How to Make Your Own Headboard
One way to make a headboard, and save the expense of the board, is to use an old wooden door. Some doors, of course, would be way too long for a headboard, but some, like a shed door, may be much shorter. If you can find an old door that’s the same size or slightly larger than the width of your bed, you’re well on your way to having a headboard.
If you can’t find a door to use there are many other things that will work. 2×4’s, with the long sides butted together, make a perfect headboard. It’s also possible to use an old piece of counter top, with a wooden back. Or, simply use a very thick piece of cardboard as your base. Cardboard works well and is easy to trim down to various shapes.
Remove any hardware from the wood before starting the project. If you’re using a door you may want to tape over the doorknob opening. It’s possible to upholster the headboard without covering the knob hole but later, you could see an impression of the hole emerge as an outline on the cloth.
Visit a store where foam is sold to choose a piece for your new headboard. Foam comes in various sizes and densities, so you’ll be able to choose just the right foam for your needs. It’s entirely up to you how thick you want the foam to be, and how dense. You can also go online to find foam retailers. It may cost slightly more, but it’s much easier, if you purchase foam already cut to your specifications, rather than trying to cut the foam yourself.
Use spray adhesive, found in most department stores, to attach the foam piece to the headboard. It’s not necessary to wrap the foam around the side edges and top of the board, but it gives it a softer look if you do.
Most any cloth can be used to cover the headboard; it doesn’t have to be upholsterer’s cloth. Sometimes, though, you can find upholstery-quality cloth at a discount much cheaper than purchasing cloth at a fabric store.
Smooth the cloth out on a table and center the board on it. Wrap the cloth around to the back, overlapping the corners for a neat look, then staple or glue the cloth to the back. If you’re using cardboard as your shape, use glue to secure the fabric to the back.
There are several different ways you can hang the headboard. Attach a 2×2 to the top back area of the headboard and hang it on nails, drill holes in the door or wood then hang on nails in the wall, or make legs from 2×4’s and simply stand the headboard in place. For a cardboard headboard you can also make elastic loops, attach them to the back of the cardboard, then use them to hang the headboard on the wall.
It’s also possible to make the headboard with no wood or cardboard. Simply glue thick foam to the wall itself, then cover in fabric and staple to the wall. Trim close to the staples. Use decorative roping to go around the perimeter of the foam to hide the staples.
It’s not difficult to make a headboard and takes little time once you’ve acquired the materials. Now, let’s talk about footboards…
