As children, many of us had a metal daybed, trundle bed, solid wooden bed, or if we were lucky -- a bunk bed.   And while many of us had character or themed beds, none of us really had decorative headboards. So why does every sinus commercial on TV picture a couple sniffling in a gorgeous bed with a headboard so beautiful it makes you gasp out loud?  And why are we seeing reclaimed wooden headboards and headboard inspired chalk-painted decorations all over the internet?






All of the headboards we’ve seen for sale were hundreds of dollars, and that seems ridiculous for something that has no function other than to look beautiful. There had to be a way to DIY!  We did some research and created a plan, we would like to present to you, the Christian Flooring version of How to Make a DIY Headboard:

First, you need to decide what type of headboard you want.  We’ll go into further detail on a few varieties of them, but the main thing you have to do first is pick a type.  You may choose wooden, tufted, or other.


Here are some quick tutorials on how to make a wooden, tufted, or photo headboard:


Wooden Headboard





DIY Pallet Headboard --  To make this one for less, you’ll need to do the following:


  1. Find the Pallets - find some pallets (try Craigslist or asking very nicely at a store like Home Depot or Lowes in your area) 
  2. Clean them -- Many pallets are covered with chemicals that are fire-retardant, and you don’t want to be breathing that in at night. Make sure that you thoroughly wash and dry your headboard, likely with a soap and water solution and a hose. 
  3. Remove Hardware & Sand -- You’ll have to sand them, but before you do that you’ll have to remove any hardware (the last thing you need is a nail poking you while you’re trying to get some shut eye). 
  4. Attach them -- Next you should use a hammer and nails to attach them together, trying to go from the inside if at all possible. 
  5. Shape them -- If you have a saw you can even cut them into a desirable shape, but usually the natural rectangle you get by combining them is perfect. You’ll probably need 2 for a Queen sized or smaller, and 3 for a King Sized Bed. You may even want to stack a double layer, like 4 or 6 for a larger headboard that goes all the way to the floor). 
  6. Stain them -- you should apply a stain in the color of your choice, we like the MinWax version. You can also try to chalk paint them in the color of your choice, we like abc paint. 
  7. Attach to the wall -- You can attach your pallet headboard to the bed frame, or straight to the wall, the choice is yours! Make sure you find a stud so that it supports the weight of the wood and doesn’t come crashing down.



       Tufted Headboard




    Here are the instructions to make a tufted headboard:


    1. Buy Materials - To do a tufted headboard, you’ll need to start with plywood, screws and washers, some foam that you can purchase from any major craft store (or you can use a mattress pad), batting, spray adhesive, some buttons, an exacto knife or scissors, an electric screwdriver, a needle and thread or a glue gun, a staple gun, and some amazing fabric. 
    2. Cut the Plywood - Cut the plywood to the right size. If you don’t know how to do this, you can buy a piece already sized, or ask someone at the home improvement store to cut it for you. 
    3. Cover with Foam -- Use the spray adhesive to attach the foam to the plywood. You may want to use two layers of foam. This could take an entire can (or two) of spray adhesive. Trim the excess, leaving just a small edge around the board (on the backside). 
    4. Cover with Batting - Repeat the step with the batting. Trim excess. 
    5. Cover with Fabric -- Pull the fabric taut across the batting, and staple to the back edges of the board all the way around, just like you would do if you were re-covering a chair. 
    6. Add the faux tufting -- You’ll want to use the electric drill to screw in the screws (with washers over them) into wherever you’d like tufted. Make sure that the screws are long enough to go solidly into the board without being too long that they poke through on the opposite side. You may choose to use a ruler and some math to get them exactly perfect, or you may just freestyle it with where it looks good.
    7. Cover the screws with buttons. You can sew each button on by hand with your sewing kit, or you can just use a hot glue gun and glue the buttons on, after all, they’re not actually gathering the fabric, just covering the screws. If you like, you could even use jewels or rhinestones for a glitzy look. You can also try to use a canvas or burlap instead for a more rustic feel, or a printed fabric for something super fun, or a kids room. 


    Photo Headboard



    If you aren’t confident in your construction skills or don’t feel comfortable using a staple gun and sandpaper, you may want to try your luck building a photo headboard. To assemble: 


    1. Pick out your favorite photos -- You’ll want to make sure they’re all the best quality and resolution. You can order prints from Walgreens or CVS, or online from Shutterfly or .

    2. Frame the photos -- the choice of frames is up to you. I recommend these chalk painted ones or these clear floating ones. 

    3. Hang the frames -- Hang the frames the old fashioned way, with a hammer and nails, and a level or yardstick. You can use chalk to mark the pattern and wipe it off when you’re done. You can also use t-shirts, old articles of clothing, or pieces of old blankets if it’s for a child’s room. 


    Regardless of what headboard you choose, you’re bound to find one that will be the best fit for your personality. Your bedroom should be your place to recharge and relax, so whatever it is make sure you love it and it makes you feel good whenever you look at it! Be sure to keep this blog handy so that you can reference it when you get your project started. And for more helpful DIY tips and tricks, be sure to check out our other blogs and follow us at Christian Flooring.