John's Custom Headboard

If you are playing along with my 'guess which fabric is which game' (there were about two of you!), then here is our first answer!! The brown fabric is for John's new headboard! (either of you guess correctly?!)

So, I am in LOVE with how the headboard turned out. Here is what it looks like (obviously not attached to the bed yet) and here are some simple instructions on how to make it.

Supplies:
-plywood (although I think we used mfb)
-fabric
-egg crate or foam
-batting
-staple gun and staples
-saw of some sort
-loving dad and brothers-in-law to do the actual labor and a sister who knew how to make the headboard (see example below!)




How to:
1. Cut out the shape of the headboard you wanted. We just wanted to curve out the corners of the headboard, so my sister used a bowl to trace a curve on each side. Easy peasy. There are TONS of pics on the 'net that you can search for headboard designs. We also decided to make the headboard tall enough that it reaches all the way to the ground. You could make it shorter and just hang it on the wall if you didn't have as much plywood lying around.

note the curved corners...can this be any easier?!


2. We then layed the egg crate layer so that the bumpy side was against the headboard. Wrap around the edges of the headboard and staple around nice and tight. Trim excess if necessary.







3. Lay the batting over the egg crate, wrap around the edges of the headboard and staple around. This just helps give it a nice overall finish and pull the egg crate even tighter. We actually got a cheap batting so it was on the verge of tearing as we stapled so I would suggest either not buying the cheapest stuff out there or buying a little bit thicker batting so it doesn't tear as you staple. Trim excess if necessary.

here is the crappy batting from Walmart. it did the trick...barely




this is what the headboard looks like with the eggcrate and batting stapled on...we are getting there!


4. Now comes the fun part- stapling on the pretty fabric! We held the headboad upright (instead of laying it on the table) so that way the girls could stand back and tell the boys how to get the fabric nice and straight across the top of the headboard. Obviously, you would want your fabric pattern centered (if there was a center) and you would want to make sure the fabric lines were perfectly horizontal. And by perfectly horizontal, I mean that we eyeballed it.



5. We started at the center and stapled the fabric across the top, all while holding the headboard upright. (Those boys are so talented!) Once we got to the curves, we cut the fabric into strips so we could pull it tightly without it all getting bunched up. Once it was stapled (and a dose of double stapling to make sure it wasn't ever coming off!), we trimmed the excess material which hopefully I can use somewhere else in the room!



6. Tada!!! John's custom headboard! Seriously, how cute did it turn out? And considering that a new bed would cost me about $700 (why oh why do I like the expensive stuff?!?!?), I saved myself quite the chunk of change making this on our own and attaching it to the frame we already had. If I had to guess, this project cost me around $60 or $70 bucks. Not too shabby! It took the guys about an hour to do and considering that all I did was take pictures and eyeball if the fabric was straight, it was extrememly easy for me. Double bonus!



As I am typing, the headboard is sitting in the dining room waiting to be put in John's big boy room. My goal is to have his new room ready by the end of June, so be sure to check back for the final room reveal! Get excited!