Building an upholstered headboard is a self-construction project that adds style and personality to your bedroom, choosing the fabrics, but which will also make your bed more comfortable. If you want to quilt the headboard with buttons, you will get an elegant result and have a comfortable surface to lean on while reading or watching TV. This project takes about half a day, and the materials should cost between € 50 and € 100.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Part 1: Building a Wooden Headboard
Step 1. Buy the plywood
Buy a plywood board that is 2 centimeters thick and 1.2 meters wide. You can use any material of any size, but as we will soon be covering it with fabric, plywood is just fine. There is no need to use expensive solid wood as no one will see it. Learn more about how to build a headboard for the bed.
Step 2. Cut the plywood to the correct size for the bed
Beds can range from 1 to 2 squares, so measure your bed to be able to size the headboard appropriately. Use a circular saw for best results.
Step 3. Define a design for the buttons on the board
You can put two, three, or a dozen, depending on the design you choose to use. To obtain a good result, arrange them in a regular and symmetrical way.
Step 4. Make holes in correspondence of the buttons
The holes should not be too large, as long as you can pass a needle several times.
For each button you can make a hole or two holes close together, depending on which quilting method you decide to use. If you make two holes, make them like the ones in the buttons you intend to use
Method 2 of 2: Part 2: Pad the Headboard
Step 1. Buy fabric, batting, and large buttons from haberdashery
Make sure you have more fabric than you need to cover one side of the headboard.
- Choose a sturdy fabric, especially if you lean on the head of the bed often.
- Padding is sold in bags, and you will need 4 bags to make 3 or 4 layers.
Step 2. Cover the headboard with as many layers of padding as you like
The padding should extend approximately 12 inches beyond the edge on each side.
It takes at least 3 layers of padding to create a fluffy headboard. By adding more, you will get more softness and a more pronounced look
Step 3. Trim the edges on the back of the header to a length of 10 centimeters
Nail the batting to the back of the plywood with a stitch shooter.
Step 4. Cover the headboard with the fabric
Tuck the corners under, and turn the headboard to the back.
Step 5. Stretch the fabric and nail it to the plywood
The fabric must completely cover the padding on the back. After stopping it with the stitch shooter, cut off the excess with the scissors.
Step 6. Pass a needle with fishing line or strong thread and push it through the first hole, through the batting and fabric
Then pass the needle inside the button.
Step 7. Secure the button
You can do this with the one or two hole method. Either way, be sure to tighten the button tightly to give that quilted effect to the padding. There are two methods below:
- If you made two holes for each button, thread the needle through the other hole in the button. Then feed it through the second hole in the plywood and tighten it tightly. Re-pass the needle through the two holes a couple of times and then tie a knot in the thread.
- If you only made a hole, use a nail to hold the thread in place. Thread the thread through the button and back through the hole. To prevent the thread from loosening, put a nail across the back and wrap the thread over it. Pull the thread through the hole again a couple of times and then knot the thread on the nail. By screwing in the nail you can tighten the button to the desired depth. Then use a stitch shooter to stop the nail so it doesn't unwind.
Step 8. Repeat this operation for each button until the headboard is fully quilted according to the design you have chosen
Step 9. Secure the headboard to the wall behind the bed
Use a head hook. It is commonly found in home improvement stores or hardware stores. These hooks have two pieces of metal, one to attach to the headboard and one to attach to the wall. They fit together, fixing the board to the wall.
Advice
- Glue a piece of fabric to the button to match the headboard.
- If you already have a headboard, preferably one that has a flat, frameless surface, you can use that instead of making a new one out of plywood.
Warnings
- Use protective goggles when using the saw or drill.
- You can use chipboard or OSB (oriented flake wood), but the unfinished corners will tend to pull the threads of the fabric as you stretch it.
