“Make Upholstered Headboard” was first posted by my predecessor, Nicolette the Design Diva, on July 7^th, 2009. After reading the blog entry, Sandra Barton made her own headboard and she recently sent me the pictures to show other Furniture and Design Ideas readers that it’s not too difficult.

Sandra writes:

Hi Heather,

Here are some pictures of the headboard. The instructions were great. I did add some coordinating upholstered buttons to give it a more tailored look – I measured and drilled holes in the back of the plywood and then used quadrupled button thread to pull it tight. All in all, this cost me about $100 to make.  The most expensive supply was the foam.

Thanks so much … Love your blog!

Sandra Barton

Thanks for the kind words, and thank you for sharing this with us Sandra – your upholstered headboard turned out great. It’s always good to hear from readers and even better when they send pics!

If you’re DIY-ing your headboard, then like Sandra, you already know how you want it to look. But what if you’re not DIY inclined? Here are some tips on how to get the headboard you really want.

The bed or headboard, like the Fashion Bed Group Dunhill Wood Headboard, is the automatic focal point of the room. Consider what kind of “statement” you would like the headboard to make. After all, when you (or someone else) enter the room, it will be the first thing you see. Do you want it to be imposing? The old headboard was made of wood: do you want your new headboard to be upholstered or to be made of metal? Would you like the look of a traditional poster bed but don’t want a footboard?

When purchasing a headboard for a room that has already been furnished, you will want to match the headboard to the bedroom’s existing décor. This means it should be the same color and/or style as your bedroom furniture and should blend with the other color elements in the room such the walls or the curtains.

The most obvious requirement when selecting a headboard for your bedroom is that, if you already have a bed frame and don’t intend on replacing the mattress/foundation (box spring), then the headboard size will have to match the mattress size.

But there are other things to consider as well. If you are in the habit of reading in bed, you may want the added comfort an upholstered headboard will provide or the convenience of additional storage a bookcase headboard offers.

Don’t forget height. Especially if you are selecting a headboard for a bed that has a plush or thick mattress, you will want the headboard to be tall enough to be seen. Buying high or tall headboards or pairing one with a low-profile type of bed can be useful when you want to showcase a specific type of material, such as a leather headboard, or a modern metal headboard like the Fashion Bed Group Brooklyn Metal Headboard with a unique design. As you can see in Sandra’s second picture, the height of her upholstered headboard really makes the bed “pop,” a combination of how tall the headboard is and the fabric she chose.

When buying a headboard, also give some thought to how it will work with your current bed or bed frame. Some bed frames are independently freestanding, but most are designed to be mounted on a wall, like an upholstered headboard. Don’t panic! If you have purchased a headboard that ends up not playing nice with the bed frame you already own or just bought, you can always secure it to the wall and place the bed in front of it.

Thanks again Sandra for sharing your DIY upholstered headboard with us. For those of us who can’t find the time to DIY, Cymax Stores is offering 10% off Skyline Furniture headboards, including upholstered headboards. Should you like to take advantage of these savings, use the coupon code SKY10 at checkout.

To view other entries in the “Design Files Of Heather B.” series, click here.