How To Upholster A Headboard
After a bunch of people wrote to us asking how we upholstered the green headboard in our guest bedroom…
… we thought we’d invite you to join us for a quick tutorial. And since John’s sister Emily was itching to make a pink headboard for her daughter Olivia’s bedroom, we got to show her how simple the process can be as well. And don’t be nervous, it’s truly a super easy undertaking. If you can wrap a present, you can upholster a headboard. Honest.
First, visit an art store and purchase a wooden frame that’s meant to stretch canvas. A craft store won’t carry these, but any true art store will. As for the size, you should aim for the exact width of the bed but the height is up to you (you can use painter’s tape on the wall to experiment until you find a height that you like). You’ll also need enough fabric to cover the canvas frame with a few inches to spare, the same amount of batting (the thickness is up to you- the plusher the batting, the plusher the headboard). Then all you need is a regular old scissors and a staple gun (you can purchase a manual one for about $12 at Lowe’s) and you’re ready to roll. *Note: You can substitute a piece of plywood for the canvas frame if you’re looking to create a headboard that’s extremely durable (ie: for people who lean against it all the time to read or for a boisterous child’s room) – it will be stiffer, heavier and a bit trickier to hang, but virtually indestructible.
Step 1: Cut your batting a few inches larger than the frame, wrap it around the back of the frame and staple it in place. I like stapling things at twelve o’clock, three o’clock, six o’clock and nine o’clock first to keep things tight and straight (sometimes starting at one end and working your way around can cause it to slowly shift or loosen, and you want a straight, tight fit). Continue to staple the batting around the frame every two to three inches until you’ve worked your way around the frame and the batting is snug and secure.
Step 2: Cut the fabric a few inches larger than the frame and follow the same stapling steps outlined above. Be sure that your fabric is straight if it has any sort of pattern (line it up carefully and be sure to check for any shifting as you go). When it comes to the corners, just treat them as if you’re wrapping a present and fold them over so that they have a seamless look from the front. (Note: staples can be easily removed, so if you need a do-over or two it’s no biggie).
Step 3: Hanging this type of headboard is easy-peasy since it’s super light (thanks to the canvas frame construction) so it’s just like hanging a picture frame. All it calls for are two nails placed on the wall for the frame to hook over. Using a level can insure that your headboard hangs straight- and look how cute this step can be. Adorable.
Step 4: Enjoy your swank new headboard. Olivia loves her plush pink palace and the polka dot headboard is the perfect punch of personality (say that three times fast).
So there you have it, headboard upholstery 101. And here’s a bonus fabric tip for ya: visit the fancy fabric store in your neighborhood. Every town has one (it’s where the interior designers go) and in Richmond it’s called Willaims & Sherrill. This may seem like a surprising suggestion from bargain hunters like us, but you can often find fabulous deals in the remnant section of the store. There’s usually a table full of remnants (leftover pieces of fabric that have been marked down dramatically)- and most are still one to two yards, which is more than enough fabric for this project.
In this instance, Emily and I snatched up two yards of this thick woven swiss dot fabric (originally $24/yard) for around $19 total. Score.
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Comments
I was just going to make the same comment- the advantage of the frame is that the headboard is light, but if you do tend to lean against it to read (and I sometimes have to sleep sitting up because of sinus issues), the fabric *may* loosen- due to the fabric stretching, tearing, or the staples pulling out.
We had to rip out our frame headboard and upholster a sheet of plywood to make it work.
THANK YOU …I posted about ya’ll again today and I’m going to make mine this week. Thank you, thank you, thank you! =) Oh and I got the name correct this time, sorry about that.
I was thinking the same thing about it being flimsy. I’ve seen these made with plywood, covered in batting and fabric. I think that would be much more sturdy for everyday use.
Very pretty fabric choice for the little girl’s room. I love it!
I plan on making one of these myself. Very inexpensive way to add some color and finish a bed.
Thanks for the instructions! Thanks too for the link to One Project Closer…they featured our new kitchen this week!
Hey everyone,
I made the green upholstered headboard in our guest bedroom over four years ago and it’s still going strong (no loose fabric or staples) and it served as our own headboard for a few years before we moved it to the guest bedroom so it definitely got some heavy use (we read leaning against it for years). But I can see how it might seem less sturdy than a plywood one.
I guess since we had no problems with the durability/longevity of ours I assumed that the frame method was better than plywood because it’s lighter, easier to hang, and easier to move… but I can see how people only wanna do something like this once so if plywood seems more like your cup of tea I’d definitely encourage you to go that route.
Maybe the flimsy/durability issue comes up with a frame if you use cheap or thin fabric and batting (or fabric with a lot of stretch). That would probably explain why the two headboards I’ve made are so strong (I always gravitate towards thick, woven upholstery fabrics with some major heft) and when paired with some rather plush batting they are very tight and strong once stapled to the frame. Yup, now that I think about it, fabric is probably a very important factor, so I’d definitely suggest selecting strong, thick, non-stretch fabric for a more durable and longlasting result.
Happy stapling everyone!!!
xo,
Sherry
p.s. Great kitchen transformation Katie! We know how hard it is to live with all that dust and chaos- congrats on your shiny new kitch!
I was wondering how durable these headboard are for leaning against. We don’t have a headboard and I would love to make one like yours, except that we spend a lot of time propped up reading in bed. Wouldn’t leaning against it press the fabric back toward the wall and create tension/ripping?
Super cute but I’d caution about using this in a small childs room. Those stretcher frames aren’t meant for any kind of pressure so if a child is playing around on their bed or leans on the frame in the wrong way, it will collapse.
Kristen,
There was much debate about your question (see above). My headboard has been leaned on for years, moved from NY in a packed minivan, hung in four different rooms since the big move and still looks great 4+ years later. I’ve had the experience that as long as you use thick fabric and batting along with a good amount of staples to secure everything, it’s extremely durable and stays tight. However many people have suggested subbing out the canvas stretching frame for a piece of plywood which would be stiffer, heavier, and a bit trickier to hang but would definitely be super durable. Good luck with your headboard and feel free to send us pics of the transformation!
xo,
Sherry
I really love this post and idea! (I even blogged about it on my own blog, I hope you don’t mind.)
I do have a question for you – Do you remember what size frame you used for your green headboard and how much it was? Thank you!
It sounds like the general fear is that the frame will fall. Sherry – since the frame itself has proven its durability in your home maybe you could suggest different methods of hanging it. Instead of just two nails, maybe a small board the width and depth of the space in the back of the frame could be more securely fastened to the wall and/or use of liquid nails would be more child-proof. Love to hear what you think.
Thank you so much for posting these great instructions for a DIY upholstered headboard.. I’m getting married in 2 weeks and I’m trying to finish up as many projects around our new house as I can before then… I’ve been wanting a headboard, but we can’t spend the money on one right now. I always thought it would be more complicated to make an upholstered one, but you made it sound easy! I might have to wait till after the wedding, but I’m now convinced that this is what I’ll do. I’ll let you know how it turns out! :)
p.s. loved your wedding week – I only wish I had been able to see all your great tips and ideas earlier… it’s a little late to change anything with the wedding since it’s 2 weeks away!
Hello again chicas,
For those afraid that the frame will fall I think there are a variety of approaches to attach the headboard to the wall in a more permanent way. As Kate suggested, a piece of wood could definitely be screwed into the wall behind where the headboard will hang and then liquid nails can be used to attach the headboard’s frame to the wood that’s screwed into the wall. The headboard could also be intentionally made taller than necessary so about 5 inches of it would be hidden below the line of the bed, which would allow you to hook it over some nails at the top but screw right through the frame and into the wall on the bottom edge of the frame. You could also probably add some 1×2s at the bottom of the frame to serve as legs which can be screwed into the wall and hold everything steady so I guess there really are a few ways to skin this cat. Hope that helps Katie!
Bryn, As for your question about the dimensions and price of mine- we made ours 54×24″ which seems to work pretty well with a full sized bed. As for the cost, I’m not sure of the exact price but somewhere around $15 for the canvas stretcher frame sounds right. I do remember that the addition of some nice thick fabric and batting along with a $12 staple gun made the whole project come in at around $45-$50. Happy headboarding!
xo,
Sherry
Hi! I am so thrilled to have this how-to. I was wondering if you knew how we might be able to attach this to our existing metal frame – any thoughts?
Hey Elizabeth-
Well, we have a few ideas for working with your existing metal frame:
1. You could slipcover the metal frame by sliding a snugly fitting pillow-case-like pocket of fabric over the metal frame itself (forgoing the canvas stretching frame completely).
2. You could glue-gun or crazy glue a piece of fabric around the metal frame (gluing it in the back). Or you could glue gun or crazy glue the wood-framed headboard you create (using our tutorial above) to the existing metal frame.
3. You could use velcro (affixed to both the fabric and the back of the metal frame) to secure the upholstery to the metal frame directly. Or you could also use velcro to hold the wood-framed headboard to your existing metal frame.
Hope that helps!
xoxo,
Sherry (& John)
Has anyone used / thought of using masonite as the backing for a more substantial headboard? It would be lighter than plywood, but still strong. Plus it is a “green” material, since it made by pressing wood chips without nasty glues or formaldehydes.
I also made a headboard but from an old door. We have a local store that goes into the historical homes around here (before some of them are torn down unfortunately) and pull out anything they can. I was able to get an old pantry door for $15. I stripped the paint, sanded, restained and it looks great. We added two 1×4’s to the back of the door and then bolted them to the bed frame. It is super sturdy using the 1×4’s if you are concerned about hanging it on the wall.
*A little late on the discussion, but I just thought about it!
I really want to make one of these BUT we have chair molding going all the way around our MBR. Thoughts on this? I’m not sure how to hang it against a non-flat surface.
Thanks!
Hi Linx,
Similar to what Sherry describes in her comment above, there are probably two best approaches to attaching a heavy piece of plywood just like you’d secure the framed version for permanently:
1. First screw a small, long board (like a 1×2) horizontally into a stud in the wall, a couple inches below where the top of your headboard will go. Once that’s secure, add a similar board to the back of your headboard, about an inch below the top. That will act as a lip which will sit on the board in the wall. Then you’ll want to secure those together with a nail or wood glue. We’d also recommend making the headboard taller than you need so a few inches can extend behind the bed on the bottom. There you can screw directly through the headboard into the wall for extra hold.
2. The alternative is, rather than hang from the wall, attach some 2×4″ vertically to the bottom as legs. That way you can rest the weight of the headboard on the floor, rather than the wall. You can screw through the top of the legs directly into the wall to be sure it doesn’t slide or topple over.
Hope that helps!
-John
I’ve become a recent fan of your blog and being a young homeowner myself, I have huge plans for the future. But today I was wondering how you could tuft the headboard so that it looks like this:
http://modernnova.com/library/LUDLOW.jpg
Any suggestions or tips would be much appreciated!
Jessi
Hey Jessi,
To tuft a headboard, you’ll want to use a piece of plywood or MDF as the base of the headboard instead of a canvas frame. Then you’d carefully measure a grid on the back of the headboard (before you upholster it!) to determine where your buttons will come through to create the tuft (we’re unsure how to tuft without buttons, but using sleek buttons can keep things looking chic and not country).
Once you have marked off your grid with spots for each button (perhaps you’d want four buttons on the top row, four directly under those for a middle row, and four under those for a bottom), use a small drill bit to make tiny holes directly through the MDF or plywood where each button can be threaded through (again, you’ll do this before you upholster it).
After your grid of drill holes is made, you can go ahead and upholster the piece of wood with batting as instructed in the above tutorial. Then thread each button onto some strong thread (the stuff that’s meant for jeans is much stronger than normal thread) and put the needle through the hole in the lack of the MDF that you drilled and poke it through the fabric that now covers the front of the board. Then, just like attaching a button, you’ll want to sew the button securely in place which should create a tuft thanks to the fabric that will bunch in that area of the board. Repeating this step for every hole that you drilled should result in a tufted headboard in under an afternoon.
For a super shortcut you can also look for quilted fabric (the green headboard that we made in our guest bedroom has a sleek grid pattern on it) to recreate this tufted look without any extra effort. Since the fabric already looks tufted, there’s no need to drill holes and use buttons. Hope it helps!
xo,
Sherry
Another solution for a sturdy upholstered headboard: buy an ugly, cheap headboard that you can’t wait to cover up. I found one at a store that sells returned rental furniture for $25 then covered it with batting and denim. After 5 years in a my son’s bedroom, it still looks like new. No need to drill any holes in the wall because it attaches to the bedframe.
If you use a canvas (instead of just the frame), could you create the tufting you mentioned above? Or, do you have to use MDF or plywood?
By the way, you guys are absolutely awesome! I’ve passed your site on to all my hip, young co-workers and they love it, as well. Thanks for sharing your lives and inspiring us!
Hey PJ,
Thanks for the kind words! You probably need something a bit more substantial than canvas to create tufting (plywood or MDF is great because it creates the tufts when you thread the buttons through it). Hope it helps!
xoxo,
Sherry
this post is amazing and is truly solving a major project dilemma for me! my parents made my sister a beautiful headboard and used the plywood method discussed by some above. when i asked them to make one for me for an upcoming move, they said it was such a headache hanging/ mounting the headboard that they’d rather just buy me on.
since i wanted to do a custom fabric, i was disappointed. this method is perfect and will be totally do-able on my own–plus, i already have the staple gun! and there won’t be any (major) damage done to the wall from mounting. thanks again! i’m really looking forward to this one!
We are currently deciding what sort of upholstered headboard we want, and will be taking this project on ourselves. I’m just wondering if you think this one would be sturdy enough as I typically sit up in bed, reading. Or would you suggest using a solid piece instead of just a frame??