How To Make A Headboard

Sometimes in bedrooms a plain and simple bedbase needs more definition. By giving your bed a headboard you can create an attractive focal point as well as visually anchoring a simple bed and creating more drama in the room.

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the finished headboard This room had no architechtural features to attract the eye and so we gave the bed a headboard.

Matching blinds, and lampshades with the colour of the fabric can really create a dramatic visual focal point.

You will need:

A piece of 12mm MDF the size of the headboard (see below for how to guage size)
A piece of foam the size of the headboard – 2 inches is think enough.
A piece of fabric the size of the headboard plus 10-15 cm extra at each edge (enough to fold and staple ).
Staple gun.
Copydex or other simple contact glue for foam.
2 x ‘Flush mount’ brackets to hold the headboard to the wall.(see picture).

How To Make A Headboard - Method

1. Measure the bed width i.e 4', 4'6", 5' etc

2. Decide how high you want to make the headboard.

clearance between headboard and matress To do this ensure that the mattress is in place (or gauge how deep the matress is) then allow about 3-5cm clearance. This is the base point of the headboard. (see picture opposite).

From hear decide how high you want the headboard to be. Think about the height that your head would be if you were sitting up in bed. I usually allow anything between 80 and 100cm height.

3. Apply Copydex or other contact glue.

glue on headboard & foam pad Apply copydex or other contact glue to the headboard at each corner of the foam and the MDF plus a few patches in the centre and to the foam in corresponding places. This will loosly hold the foam in place while you staple the cloth all around.

hardboard and foam stuck together Allow the copydex or contact glue to become tacky then attach the two together.

4. Now measure the material and cut to size.

measuring fabric for headboard Lay the cloth on a flat surface (face side down) and lay the headboard on top of it with an even amount of material all around the edges.

extra fabric to turn over and staple You will require at least 10-15 cm extra all the way around to allow for the cloth to be pulled up and turned over onto the base board so that it can be stapled in place.

5. Attaching the cloth to the headboard.

stapling fabric to headboard backing Use the staple gun to attach the fabric to the back of the headboard. Apply staples at each central point to start with…to get an even tautness over the headboard.

Don’t pull too tightly or you will distort the fabric…it shouldn’t really pull on the staples just feel firm.

6. Work your way around the headboard. I like to do the top and bottom edges first then the sides.

7. At the corners create a neat flap and fold over. Imagine you are making a bed with 'Hospital Corners'.

8. Hanging your headboard.

flushmount brackets To attach the headboard to the wall use simple slot brackets (see picture). These will give a firm, flush fitting to the wall.

Finished headboard and dressed bedroom

Useful Resources

Does this all seem like too much hard work? Try these websites and make your life easier.

Sheer Home - designer headboards - www.sheerhome.co.uk
LX Direct - Mattresses, headboards beds - www.lxdirect.com
Curtain Factory Outlet - hundreds of rolls of fabric at £6.00/ metre - www.curtainfactoryoutlet.co.uk
Pentonville Rubber - Suppliers of furniture foam - www.pentonvillerubber.co.uk
Foam For Home - Furniture and domestic foam suppliers - www.foamforhome.co.uk
Screwfix Direct - for material - www.screwfix.co.uk

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