Make Your Own Headboard for under $50

Well, I have finally decided it’s about time to convert the “junk room” into an actual bedroom. Since this room will serve as a guest room, I wanted the bed the look nice and comfy and be super impressive for our guests 🙂 I wanted to make a headboard that was neutral in color and can match almost anything as my mood and bedding choices change. For headboard inspiration, I began looking online at West Elm and Pottery Barn headboards. Here is what I found….

West Elm: $649                                    Pottery Barn: $749

I wanted to create a headboard similar to those below but, for a fraction of the price. Here are the supplies I used:

Plywood ($10): I had Lowe’s cut my piece of plywood 60″w X 33″h. I was making this for a queen bed, so make sure you adjust your width for any other bed sizes.

2 – 2x4s: Cut these 25″ long. I already had these in my garage so they didn’t cost me anything. Always save leftover wood- you never know when it will come in handy!

1 Canvas Drop Cloth ($10): I got mine in the paint section at Lowe’s (ProLine Canvas Drop Cloth).

Mattress Topper: I had an old full size mattress topper from college that I no longer use. It’s been taking up space in my closet so I decided to clear up the space. However, you don’t have an old topper laying around, a twin sized topper from Walmart should work just fine. It doesn’t have to be fancy memory foam, just something to add a bit of padding.

Batting ($14): 2 1/2 yards of 15″ batting. I purchased mine from JoAnn’s and it was on sale. This is enough to do 2 layers of batting but, depending on the thickness of your foam, you could really get away with just one layer.

Nail head trim kit ($13): Although purchasing individual nail heads is cheaper, I recommend using a nail head trim kit to make the job quicker and easier. In this kit, the nail heads come in a 5 yard strip and you place a nail every 5 nail heads instead of nailing them all individually. This also helps create a straighter line since they are already all connected. I purchased my kit from JoAnn’s and use a 40% off coupon.

Staple gun

3″ screws

Hammer

Let’s get started!

Step 1: First, wash and dry the drop cloth, cut it to size (you’ll want a few inches overlap) and iron it to get out as many wrinkles as possible. I guess the step of washing is optional but, the drop cloth smelled like a hardware store. I chose to use a drop cloth because it was much cheaper than buying several years of upholstery fabric.

Step 2: Cut your batting the same size as the drop cloth; mine was 65″ X 35″. Place the batting on top of the drop cloth. My work space of choice was my dining room table. Just make sure you have a space to spread off the out to make your life easier.

Step 3: Cut your foam to size. On the foam, you will not want any overlap but, cut it exactly the same size as the plywood (60″w X 33″h). Then, place the foam on top of the batting followed by the plywood sheet. So, to recap, you should have 4 layers – dropcloth, 2 layers of batting, foam and plywood.

(the plywood layer is missing from my photo below)

Step 4: Staple the batting and drop cloth to the back of the plywood. I recommend using an electric stapler. Consider it an investment – I use it all the time! I picked up my Stanley staple gun at Lowe’s for $30. After stapling, you should be able to turn headboard over and start seeing some progress!

Step 5: It is time for the nail heads! First, lay out the trim and break off the pieces to your preferred length. I left placed my trim 5″ inside the edge of the headboard. YOu can really just place these to your personal preference or even place them around the edge of the headboard like the Pottery Barn example. Once you measure the length you want, you can just bend the space between the nail head trim to break it. A rubber mallet is the preferred tool of choice when hammering in nail heads so you do not scuff the nail heads. However, I didn’t have a rubber mallet so, just a regular hammer covered with a washcloth works just as well!

Step 6: Screw the 2- 2x4s on the bottom sides of the bed. Be sure to drill holes in the 2x4s that correspond to your bed frame so you can bolt the headboard to your bed. I also chose to cover my 2x4s with the drop cloth because this will be visible.

Step 7: Bolt your headboard to your bed frame and you’re all done!