll probably need at least 60 inches in width for this to work.

for a more refined look, place stained 1x4 stock around outside edge of plywood, then make tufted insert to apply to inside of boarder of 1x4, insert backing to be of masonite 1/4", glue or staple, then attach to wall. king size 78"x31"x3" cost about $70

Does any know how to make a full size headboards with an insert. I want to make a basic black or white headboard that my teenage daughter can interchange the center color when she changes her decor.

HOW TO PUT BUTTONS-- giving a tufted look...
Years ago I attended a free class at Calico Corners on how to make ottomans. Same principles here.

You have a choice depending upon how much abuse you think your headboard will get.

1. Decorative purposes only-- use staple gun and staple in the location, through the fabric, batting, foam and into the plywood, where you want the buttons to be placed. Doing this, youve now got the "tufting" simply glue the buttons (or rhinestones, crystals, silk flowers, whatever) over the staple so they can no longer be seen.

2. More "Funcitonal" Buttons-- this was what they used for the ottoman. Mark on the plywood where you want the buttons to be place AND DRILL A HOLE IN THOSE PLACES. Its best to note approximate area of where the hole(s) is/are. Continue with placing the foam, then the batting on top of the foam (gives more cushiness than either alone-- foam is available in different thicknesses too) and the final fabric.

Once you are ready to place the buttons... get a Large Needle-- like a quilters needle if you dont have an upholstery needle-- and start poking in the area where you think the hole is. Once you find it, go all the way through with thread on the needle and leave thread in so you know all the locations. Then, sew the button on like you'd sew one on a coat. The tightness of the tufting depends on how tightly you pull through and how tightly you sew in the button.

a lot of places sell fabric. I know walmart has, or you can try various craft stores.

My parents did this and not only did they make an attractive headboard, it is also nicely cushioned so comfortable to lean back on.

I've got to agree with blondie. They've made the instructions too complicated. My parents didn't sew anything. They attached the fabric to the back with a staple gun. They did this years ago and it's still holding together well. Why sew when you don't need to? No one sees the back anyway.

I've always wanted to make my own headboard. Thanks you so much for posting this! The hard part is finding the right fabric. If anyone knows where to get that from please reply.

It looks so easy.

DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO PUT THE BUTTONS ON THE HEAD BOARD????

Oh thank you so much! These instructions are perfect for my headboard I started last weekend. I screwed a 36" X 56" piece of plywood to the front of an Ikea FJELLSE bed frame. The back is uneven where the original headboard ends and there is still 18" of plywood, so I decided to also glue foam to the back to fill-in that uneven section (otherwise it will look lumpy from the side). These are the first instructions I found that put foam on the front AND back, so they are very helpful! I'm going to sew it in muslin first as a base, and then make the real cover from heavier fabric. I'll permanently atach the muslin to the bed, and make a skirt for the sides and front of the bed frame so that it looks as nice as the ikea FLORO, or those $600+ beds out there. It cost about $130 (including the bed). It would have cost less if I didn't use such a big piece of plywood. I had to buy a 4'x8' and have it cut, and also the foam cost more b/c it has to cover more area. I can't paint, or drill big holes my apartment walls, so I wanted a giant headboard for drama, and colour!

This is a lot harder than it has to be. You don't need two pieces of foam, and you don't need duct tape and you do NOT need to sew! just use batting that's larger than your plywood and staple the extra around the back with a staple gun. Do the same with the fabric. Unless everyone is going to see the back of your headboard, the above instructions require too much work! Check out HGTV.com.