How to Build Your Own Upholstered Headboard (Step by Step)

I just finished turning my kitchen into my son’s room and this DIY upholstered headboard was one of those extra little projects that added so much to the room.

It’s the perfect solution for a more custom high-end look if you’ve got a box spring setup, or if you just want to add some colour and whimsy to your room without the commitment of a full new bed frame.

If you’ve been wanting to upgrade your bedroom without spending a fortune, this DIY upholstered headboard is such a satisfying (and fairly beginner friendly) project to tackle yourself so here’s how I did it.

Tools & materials

• Construction paper or cardboard
• Plywood
• Jigsaw
• Upholstery foam
• Spray adhesive
• Batting or wadding
• Fabric (the one I used)
• Staple gun (with plenty of staples on hand)
• French Cleat hanger

DIY Upholstered Headboard Steps

Making your template

Start by grabbing a big piece of paper or cardboard (I have a big roll of floor covering cardboard) and taping it up on the wall where your headboard will go.

Sketch out the rough shape right there so you can get an idea of the size, scale and proportions before committing to anything. I just found a shape I liked on Pinterest and free-handed, but also make sure to account for the height of the mattress if yours isn’t in place yet!

Once you’re happy with it, cut the shape out and trace it onto your plywood, then use the jigsaw to cut the plywood to match. The cut doesn’t need to be too precise because the foam and batting is quite forgiving, but you might want to give the cut edge a bit of a sanding if it’s too rough so it doesn’t snag on fabric.

Cutting the foam

Grab a piece of upholstery foam (I got a piece cut at a local foam and rubber store, but you can find this kind of foam at stores like Spotlight or Hobby Lobby or even on Amazon).

Put your plywood over the foam and trace around it, then cut the foam to match.

I’ve seen others use a big serrated knife or rotary cutting tools to do this which is great if you have those, but I just used craft scissors and it worked fine. The foam also doesn’t need to be perfectly cut, so don’t worry too much on it being really neat.

Attaching everything

Spray some adhesive onto the plywood and press the foam down onto it. This just holds things in place while you work on the fabric layers.

Adding the batting

Grab your batting and lay over the foam. Start from the bottom of the headboard (because it’s the least visible bit), and start going around the edge, stapling the batting onto the plywood edge. Make sure to pull tight and staple as close to the bottom edge of the plywood as possible.

Don’t hold back on the staples, and make sure you’re pulling firmly enough that the foam edges round out nicely.

Adding the fabric

Now lay your fabric over the whole thing and repeat the process, stapling around the edges as you pull it taut.

I made it probably as hard as possible for myself by using a pattern that had to stay straight and a linen fabric which is hard to pull tight as it’s quite thin.

You can tell in my finished product that it’s a bit loose at the top because of that so I still have no regrets because I love the design, but a word of warning that you might want something thicker like a solid cotton or canvas to be able to get it really tight.

Renovation Roadmap — DIY Project Planning Guide

Hiding the staples

At this point it’s looking pretty good, but those staples are still visible all around the edge.
So, cut a strip of your fabric about 4-5 inches wide and enough to go the entire way around the headboard if possible (or at least around the sides and top because again, the bottom isn’t really visible).

Lay the wrong side of the fabric strip facing the right side of the headboard, aligning the bottom of the strip with the bottom edge of the plywood.

Then, add a new layer of staples just above the previous one. When you flip that strip back down, it’ll create a clean, seamless-looking edge.

Finishing up your DIY upholstered headboard

Flip the headboard over (so it’s facing down and plywood is facing up), then pull the loose fabric strip around to the back, and staple it down on the back of the plywood where it’s hidden from view.

The seam should look pretty clean and is fine to leave as-is, but if you want to go the extra mile, you can also add a decorative trim. I grabbed this velvety ric-rac and hot glued it over the seam for a more polished, custom finish and I think it’s so cute!

Hanging your DIY Upholstered headboard

For mounting, grab a French cleat system from the frame-hanging section of your hardware or craft store. You’ll screw one side of it into the wall and the other to you headboard, so then it’s as easy as just sliding the headboard onto the cleat to hold it in place.

It’s easy to adjust it horizontally if needed, just measure twice on the height of your cleat because that one’s pretty important to the finished look!

And now you’re done with your DIY upholstered headboard! It’s really not as hard as it seems and is an easy one-day project once you’ve got all the bits you need. It makes the bed look so much more intentional in our alcove bed nook and adds the perfect custom look.

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