DIY Upholstered Headboard (Deployment Project #42)

Last week while you were all following Re-upholstery 101 and learning everything you need to know to re-upholster a simple chair, I was working on another project.  I am so excited to share this with you!!

I made an upholstered headboard.  This particular one was for a friend - - but it was the perfect trial run for me since I really want to make one for my bedroom - - (with a few added surprises!!)

Here it is in all it’s beautiful glory!  In it’s new home in my friend master bedroom.  Notice the curtains – Yup (Deployment Projects #43 and #44)  And the cute striped pillows (#’s 45, and 46 - - - I count everything!)

So, here’s how I made it:

Supplies:  2 pieces of 1/4” chipboard (cut down to 80” long  - - -for a king size - - -  at the store)

3 yards thick batting

3 yards fabric

2 piece furrowing strips (1x3 boards)

2 long picture hanging systems

Tools:  sewing machine, staple gun, jig saw

Ok, on to the fun part now!

First you need to decide on the shape of your headboard.  Since I knew that I was going to monogram  the center of the headboard, so I wanted to make a curvy shape that would highlight the monogram.

Next, I took a piece of paper 80” long and folded it in half width-wise.

Then I drew out half the shape that I wanted, and cut it out. - -This will be my pattern for the top of my headboard.

 

Next, I clamped my two pieces of chipboard together so that I could cut them at the same time.

I measured on each end of my pattern to make sure that it was even and straight, then copied the pattern onto my wood with a sharpie.

Time for the power tools!!  With my boards clamped together, I cut both pieces at the same time with my jigsaw following the lines that I just transferred.

If you don’t care about thickness, you could just do one piece of wood, but I really wanted the headboard to have some depth to it - - not just be a quarter inch thick - - I think it gives it a richer quality.  And at only $8 for a second piece of wood, I think it was worth the investment!

To give the headboard thickness, I cut the furrowing strips so that they made an '”H” inside the headboard.

I nailed the boards in place, then made a chipboard sandwich with the other piece – nailing it in place.

Now it’s time to move this beast!  And I do mean BEAST!!  It is heavy!

At this point, I attached the hanging system.  If you haven’t seen these before, they are fantastic!  It is a long strip that you attach to the back of your picture, or in this case headboard - - whatever it is that you are hanging.  Do you see the little lip that is hanging out - - this will slide onto the accompanying piece that attaches to the wall, except this time the lip will be on the top.  The best part about this system, is that it doesn’t have to be perfect.  Just level.  It even has a little channel that the included level snaps into!  Because the headboard is so big and heavy, I used two sets, making sure that they were both attached at the same height.

Next, it is time for the batting - - this just gives the headboard a softness - - especially around the edges.

I laid it over the headboard and stapled it on the back side, then trimmed all the edges.  Around the curved top, I cut a few slits to allow it to bend around the curve more easily.

 

Next, I laid out the black fabric on top so I could mark the placement of the monogram.  I used a soft chalk to mark each of the rectangles.

Then it was time to embroider the monogram.

 

After the monogram was finished, I set the black fabric back on the padded headboard making sure that the monogram was exactly where I wanted it to be on the finished headboard.  Then I marked the entire outside edge with chalk.

 

This chalk line will be the line that I sew my white contrasting piping on.

I made enough cording to go around my headboard twice.

I though I had taken pictures of these next steps, but I think my camera ate them….or I erased them.  Let’s blame it on the camera!!  So, I’m going to do my best to describe the next couple of steps - - no worries though, it’s easy!

First, I took a 4” piece of the black fabric the length of the perimeter of the headboard (ok, I just guesstimated, but you want enough to go all the way around the headboard!).  I attached the white piping to each side of the black fabric.  Try to follow along with my math here now.  The finished cording is 1” wide so with the rough edges matching up with the black fabric rough edge, you have 1”cording on the left, 2” of black fabric in the center, and then 1” cording on the right.

Then, I attached this long edge strip along the chalk line that I transferred earlier.

Once this is sewn on, simply put the cover back on and staple the edges all around the back! 

Ta Da!

Your finished, that was easy wasn’t it?

      

Ok, one last look because it’s so pretty!

Did you notice the plates above the bed?  Fun aren’t they?  Guess what, they are paper plates!!!

 

Beautiful!