How To: Make a Curved, Padded Headboard

You heeded the call! Last week we featured the shipping pallet furniture that a reader diy'ed and we asked you to share what inds of projects you've been up to. Today another reader showed us how they made this padded headboard using simple materials and a staple gun. Bonus: this kind of headboard is perfect for a renter.

Making your own headboard is a great way to add some structure and a focal point to a bedroom. Especially in a small space, having a bold pop of color framing your bed will distract from everything else happening in the room. And because the headboard goes all the way to the ground and the weight of the bed keeps it in place, there's no need to bolt or otherwise deface the wall behind the bed to affix the headboard. So for renters, when you move, just slide it out, nothing to patch.

Using some thin plywood, foam and fabric along with some patience and a staple gun, this headboard could be done over a weekend. Love the idea of using some plain linen as the fabric with simple white bedding for a calm, natural looking bedroom. Follow step by step instructions (in Spanish) right here, or read the translated website here.

Comments (7)

One question, how do you clean these?

posted by feathers on April 13th 2009 at 7:37pm
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It cleans very well and very easy. Just need to wet the cloth and clean water. Then dry with a dry cloth.

posted by x4duros on April 13th 2009 at 8:12pm
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must. do. this.

posted by Jesse Lu on April 13th 2009 at 9:52pm
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will the foam rub away if you repeated lean your back against the headboard. I dont want foam dust particles on my pillow

posted by iroh on April 13th 2009 at 9:59pm
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This looks really, really good. I'm also wondering how well it will hold up, however.

posted by slowdown on April 13th 2009 at 10:30pm
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Beautiful foam color and good design.

@ slowdown's comment:
I think your can put fabric over it to last it for a long while instead f using it just like that.
How is the idea?

Jeanne

posted by jeanne211 on April 14th 2009 at 2:23am
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i just made this and it was quite easy, even for a klutz like me! One tip: if mattress foam is expensive and only sold in 2' wide pieces, consider using a mattress pad. I used a queen-sized mattress pad for a head board for my full-sized bed and worked wonderfully. It was much cheaper and actually covered the entire piece of plywood. Also, for those of you who don't want to deal with cutting wood, just get a 4'x4' piece of plywood like I did.

posted by coreana on July 21st 2009 at 5:48pm
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