This is an easy first-time project for anyone who wants to change their headboard but doesn’t want to spend the money buying a new one. This way you can make your own headboard to match your comforter, bedroom furnishings, and carpet, anything you want. You can use just about any type of material for covering your headboard and make it as decorative or plain as you like. It is suggested that you keep things simple on your first headboard and don’t get too artsy.

Here’s what you’ll need to get started…

*Plywood, the least expensive you can find is good since nobody will see it. Check out the “scrap pile,” you may find what you need at even a cheaper price, and who doesn’t like that.

*Tape measure

*Drill, screws, and staple gun

*Paper for cutting your pattern

*Sandpaper (medium grit) and power saw

*Upholstery foam and batting

*Muslin or sheeting (white)

*Decorative Fabric, any color you choose

 (1) Gather all the above supplies together so everything is within reach. Next, measure your bed. The headboard should be a little wider than your mattress or at least the same size. The height of your headboard should be at least eight inches over the top of your pillow arrangement that will be leaning against it.

 (2) Start drawing the design of your headboard on your paper. This will be the template. You can make a plain square shape or maybe a rounded shape or slight curve would be more to your liking. Remember that you will be cutting it out.

 (3) Once you’ve got your design, cut this out and lay it on the plywood and trace your design onto the plywood. Using a power saw, cut out the pattern of your headboard. If you have a Queen or King Size bed, your headboard is going to be big so you may want to cut out legs to stand your headboard and raise it off the floor.

 (4) Sand around the cut edges of your headboard to make it nice and smooth so the material doesn’t snag. After sanding, cut the upholstery foam one inch wider than the shape of your headboard. Fold foam over sides of the headboard and staple to secure.

 (5) Cover foam with upholster batting and make sure you have enough material to fold over edge and staple. Before you staple all around headboard, leave one end open so you can smooth any lumps or bumps out before securing material completely. It’s suggested that you start at one end, tug and smooth as you work your way around.

 (6) Next, take your plain white sheet or muslin, cover your headboard and cut it six inches wider than your headboard. Fold over edges and staple making sure everything is smooth and even.

 (7) You may want to iron your decorative fabric so it’s nice and smooth then lay fabric on a flat surface. Lay covered headboard face down on top of fabric and cut enough fabric to fold over everything. Start stapling on one side and work your way around smoothing out fabric as you go. If you’re using a pattern fabric make sure everything is centered before you start stapling.

 It’s up to you how to place your new headboard. You may want to attach it to the frame of your bed. If you made legs for your headboard, you can secure these to the frame. Some bed frames have places for attaching a headboard. If you didn’t make legs, you can attach the headboard to the wall or just place your headboard between your bed and the wall and push the bed up against it letting the mattress hold the headboard. What ever you do, if you take your time you will have a nice piece of furniture that you can say you made all by yourself. How cool is that?