How to Make a Padded Fabric Headboard From a Sheet of Plywood

Upholstered headboards can easily run $300 to $800 in stores, yet the construction is about as simple as furniture gets: a flat board, a layer of foam, some batting, and fabric pulled tight and stapled on the back. With a staple gun and a few hours, you can make one in any size and fabric you like for roughly $80 to $150. The only real skill involved is keeping the fabric smooth and the corners neat, and that comes down to patience.

Sizing It to Your Bed

A headboard usually looks best when it is a little wider than the mattress, about 1 to 2 inches past each side. Common widths:

• Twin (38-inch mattress): 40 to 42 inches
• Full (54-inch mattress): 56 to 58 inches
• Queen (60-inch mattress): 62 to 64 inches
• King (76-inch mattress): 78 to 80 inches

For height, a padded panel of 24 to 32 inches tall works for most rooms. Mount it so the bottom edge sits a few inches below the top of the mattress, which hides the gap, and the top lands somewhere around 48 to 60 inches off the floor. Measure your mattress height first; with a box spring and thick mattress, the top of the mattress may already be 25 inches or more above the floor.

This guide uses a queen headboard panel of 62 by 30 inches as the example.

What You'll Need

• 1/2-inch plywood, cut to size (a 4-by-8-foot sheet yields one panel up to queen size; king width needs 3/4-inch plywood or two joined pieces)
• High-density upholstery foam, 2 inches thick, the same size as the panel
• Polyester upholstery batting, about 3 yards
• Upholstery-weight fabric, about 2-1/2 yards of 54-inch-wide fabric for a queen
• Spray adhesive suitable for foam
• Heavy-duty staple gun with 5/16- or 3/8-inch staples
• Electric carving knife or a long serrated bread knife for cutting foam
• Jigsaw (if you want rounded corners), sandpaper, and a drill/driver
• A 1×4 or a strip of 3/4-inch plywood, 4 feet or longer, for a French cleat, plus 2-1/2-inch screws
• Tape measure, straightedge, marker, and scissors
• Safety glasses and a dust mask

Many home centers will make straight cuts in plywood for free or a small fee, which saves wrestling a full sheet at home.

Step 1: Prepare the Board

Cut the plywood to 62 by 30 inches. For softer corners, trace around a gallon paint can at the two top corners and cut the curves with a jigsaw. Sand all edges with 120-grit paper so nothing snags the fabric.

If you plan to add button tufting later, lay out a grid now and drill 3/8-inch holes through the board at each button point. A diamond pattern with points 8 to 10 inches apart is a common starting choice.

Tool safety: wear eye protection, clamp the plywood firmly over the edge of a sturdy table before cutting, and keep the jigsaw cord behind you.

Step 2: Add the Foam

Lay the foam on the board, mark it to match the plywood outline, and trim it with an electric carving knife held straight up and down. Cut slightly oversized, about 1/4 inch, so the foam just covers the edges.

Take the panel and foam outside or to a well-ventilated garage. Spray adhesive on the plywood and on the underside of the foam, wait the time on the can, usually about a minute until tacky, then press the foam into place starting at one end. Let it set for 15 to 30 minutes.

Foam choice makes a difference. Two-inch high-density foam gives a firm, plush look that holds its shape when you lean against it. Thinner 1-inch foam looks more tailored. Avoid cheap mattress toppers, which compress and lose their loft within months.

Step 3: Wrap the Batting

Lay the batting on a clean floor, set the panel face-down on top, and trim the batting so it extends about 4 inches beyond every edge. Pull the batting around to the back and staple it every 3 to 4 inches, starting at the center of each side and working toward the corners. Batting smooths the hard edge of the foam and gives the fabric a softer, rounded profile.

At the corners, trim away excess batting so it is not lumpy under the fabric.

Step 4: Upholster With Fabric

Iron the fabric to remove fold creases; they are surprisingly hard to get out once it is stretched. Lay it face-down, centering any pattern, and place the padded panel face-down on top. You want at least 6 to 8 inches of extra fabric on every side.

1. Start in the middle. Pull the fabric over the top edge and put three staples in the center of the back. Then go to the bottom edge, pull the fabric taut, and staple the center. Do the same on the left and right sides.
2. Work outward. Staple from the center of each side toward the corners, about 2 inches apart, alternating sides as you go. Pull firmly and evenly. Flip the panel over now and then to check that the grain or pattern runs straight across the front.
3. Fold the corners. For square corners, pull the corner point straight back and staple it, then fold each side over like wrapping a gift, creating two crisp pleats, and staple. For rounded corners, make many small pleats around the curve, stapling each one, and trim bulk on the back as you go.
4. Trim the excess. Cut away extra fabric about 2 inches from the staple line.

If you chose to tuft, push an upholstery needle with heavy twine through each drilled hole from the back, through a fabric-covered button on the front, and back through the hole, then pull tight and staple the twine in a zigzag on the back.

A piece of black dust cover fabric stapled over the back gives the headboard a finished look, though it is optional for a wall-mounted piece.

Step 5: Mount It on the Wall

A French cleat is the cleanest mounting method. It is two strips of wood, each with a 45-degree bevel along one edge, that hook into each other.

1. Rip a 1×4 or a strip of plywood lengthwise at 45 degrees with a table saw or circular saw, creating two pieces. Cut both a few inches shorter than the headboard width.
2. Screw one piece to the back of the headboard, about 4 inches down from the top, bevel facing down and toward the board.
3. Find the wall studs with a stud finder. Screw the other cleat to the wall through at least two studs with 2-1/2-inch screws, level, bevel facing up and toward the wall.
4. Lower the headboard so the cleats lock together. Add a spacer strip of the same thickness near the bottom of the headboard so it hangs plumb instead of tipping in.

Position the wall cleat so the headboard's bottom edge ends up 2 to 4 inches below the top of the mattress. Measure twice: the location of the wall cleat sets the final height.

As an alternative, you can screw two vertical 1×4 or 2×4 legs to the back of the panel and bolt them to the slotted brackets found on most metal bed frames.

Tips

• Choose fabric with a little texture. Linen blends, velvet, boucle, and tweed hide minor wrinkles better than shiny or very thin fabrics. Look for upholstery fabric with a rub count of 15,000 double rubs or more for durability.
• Pre-wash only if the fabric allows it. Many upholstery fabrics are dry-clean only and should not get wet.
• Use the right staple length. Staples longer than your plywood is thick will poke through to the front.
• Check the pattern alignment before every few staples. It is much easier to pull a few staples than to redo a whole side.
• Keep the headboard away from heaters and lamps that can get hot enough to scorch fabric.

Once you are comfortable with the process, the same technique covers bench cushions, padded cornices above windows, and a matching upholstered bench for the foot of the bed.