Making a Fabric-Padded Queen Headboard

Add a custom touch to your headboard with a simple upholstery technique.

To add drama to a bedroom space, create a one-of-a-kind padded headboard to match your room's decor. To ensure the headboard will fit a queen-size bed, simply cover a ready-made headboard or use its measurements to create your own. Once you have decided on a shape for your headboard, you can add a fabric to coordinate with your design scheme. The padding of the headboard will not only add presence to the bed, it will provide comfortable support for resting.

Things You'll Need

• Plywood
• Table jig saw
• Scroll saw (optional)
• Protective eyewear
• Course-grit sandpaper
• Damp rag
• Spray adhesive
• 2-inch upholstery foam
• Utility knife
• Cotton batting
• Staple gun
• Fabric
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Measure your queen headboard. Decide on the finished height and shape of your headboard to determine its size. A standard queen-sized bed is 60 inches wide. Use an existing headboard as a model if possible.

2. Draw out your headboard on a sheet of plywood. Cut it to size using a table jig saw. A scroll saw also can be used for more decorative cuts. Smooth out any rough edges with coarse-grit sandpaper. Wipe away any sawdust with a warm, damp rag.

3. Spray the front of the headboard with spray adhesive. Position a piece of upholstery foam over the front of the headboard. Flip the headboard over once the adhesive has dried. Cut the foam to the shape of the headboard with a utility knife.

4. Wrap cotton batting over the front of the headboard. Apply the batting in a smooth, even layer across the front. Pull the batting taut over the underside of the wood and staple the batting directly to the headboard.

5. Place fabric on a flat surface. Lay the padded headboard over the fabric. Pull the fabric over the edges to the underside of the headboard. Staple in place with the staples approximately 1 inch apart on the wood.

6. Cut away any excess material. Once your headboard is upholstered, add decorative accents as desired, such as buttons, ribbon or piping.

Tips & Warnings

• Always wear protective eyewear when making cuts with your table saw.

References

• Be Jane: Make Your Own Upholstered Headboard
• In My Own Style: Fabric-Padded Headboard
• Headboard Boutique: How to Make a Headboard for a Queen Size Bed