DIY an Upholstered Bedhead Then Change the Colour as You Please
Bold stripes today; soft hues tomorrow. You can swap the fabric on this easy-to-make bedhead on a whim
“Functional” might as well be my middle name. I usually create furnishings and accessories that serve more than one purpose, or that can be easily changed for a different look.
After way too much fussing over a complicated jigsaw headboard design, I landed on this two-panel upholstered hanging headboard, which scores big on multiple levels. It’s doable for anyone who can use a staple gun and sew a straight line, it’s pack-and-ship friendly for quick skedaddling, and it has the beefiness of a professionally made headboard.
The best feature of all is the interchangeable pairs of sewn fabric bands you can easily switch at a moment’s notice. And they can be washed or dry-cleaned.
If your only upholstery experience has been redoing your kitchen chair seats, and you’ve been champing at the bit to try a headboard, this is the perfect beginning upholstery project for you – it’ll boost your DIY confidence, too.
My incentive is always to make something that’s one of a kind. Let your inner designer loose. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake, either – almost all upholstery mistakes can be corrected or hidden.
After way too much fussing over a complicated jigsaw headboard design, I landed on this two-panel upholstered hanging headboard, which scores big on multiple levels. It’s doable for anyone who can use a staple gun and sew a straight line, it’s pack-and-ship friendly for quick skedaddling, and it has the beefiness of a professionally made headboard.
The best feature of all is the interchangeable pairs of sewn fabric bands you can easily switch at a moment’s notice. And they can be washed or dry-cleaned.
If your only upholstery experience has been redoing your kitchen chair seats, and you’ve been champing at the bit to try a headboard, this is the perfect beginning upholstery project for you – it’ll boost your DIY confidence, too.
My incentive is always to make something that’s one of a kind. Let your inner designer loose. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake, either – almost all upholstery mistakes can be corrected or hidden.
After some experimenting, here’s what I came up with. Black and white awning stripes turned on their side – you can’t go wrong with this look. The purple box pillows calm it down and heighten the sophistication.
Bright orange is my favourite alternative to red. It’s hard to see in the photo, but the headboard fabric has a small raised mod-circle pattern, while the two down-filled lumbar pillows are made with a Mid-century nubby fabric that adds the perfect counterbalance of texture to the crisp white bed linens.
Sweet, soft and feminine never felt so updated. All-natural light blue linen takes centrestage on the 110cm-tall white upholstered panels. These panels are so packable and portable, they’re perfect for that big, comfy bed at the weekender or renters who tend to move regularly.
TOOLS AND MATERIALS
INSTRUCTIONS
To size your timber, determine the finished front panel size you want and subtract 13mm from the width measurement. That will allow for the foam and padding in the centre of the finished headboard.
- Drill, bits and chuck
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- Wood adhesive
- Screws
- 2 x pre-cut 15mm-wide plywood front boards at desired size (see Instructions below); 2 x pine lengths, 50mm x 100mm and long enough to fit around the inside border of both plywood fronts; 2 x lengths of pine 50mm x 100mm and long enough to cross the width inside the pine frames (big hardware stores can cut it for you)
- Upholstery foam
- Polyester wadding
- Thin cardboard
- 2 x French cleats
- 2 kinds of complementary fabric (for the headboard base and the accent), plus lining fabric for the accent bands
INSTRUCTIONS
To size your timber, determine the finished front panel size you want and subtract 13mm from the width measurement. That will allow for the foam and padding in the centre of the finished headboard.
Spread wood adhesive around the edges of the 2 plywood panels and press the pine lengths around panel edges to frame.
Since I’ve never had a truly straight plywood piece or pine length, I always use clamps to tighten things up.
After pressing the pine in place, I secure it to the panels with screws.
Oops! Here’s a DIY mistake that I made. The first screws I used were a tiny bit too long, and you could feel them on the plywood front. To fix this, I attached shorter screws on the front side and removed the long ones from the frame side.
Adding the headboard padding
Since the wood was so thick, I got by with using 15mm foam on top of the plywood panels, instead of the thicker foam typically used for headboards. Leave the bottom 150mm of the panels clear of padding so that part will slide right behind the mattress.
Since the wood was so thick, I got by with using 15mm foam on top of the plywood panels, instead of the thicker foam typically used for headboards. Leave the bottom 150mm of the panels clear of padding so that part will slide right behind the mattress.
Attach the foam to fit on top of the plywood panels – no rolling down and around the sides.
You can buy polyester wadding from an upholstery supplier and large craft stores, or you can use quilt batting, although it isn’t as thick. Polyester wadding provides a friction barrier between the fabric and foam, creating a nice foundation for the fabric.
Staple the polyester wadding at the centre top of the panel, right at the edge. Don’t roll the excess wadding over to the back side of your headboard. Stop stapling 10cm before each corner. Staple out from the centre on each side, pulling and stapling as you go, and along the bottom edge of the foam. If you lift up the top layer and staple underneath, you’ll avoid the dreaded staple dimples that can appear in DIY upholstery.
Staple the polyester wadding at the centre top of the panel, right at the edge. Don’t roll the excess wadding over to the back side of your headboard. Stop stapling 10cm before each corner. Staple out from the centre on each side, pulling and stapling as you go, and along the bottom edge of the foam. If you lift up the top layer and staple underneath, you’ll avoid the dreaded staple dimples that can appear in DIY upholstery.
Do your best hospital corners for the top four corners, working the wadding so it’s not too bulky there.
Voilà! The polyester wadding-wrapped panel is ready for fabric.
How to attach the fabric
Attach the fabric just like the polyester wadding, except this time you will actually pull the fabric around to the back side, attaching it with staples about 5mm apart on the back side.
Attach the fabric just like the polyester wadding, except this time you will actually pull the fabric around to the back side, attaching it with staples about 5mm apart on the back side.
Start at the centre top and move outward, leaving the top corners until all the sides are stapled smoothly in place. Staple along the bottom edge of the wadding on the front of the panels.
BEST UPHOLSTERY TIP EVER: Your hand is your best tool. Learn to use it for smoothing and holding fabric in place.
BEST UPHOLSTERY TIP EVER: Your hand is your best tool. Learn to use it for smoothing and holding fabric in place.
Make crisp and neat hospital corners, cutting out excess fabric inside the fold if necessary.
Here’s where you’ll cut off the fabric below the wadding line on the front of the panels.
Use the extra cut strip, if it’s long enough, and fold it up and over the wadding and fabric on one of the panels, lining up the cut edges under the padding line (visible in this photo). Place a small strip of cardboard right along the edge of the padding and diagonally staple it to the fabric across the bottom and around both sides.
Now flip the fabric down to cover the remainder of the wood, then neatly wrap it around the bottom of the panel and staple it into place. Repeat for the second panel.
DID YOU KNOW? This is the same technique for attaching the back fabric panel on a chair, although it’s finished differently.
DID YOU KNOW? This is the same technique for attaching the back fabric panel on a chair, although it’s finished differently.
Staple a piece of scrap fabric on the back of both panels for a professional finish.
How to do the sewing
You don’t have to have bona fide upholstery tools to do this project, but they do make things easier. I used an upholsterer’s electric staple gun, pliers, a staple lifter (a flat-head screwdriver will work), scissors, a drill and drill bits for attaching the hanger pieces, and a hammer to tap in the drywall anchors. A big ruler is always handy, too.
You don’t have to have bona fide upholstery tools to do this project, but they do make things easier. I used an upholsterer’s electric staple gun, pliers, a staple lifter (a flat-head screwdriver will work), scissors, a drill and drill bits for attaching the hanger pieces, and a hammer to tap in the drywall anchors. A big ruler is always handy, too.
You’ll need to attach French cleats to hang your headboard panels on the wall.
Measure, mark, drill pilot holes and attach the cleats to the back of both panels.
Determine how wide you want your fabric bands – this is what can be switched to customise your headboard for different rooms and styles. Add 30mm to your width measurement for a 15mm seam allowance on both sides. Cut out the lining fabric. I added another 15mm to the width of the accent fabric so that when I turn the bands right side out after sewing, no lining fabric will show up on the sides. Cut out the accent fabric. Make the bands long enough to roll around to the back of the headboard at the top of the panel and to attach to the bottom fronts of each panel.
With right sides of lining and accent fabric facing pin then stitch the long sides. Turn the fabric right side out and press it.
Fold both end edges under 15mm and pin them in place. Stitch the edges of the bands.
Centre the fabric panels on the upholstered headboard. Attach the fabric panel starting at the bottom of the headboard. Use cardboard tack strip to start, because it will make a nice edge and it’s easier to remove the staples from the cardboard later on. After stapling there, flip the fabric panel up and over the top edge of the headboard.
Roll the panel up over the top, checking the centre points, and smooth and pull snugly but not tightly. Staple the panel top on the back side – you can take out the staples later when you want to switch to a new fabric band.
You’re finished – phew! Now you need to hang the other side of the cleats to the wall behind your bed to put your new headboard on display.
You’re finished – phew! Now you need to hang the other side of the cleats to the wall behind your bed to put your new headboard on display.
The final result
Bright and bold pillows give the black and white stripe a completely different feel.
Bright and bold pillows give the black and white stripe a completely different feel.
This is the one that's staying up for now. I feel like I'm sleeping in a boutique hotel.
Soft colours are perfect for a guest room.
In my DIY experience, if a project looks like it was hastily whipped up rather than following a well thought-out plan, it’s likely to end up in a heap of impulsively concocted flops. Those are time and money wasters. To create a handmade furnishing that’s worthy of showing off, set your sights high. That doesn’t mean complicated; it just means a simple, clever, unusual and well-executed design.
And as long as you’re dipping your toe into the world of DIY decor, don’t get skittish about letting your home be an expression of your life at any given time. Ultimately, that’s what makes your home your sanctuary.
In my DIY experience, if a project looks like it was hastily whipped up rather than following a well thought-out plan, it’s likely to end up in a heap of impulsively concocted flops. Those are time and money wasters. To create a handmade furnishing that’s worthy of showing off, set your sights high. That doesn’t mean complicated; it just means a simple, clever, unusual and well-executed design.
And as long as you’re dipping your toe into the world of DIY decor, don’t get skittish about letting your home be an expression of your life at any given time. Ultimately, that’s what makes your home your sanctuary.