DIY: Upholstered Headboard

I've been hating our bedroom decor for awhile now.  The items on the wall looked great when we had a different color scheme going on with the bed.  But it had all evolved into something that definitely didn't work.  See?  The silver frames and the wood on the lamps and the warm colors on the bed.  No good.

So, inspired by some cute dresser pulls from Anthropologie and the hand-made quilt from my Mom, I decided to go with....PINK!  and RED!  Keep your opinions to yourself.  Okay, no, don't.  Because I still need help with ideas.  But the pink and red is staying.  It makes me happy.

The first part of the transition was to do something different above the bed.  I've always wanted an upholstered headboard like they have in my favorite hotels.  How hard could it be?  It turns out, not that dang hard.  If you don't mind really really sore arms and bleeding fingers.  Meh, that all disappeared after a day or so.

The redecorating of the rest of the bedroom will be documented in later blog posts.  Disclaimer: I'm an engineer, not a decorator or designer.  So if I'm way off-the-mark, I'm open to comments.

Supplies
- Plywood.  Since they don't make sheets large enough for the space I needed, I made 2 separate panels with the intent to just place them side-by-side.  It worked great.  And was perhaps easier than making one large one.
- Staple gun, staples
- Fabric, batting (enough for 2 layers)
- If you want to tuft the headboard - drill, buttons, upholstery thread, needle
- Something to secure the buttons to the back of the headboard.  I used wire stapled to the back.

Step 1:

Cut the plywood to the correct size.  Or have the store do it for you.  Some will, some won't.  I wanted mine to free-stand from the floor, so I used 2.5' x 6.5'.

If you are planning on tufting your headboard, drill the holes for the buttons at this point.  Just decide how frequently you want a button, measure, and drill.  You can't tell from this photo, but the holes are there.  I did 5 rows of buttons on each panel, alternating between 2 holes and 3 holes each row.

Step 2:

Drape the batting over the panels, cut off the excess, and secure by stapling on the back side of the plywood.  Don't pull too hard!  Repeat with the second layer of batting.  If you want a really cushy headboard (hehehe), use three layers.  I was too cheap to buy a third layer.  That stuffs expensive, yo!  In the photo on the left you can see the wire across the back to tie off the buttons.

Step 3:

Repeat Step 2, but this time with the actual fabric.  Go slower this time and take the time to make sure it's lined up evenly and that you are pulling the fabric tight enough, but without stretching it.  The corners are a bitch, and I have no good advice here.  Other than trim off the excess batting and fabric, and then staple the hell out of it.  Whew, lots of cursing in this post.  Please don't send me emails about it, thanks.

I forgot to take a photo of this step, so here's one with the buttons already on.

Step 4:

Step back and admire your work.  Resist the urge to stop here.  It really does look so much better after it's all tufted.  Okay, deep breath.  And maybe a shot of tequila with a beer chaser.  This next step takes some patience and lots of reaching and stooping and swearing.  Ready?  Add buttons.  Sorry, that's all I got for ya.  My method took forever and I was hating life for the entire time.  Maybe you will come up with something much more efficient.

I used beautiful vintage buttons that I've been collecting for years.  Mismatched crystal, pearl, and fabric buttons in various shades of clear and white.

Step 5:

Either hang the panels on the wall, or lean them on the floor.  Stare for a really long time.  With a stiff drink in your bleeding hands.