Building a Headboard

I decided I wanted a headboard for my bed but because of the unusual width of 140 cm there isn’t much available. In fact I couldn’t find anything so what you see above is a DIY job by yours truly.

 

It started out with a piece of chip board which I actually used as a headboard at the old house. But because that was for a 120 cm bed I had to rethink it a little bit. I needed to widen it but was also willing to lower it which meant I could cut off the top part where the line is and add to the side after trimming it a little.

 

Like so with a piece of wood to brace the two pieces together.

 

To get a bit of thickness and legs at the same  time I used some 2x2” that I also had lying around in the garage. Here I’m trying everything out for size but it’s not attached yet.

 

I used wood glue and clamps to hold the brace in place and then added screws for extra stability.

 

Then I screwed everything together from the front.

 

Again I just used what I had at home and added some left over wadding to the front for a bit of softness. Mini supervised. Of course.

 

Trimming the corners so they wouldn't get to bulky.

 

Here’s the almost finished product from the back

 

And from the front. I didn’t have enough wadding to cover the whole thing but the part that’s not covered will be hidden by the bed anyway so it doesn’t matter. Oh, I also added a couple of little 2x2” pieces at the bottom to make sure the headboard wouldn’t bow inwards when the bad was pushed against it.

 

Then it was just a matter of stapling on some heavy white cotton fabric, shoving it behind the bed, pushing the bed against it and it was done! I like that it’s white now but I also like that I can just hang any fabric off the headboard and instantly change the mood of the bedroom if I want to. Maybe something nice and wooly with winter approaching.

Comments

[Suzanne]

So simple! But it really completes the space.
It's lovely. And I can picture a chunky cable knit afghan/blanket over it for winter...

[Leena]

You did exactly what I thought to do! The structure and all was just what I had planned. Now I know my plans work Ha ha
It looks good and comfy.

[Hxx]

Looks so simple, when you know how!

[nicolezh]

Love!

[Katharina]

Veeeery nice. Neat and nice! I like

[Judith]

So nice! It really pulls things together. Mini's so helpful, isn't she? Our kitty also practices "supervising by sitting on things" :)

[Ian]

really nice, nothing too loud and as you say it can be tunned up as per your own mood veeeery easily.
Didn't you attach it somehow to the wall?

[Helen]

Beautiful! I also had a little furry helper at the wadding stage of creating my son's headboard a while back :) She absolutely loved the wadding.
Btw - I'm a fairly new reader of your blog, living in Australia but born and raised in Sweden.

[MelD]

That's great - I imagine the walls are pretty cold in your basement room; the floor of our otherwise well-insulated bedroom is pretty cold because it's over the basement, so felt slippers are a must!

I have a question regarding your front yard/bicycles. Is there roof overhang where you leave your bicycles or are they out in the elements? We need to find a solution to keeping our bikes handy without any indoor storage - so far they are under a narrow balcony but we have to cover them with a large plastic sheet, which looks really ugly (and spoils the view of our pretty house!). They still get dusty and rusty if we're not very careful. So they need to move! I was thinking of maybe investing in one of these: http://www.feldmannag.ch/de/produkte/veloparkiersysteme/veloparkiersysteme_aktionen-casa.asp
under some trees in a corner, instead... expensive, though!

[jja]

Great! I love to use a headboard for reading im bed.

http://chezlarsson.com/.a/6a00e55224287c8833017d3c42f57f970c-pi

awwwww :-)

And I love the fact that you used what you already had!

The headboard ist not really fixed to the bed or wall? Will it stay on place then?

[Carlos]

I didn't. I had planned to attach it to the bed frame but when I realized it stayed put perfectly on its own it was a much easier solution not to :)

[Carlos]

They are outside in the elements I'm afraid. My plan last winter was to take them inside the garage but we ended up using the bikes all winter long and the garage isn't really close so we didn't. I might this winter if we get lots of snow. I would love a nice looking cover like the one in the link. I've considered one that's corrugated metal which closes and resembles a snail but I can't seem to find it as I can't remember the name of it...

[Carlos]

It stays in place on its own.

[Marie Holmes]

When I read your comment about the garage; I was going to ask why we hadn't seen any pictures of it? LOL But, it sounds like it is not at your house.

I have been trying to decide what to do about a headboard for our bed. That is going to be a winter project.

[Anna]

Nice and clean!
I want to make something like this; I've seen different types of headboard but it seems your would work better with the baseboard I have.

Did you finally buy the Componibili for your bedroom or it's still Wille's one?
I've had my componibili for a long time (about 10 years) and even though they still work nicely they don't age very well. Now they are completely yellow... parchment yellow to be exact. (Still wondering if I should paint them or buy other nightstands)

[Kristina]

Jättefint! Brukar du läsa i sängen? Är den tillräckligt mjuk att luta sig mot tycker du? Är också nyfiken på hur hög den är? Tack!

[Zosia]

Very nice and easy on the pocket. I also like the fact that it can be easily dressed in a different "outfit".

[devil]

My husband did this with wood, but it definitely needed to be attached to the wall. I adore your idea of changing the look with different fabrics. I think I'll drape mine with quilts or afghans this winter.

Awesome project!

[Carlos]

Jag läser men ligger då ner och lutar mig inte mot sänggaveln. Om jag skulle göra det hade jag ev lagt ett extra lager vadd :).

[Lori]

I love your blog, Benita! It's the first one I read every morning. :) The headboard looks great + functional = perfect!

I was wondering if I could request a post with some wider shots of your current spaces to see the "bigger picture" of how things are currently set up? I would love to see the overall rooms, how they're styled, etc. Everything always looks so beautiful, I guess I'm greedy and always looking for more! ;)

[Carlos]

I got two new ones just the other day for my bedroom but the one in the photo is the one I borrowed from Wille' room. I know about them yellowing and am hoping they've improved them.

[Carlos]

If I'm lucky the package at the post office that I'm picking up today is a wide angle lens addition which I've ordered for that purpose exactly. So excited to see what it does! Will keep you and everyone else posted!

[Jules Means]

So clean and nice! You made me fall in love with gray and white a while back. Your Orla Kiely pillow is sensational with the duvet that goes so nicely with it. I love the idea of draping different fabrics over the new headboard on a whim... Jules

[Katie]

I love how your kitty makes an appearance in your posts. Great job on the headboard!

[Sara]

Love it! Some time could you show us how you do the fabric on corners of things like that? I do a lot of chair and ottoman kind of upholstery, and I've never figured out how to do the corners well. Thanks, Miracle Girl!! You inspire me so much...

[Lisa Flaherty]

Looks great! And I love the idea of draping different fabrics over it, too. Especially with your lovely taste and ability to find such great fabrics!

As an aside, do I remember that your garage situation is such that you are not allowed to use it for storage? I know you don't own a car, so I was thinking it would be interesting to have an old, nonfunctioning van that you have refurbished into a storage system. Win-win? :)

[MareePSasja]

Hi Benita, as usual a fantastic DIY tutorial :-) Thank you!

However I've been meaning to ask you something for a while - why do you sometimes quote measurements in non-metric terms (eg. inches), when most of the world has been using metric for decades or longer... including your own country of course. Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, South America, Asia... we all use metric measurements, though the UK persists in having a foot in both camps ;-)

I realise you have readers in the USA but just as many from elsewhere it seems. For me personally it's frustrating to have to convert back to metric.

Not complaining - just wondering.

Cheers!

[[email protected]]

I did this exact thing last year and the bed (an Ikea queen base with just the thinnish pad-type mattress on top)definitely slides out a tad each night, so if you turn in the night a certain way, the headbd hits against the wall. In our case, I think it's time to attach to either the bed or the wall. But it is easy to make and looks much fancier than it is. If you are handy with a saw or can get wood cut for you, there is the option of shaping it other than squared off as well.
pat

[Carlos]

Actually about 60% of my readers are from the US which makes it the majority so that's why :).

[Carlos]

Haha, win-win!

[Carlos]

I'll make a note of that request, not sure I'm the best corner maker in the universe but I can show you how I do it :). Not sure it's the "correct " way...

[MelD]

Thanks for replying! Your winter weather is probably even colder and snowier than ours here in Switzerland (we are lowlanders!)... I do love your front yard though and have similar aspirations for my own, including the circular surround of the bush/tree :)