I Love This $35 IKEA Headboard Hack That Transforms a Basic Bed Frame

There are tons of headboard styles out there, from upholstered to canopied to basic wooden frames. For me, finding the right headboard has been a years-long journey. In fact, right now I don’t have a headboard at all. That’s how indecisive I am about what would look best behind my pillows. 

In this previously published bedroom Before & After by DIYer Alexis Nicole (@alexisnicolemakes), she proves you don’t have to buy something entirely new — even if you’re fickle-minded about your headboard like I am. 

Alexis took a basic wooden IKEA headboard and gave it a soft upholstered look by wrapping the original slatted wooden rectangle in egg crate cushioning and quilt batting, then sewing a slip cover of sorts. 

And she didn’t even splurge on fancy fabric for the headboard cover; she used a painter’s drop cloth, something that an avid DIYer might already have at home. (If not, a canvas one will run you about $11 from The Home Depot.)

“Upholstering the headboard really helped in softening it and making it seem to fit the space a bit more than it had before,” Alexis says of her DIY project, which cost her about $35 and gave her bed a whole new look — one that might cost hundreds or thousands store-bought from somewhere. (In other words, this headboard is giving boutique vibes on a big box budget.)

Best of all, Alexis made the headboard cover removable. So she can take it off to wash it from time to time — a good idea for those worried about their headboard and bed linens collecting germs. 

To see the rest of Alexis’ bedroom makeover, check out the six other DIY projects she completed in her bedroom — including another upholstery project using the same canvas drop cloth! For more IKEA headboard hacks, check out these five IKEA headboard hacks and these five clever headboard DIY projects.