How To Create Your Own DIY Headboard

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Last year during our own Bedroom Renovation, (which you can read about here), I decided that I was going to create my own DIY Headboard.

The headboard we currently have has been apart of my bed for 8 years maybe? However whilst researching for a new one, the creative side of me decided that maybe I would be better on making this one better!

After all we do live in a throwaway society and mass-produced world where it’s easy to get anything we like.

And the only reason I was looking for a new headboard was because I didn’t like the fabric of our current on.

That’s it! There was nothing else wrong with it. I like the shape of it. It’s a good size and height for our king-sized bed as well.

So whilst redecorating our Bedroom in my Dotty Bird Wallpaper, Roller Blinds and Interior Fabric for two lampshades, I thought a lovely way to make this pattern flow from one side of the bedroom to the other, (wallpaper to window blind) was to have a go at upholstering my own DIY headboard with the same pattern design.

The worst thing that could happen is I would mess it up, and we would have to get a new one anyway!

So there was nothing stopping me.

I went about doing a little brainstorming to how I could make this work, seeing as I’ve never upholstered anything like this really in my life. Plus I wanted to make it as easy and seamless as possible, so I could share this simple DIY headboard knowledge with you.

Here is how you can create your own DIY Headboard;

You will need:

• Interior Fabric – enough to cover the whole headboard (height and width), plus extra for the back of the board.
• Fabric scissors
• Staple Gun and staples
• Spray Mount Fixative
• Pencil/Pen/Fabric Pencil

Top Tip: There’s no need to take of the existing interior fabric with this type of DIY upholstering.

Detach the headboard from your bed. Lay your headboard somewhere where you have enough space to spread out your new fabric over the headboard, and with plenty of space around it.

I actually laid the headboard and fabric out on our bed. Bur first I made sure the bed area was clean (from dog hair – guilty!).

With the headboard lying in your space, overlay your fabric on top to start to play around with how you want your pattern to be placed. My Dotty Bird pattern itself is a large repeat pattern; therefore I needed to work out where the middle focal point will be to make it work across the headboard.

Top Tip: If you have a pattern with a smaller surface area, you just want to make sure either side of the headboard looks symmetrical.

When happy, mark out (on the reverse of your fabric), with your pencil roughly where the middle of your top section is, the middle of your bottom section will be. As well as the left and right hand side areas. This is so when you take the fabric away you have a rough guide/template of where to lay your headboard when it comes to the upholstering.

Next, remove the fabric, and your headboard away from the flat surface.

Top Tip: Now is a good time to steam or iron your fabric to remove any creases that show.

Place your fabric (pattern facing down on the flat surface) and flatten out, making sure you know where your template markings are. Then, simply place your headboard (the right way facing down) on top of your fabric, lining up your marked pen points.

When you are happy with everything lined up, take the top section of your fabric and fold it over the back of your headboard.

I found it easier to start in the middle section of the top frame, making sure my middle marker on my fabric lined up with the middle of the headboard.

Using your staple gun, staple the fabric section down, around 1cm from the top of your headboard.

This is a great time to then make sure your other pencil markings are still lined up to match your headboard measurements. Start to move along the top of the headboard and staple the fabric in place at the back of the headboard (moving from the center outwards towards the edges).

Top Tip: Do make sure you keep your fabric fairly taught when stapling, to avoid any crinkled edging or areas along the edging.

Once the top of the fabric has been stapled, fold it back over itself and turn the headboard  over, so it’s facing upwards. Now it’s time for the adhesive spray mount. Spray on the front of your headboard (with your new interior fabric away form the area), top to bottom, side to side.

You will notice the surface becomes tacky. Try not to touch it. Instead you get your new interior fabric and start to carefully lay it over the front of the headboard, making sure the fabric is as tight as possible when doing so.

You will notice that the fabric will start to stick you your headboard. But don’t worry, you can peel it back up if it’s not falling in the right place.

You can also spray areas again that may have lost their tackiness.

You don’t have to spray mount the front of the headboard, but what I have found is it securely keeps your fabric in place. Reducing any creases or lose fabric areas that may usually occur.

Once your new fabric is adhered down to the front of your headboard, and you’re happy with it’s positioning, turn your headboard back over.

Resume with the same stapling strategy, this time along the bottom of the fabric, like you did for the top edge.

You will find you may still need to slightly pull the fabric taught to make sure it’s full stretched and in place. Because the adhesive spray mount only lightly secures it.

Now it’s onto the left and right edges of the headboard. Again, pull and staple your fabric in place. However, for now leave all four corner areas, until the left and right sides are staples.

With each side, so make sure you keep checking the front of your headboard to make sure everything is still in place and looking good.

Next, tackling those corners!

These are probably the hardest part of this DIY Headboard creation. But I want you to think of it a bit like wrapping up a present.

For each corner you will firstly need to trim down the fabric on each corner side to around 2-3cm, (once folded over the headboard).

With one fabric side you want to tuck it in flush towards the corner area, (inwards/underneath the other fabric side). Automatically you will create a triangle angle with the other fabric side.

With the triangle angle side, you need to pull the fabric away from the edge and the corner, into the center of the headboard so it becomes taught.

Next, staple in place. Use a few staples in this area to make sure all fabric is tight and secured down.

Top Tip: You may find parts of the fabric on the headboard start to crease in this area.

If in doubt, use your staple gun at each stage to hold the fabric securely in place. Just be patient, and work with the fabric and it’s folds to ensure the creases disappear.

Finally, you need to trim away the excess fabric around the back of your headboard.

I gave a round a 2cm excess fabric (1cm away from the staples), before I started to trim the fabric away.

Use your fabric scissors for this if you have some to hand. If not, sharp kitchen scissors will also work well here.

And there you have it! You can now create a DIY Headboard of your own.

Do let me know how you get on with the DIY interiors craft. Also if there were any other tips and tricks you found to be easier, that I may have not mentioned on this blog.

Plus, if you are inspired by my Laura Felicity interior fabric then head on over to my online shop where you can shop for samples.

We can also discuss what colours you may want to involve, and what pattern design would suit your interior DIY project best. Just get in contact.

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