Bit by bit the bedroom is taking shape and this has largely been thanks to the transformation of the upholstered headboard along with hanging lamps from Myanmar (the process you can see here).

With a cloth and some wooden slats, I managed to completely change the look of the headboard I had and get closer to the style I was looking for. Of course recycling, something that you know I love to do! How to upholster a bed headboard is a fairly simple task that you will be able to see below.

The headboard we had was fairly simple, white-cape style. But the truth is that I had grown tired of it and it seemed lacking in personality. That is the opposite to what I always want to accomplish in the decoration of my house.

Also it did not cost me much money. I remember that it cost me about € 100 and considering that I had used it 5 years, I really did not mind trying something new with it,

I did not have a clear idea as to colors. All the furniture in the room at the time were white, so I had quite a bit of freedom. But I did know I wanted to introduce softness and warmth.

Last Christmas, accompanying my sister-in-law to a haberdashery in Valencia I passed by this velvet sky-blue cloth. It had something that grabbed my attention. In less than 10 minutes I was walking out of the door of the store with a couple of feet of cloth under my arm.

At that moment a thousand doubts crossed my mind: should I place buttons? Would that soft color look good in contrast to the beige wall of Dublin’s new flat? How would I play with bamboo hanging lamps? But deep down I was very happy with the choice because velvet is that type of fabric that brings softness along with the light blueish greenish color. Just the kind of calm I wanted for the bedroom. It’s also super trendy!

But I was missing some spark and the idea just fit in my head when I thought of putting a wooden frame. This would give that rustic touch and warmth through the wood. In addition, this frame would make it stand out on the clear wall and would make be the continuation to the bamboo lamps.

I bought two wooden strips of pine of 2 m of length and 7 x 7 cm on each side. The headboard protruded more but I liked that idea to highlight the «padding» and did not want to make it too heavy.

Seen from the front, I needed the frame to have a certain entity, if you were not going to lose the idea, that’s why I went to a square profile.

1- PREPARING THE WOOD FRAME

The frame would only be three slats, the sides and the upper cross, type «goal». The inferior is not necessary because it is not seen and in my case also my headboard already had some legs.

The first thing was to mark the lengths I needed, based on the headboard itself, and cut the slats.

I used an electric saw that cost me little money and for all my testings it came in very handy, but it is not absolutely necessary. Being a soft wood you can cut it with a saw and a little patience.

Once the three slats were ready, I sanded them well with a medium-grain sandpaper.

And finally I applied two hands of a light oak varnish and let it dry.

2- UPHOLSTER THE HEADBOARD

For the upholstery I used a purpose-built stapler that cost me about 10 € and I hope to use many more times, as well as scissors to cut the surplus fabric. The stapler can be found in any DIY store type Leroy Merlin, Bauhaus, Bricomart, etc.

Being so big, the best way I found of not dirtying the fabric and to manipulate it well was putting it upside down on the bed. First the fabric with the good face down and on top the headboard facing downwards.

Once well placed and leaving only the cloth on one side, I was folded and stapled from behind.

Make sure the fabric is tight at all times. It is best to fix a few points to tighten it around the perimeter and then to fill with more staples.

This was the easiest and quickest task and I discovered how easy it is to upholster only with a 10 € tool. Very handy for upgrading old chairs or an armchair.

At the corners, you should bend it so that it is as bulky as possible. As if you were wrapping a gift but more accurately.

I am very happy with the the result of the upholstery for how simple the job was, but it really was at this time when I saw clearly that I needed the wooden frame. It was also here when I decided that I would not put capitoné buttons because it was these buttons that had made me grow tired of the original headboard. I needed a completely new image.

3 – ASSEMBLE THE FRAME AND JOIN THE HEADBOARD

To join the three crossbars of the frame I used metallic squares screwed from the interior so that they were not seen. I also glued it with glue.

This union is not too strong really, it works because it is completely screwed to the existing headboard and this is how it is maintained. But for the assembly process is enough.

It would have been a great plus to make a male-female joint in the wood with an interesting design for it to be seen.

At the time I did not have the right tools and I do not like to half-finish jobs, so I chose this option with the intention of changing it someday, because it really will improve the headboard.

I used smaller squares screwed around the perimeter of the back of the frame to attach it to the existing headboard.

The last part was to place the frame on the already upholstered headboard and screw it from behind. It really did hold very well.

This is the new headboard, totally different than it was before. You can see how the quilting leaves the frame.

My headboard already had wooden legs as you can see, so I did not need the bottom horizontal crossbar. This part will be hidden behind the bed so I did not worry too much.

You’re probably thinking that maybe you do not have a headboard with the characteristics of mine to be able to tune. Well, this idea can be carried out from scratch with no problems. It will be a somewhat longer process but nothing complicated.

For this you will need a DM board of the height and width dimensions you want the bed to have. To give you an idea, in my case it is 1.5 x 1.2 m. The thickness should be 150 mm so that it does not deform and to also be able to screw into it.

On the board put a sponge iron to make the quilting. This should be about 10 cm thick so you have enough volume. And with that you’ll be able to upholster it in the same way that I have done, covering it with the fabric and stapling it from the back to the board. This board will also be the base to screw the frame with the squares.

In this case you must do the complete frame with 4 crossbars and if you want even the lower crossbar, you can put some legs and get more height without having to make bigger and heavier the headboard itself.

Imagine the possibilities that a headboard has, depending on the fabric you use and the color with which you paint the frame!

Choosing the materials and finishes is important for the feeling you want to achieve.

In my case highlighting the streaks and imperfections of the wood and the texture of the velvet as you touch it makes the combination attractive and warm.

The set with the bamboo lamps I bought in Myanmar (see DIY hanging lamps) looks great and little by little I am getting to customize the bedroom and give those special touches that make it different.

If you are looking for ideas for your bedroom do not forget to see this totally different head idea but also 100% customizable and very original: DIY Geometric Headboard. This I totally did from scratch!

I continue to be involved in the decoration of the bedroom, which I will advance to you except for the bed (which is a normal and standard bed), is going to be completely DIY!! And without buying any new furniture really …

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How did you like the makeover of the headboard? Do you think it was worth it?