37 Creative DIY Headboard Ideas to Try
This is one of the easiest ways to give your bedroom a new feel and look. Here are 37 awesome DIY headboard ideas to get you started on adding headboard glamour to your bedroom.
How Do You Support a Freestanding Headboard?
Freestanding headboards can be supported by attaching them to the bed frame or by attaching them to the wall.
Some headboards can stand alone without any support between the wall and the bed, but they need to have a depth to them that will allow them to stand without tipping.
How Do You Secure a Freestanding Headboard to the Wall?
To attach a freestanding headboard to the wall, you want to make sure you position the headboard on studs in the wall. You could also secure them to the wall using a french cleat.
What Is the Right Size for a DIY Headboard
You want to make sure to measure for your DIY headboard so that you make the right size for your bed. That doesn’t mean it can’t be wider than your bed, but you definitely don’t want the bed to be wider than the headboard.
Here are the standard dimensions for each size bed.
- Twin/single – 38″ x 75″
- Full/Double – 54″ x 70″
- Queen – 60″ x 80″
- King – 76″ x 80″
Is It Hard to Make a Headboard?
It isn’t hard to make a headboard. They are a great beginner-friendly woodworking project. Most DIY headboard ideas can be made in a day. I built and upholstered my first headboard within two days, including nailhead trim.
What Materials Do You Need to Make a Headboard?
Most headboards are made of wood, so you will need to decide what type of wood to use.
You can use plywood or MDF to make the backboard if you are upholstering or adding a special treatment to your DIY headboard project.
To make the frame, you can use 2×4 boards. Furring strips are also a popular choice of material to use, but you want to be sure you are buying the straightest ones you can find.
DIY Headboard Ideas
1. DIY Plywood Headboard
I built this simple and easy DIY plywood headboard with one sheet of plywood and a few 2X4s.
The cost of your headboard will depend on the quality of plywood you use, and I recommend picking good quality plywood because the plywood is the star of the show! You can even watch the project in action in the video below.
2. Upholstered Headboard with Nailhead Trim
Upholstering is not as hard as you think. All you need is fabric, batting, and a staple gun. The frame of this upholstered headboard is made with OSB. I drew the curve then cut it out with my jigsaw. The nailhead trim gives it the perfect finishing touch.
3. DIY Headboard For Under $50 from Gray House Studio
Using whitewood and furring strips, you can make this DIY wooden headboard for under $50. Pegboard is used for the backing because it is cheap and durable and has holes drilled in it. This West Elm knockoff will have you running to the lumber yard to get started on your own!
4. DIY Herringbone Headboard from Sew Much Ado
The classic herringbone pattern of this DIY headboard will never go out of style, and the accessories and bedding can be changed out to reflect your style. It is put together on a sheet of plywood as the backing, and the pattern is attached quickly with a nail gun.
5. DIY Dowel Headboard from The Merrythought
Simple with a blend of modern and old-style, this DIY dowel headboard looks like an old spindle bed but with a modern twist. Made from maple wood and 3/4 inch dowels, this headboard sits right on the bed frame, and the angled end pieces keep it sturdy.
6. Fluted Headboard From Lily Ardor
Fluted-style furniture has become increasingly popular, but it also carries a hefty price tag. You won’t believe how they made this fluted headboard! Do you think they used wood? Watch and find out!
7. Plywood Print Headboard from The Merrythought
What better view to wake up to than a picture of mountains right on your DIY headboard? All you need to make your own is a sheet of plywood, an engineered print of the image of your choice, a hot glue gun, and some mod podge. A headboard and large artwork all in one! What could be better?
8. Light Up Headboard from A Beautiful Mess
This marquee-inspired DIY wood headboard idea is the perfect headboard for a guest room. It would be great for a kid’s room too! No need for fancy lights either; a string of 300 Christmas lights will do the trick.
9. DIY Stikwood Headboard from Sugar and Cloth
Stikwood on an Ikea frame makes this one of the easiest Ikea hacks out there. The Stikwood has an adhesive backing that makes it simple to stick to the frame. Cut them to the size and pattern you want, peel and stick. This DIY headboard idea looks great with any decor.
10. DIY Farmhouse Headboard From Made by Mitch
This farmhouse headboard is an easy beginner project, especially if you need a headboard but don’t want to spend a lot of money on one. The molding used to accent and finish this headboard makes it look great!
11. Wood and Marble Headboard from Emily Henderson
Fluted wood, a marble ledge, and brass accents make this the focal point of this bedroom. This DIY headboard is built right on the wall, and the marble ledge is made from 36″ marble threshold. The headboard says luxury with the marble and brass ledge on the top.
12. Colorful DIY Headboard Project from The House That Lars Built
A bold color choice, pattern, and design make this DIY headboard project perfect for a child’s room! Using butcher paper to make a template for the headboard shape is a great tip for making sure you get it just right. Once you have your frame cut out upholstering the headboard is easy. I love all the color in this room and I’m sure any child would too!
13. Modern Headboard with Caning from Refresh Living
A 1×10, a 1×4, and cane webbing are all you need to make your own modern headboard with cane webbing. A staple gun makes quick work of adding the caning and hanging the headboard on the wall is easy to do with a french cleat. This easy beginner headbord project will add instant style to any bedroom.
14. Beadboard Headboard from Provident Home Design
Save HUGE by building this DIY beadboard headboard yourself. The PB version is well over $700, but you can build it yourself for under $100. The best part of this DIY is that you don’t have to buy real beadboard! You will want to see how it is made using basic lumber, MDF, and how to get that beadboard look on a budget.
15. Hollywood Regency Headboard from Rain on a Tin Roof
Time to glam it up with this Hollywood Regency style headboard. Cutting the individual panels from plywood and upholstering them yourself will save you $$$ versus buying a headboard like this new. Hollywood Regency is all about luxury and this DIY headboard project doesn’t disappoint.
16. DIY Modular Headbord From Chris Solomone
This awesome modular headboard is made from plywood and all you need to build it are some basic woodworking tools. A table saw or circular saw and drill makes this easy beginner woodworking project easy to finish in a weekend.
17. Painted Plywood Headboard from A Bubbly Life
DIY headboard projects don’t get any easier than this one! A sheet of plywood, painter’s tape and your favorite color paint are all you need to add a custom headboard to any bed. This painted plywood headboard is screwed directly to the metal bed frame. What color would use for your color blocking?
18. Half Circle Headboard from Paper and Stitch
This headboard can be made in a weekend and for around $200. A much better price than buying one that could easily run into the thousands. The number of sheets of MDF will depend on the size of your bed, but once you have it all done and installed you will wish you had made this half circle headboard sooner!
19. Fabric Headboard with Nailhead Trim from Cuckoo 4 Design
Tall and traditionally playful this fabric headboard with nailhead trim is the perfect backdrop for this fun colorful kid’s room. The frame is doubled up MDF and very substantial, but you could make it lighter by using just one piece of MDF. The legs are made from 2x4s and attached to the frame of the bed.
20. Wood Slat Headboard from the Merrythought
A headboard that takes up the entire wall makes a great focal point in a bedroom. You can make a DIY slat wood headboard in a day using furring strips and few basic tools. Check each furring strip before you buy it because you want the straightest ones you can get. Build before you put it on the wall or build directly on the wall, either way, this headboard will be the star of the show in your bedroom.
21. Tufted Fluted Headboard from Emily Henderson
Making a tufted fluted headboard may sound like a lot of work, but it isn’t. You can make this headboard project in just a few steps. You will need 1x6s, fabric of your choice, and foam bolsters. Cutting the bolsters in half is easy and upholstering with a staple gun is a breeze. I’m a little in awe of the masculine look green velvet gives the room and wonder what it would look like in a more feminine color. Who knew a tufted fluted velvet headboard could be so manly.
22. DIY Rustic Headboard from Liz Marie Blog
Fencing boards give this DIY headboard idea a rustic touch that mimics pallet wood. Staggering the placement of the panels gives it interesting detail, and you can make it any size you need for your bed. This rustic headboard stretches from baseboard to ceiling and is quite the focal point for this bedroom. Each board is attached directly to the wall and even cut out around an electrical outlet. It’s a great beginner woodworking project that you could do in a day.
23. Wood DIY Headboard Project from A Piece of Rainbow
This freestanding wood headboard will go with any bed frame and is easy to make using 4×4 posts, 2x4s and 1x4s. The type of wood you choose is key to making this DIY wood headboard look its best. You want to make sure to select lumber that has a nice grain, a few cups and twists, and no splits. You can make this headboard in any size you need by modifying the plans that you can download to make your own.
24. Vintage Sheet Headboard from Happiness is Homemade
Wall art cut-outs made from MDF come together in an excellent design that overlays the vintage sheet upholstered backdrop on this DIY vintage-inspired headboard. Each cut-out is 12×12, so you can lay out a pattern in exactly the size you need for your bed.
25. Faux Reclaimed Wood Headboard from Home Made Lovely
Reclaimed wood can be hard to find if you don’t already have a stash of it on hand. This DIY wood headboard is made using new wood made to look like reclaimed wood. The boards are attached directly to the wall and then stained to look like reclaimed wood. It’s an easy DIY project you can do in a day, but you may want to stain the boards before putting them up or you will have to sleep in another room until the smell of the stain dissipates.
26. Geometric Wood Headboard from DIY Huntress
Rectangles at 45 and 90 degrees make this geometric headboard a work of art. 1×2 pieces are laid out and attached to a sheet of plywood to make the pattern using wood glue and pin nails to hold them in place while the glue dries. You could stain or paint this headboard in any color or even leave it natural. I just love the design and the visual interest this headboard adds to the space.
27. Upholstered Headboard with Tufting from Hey There Home
Upholstering your own headboard is easy, but what if you want it tufted? That can be a little more difficult for the beginner upholsterer. No worries! This DIY tufted headboard idea uses a simple trick to make tufting easy for beginners. A pegboard back. Genius! The pegboard has all the holes you need to secure your buttons for tufting. The grid of the pegboard even makes it a no-brainer for laying out the number of tufts and spacing.
28. Rustic Headboard Using Shiplap from H2OBungalow
This shiplap headboard is easy to make and doesn’t require a lot of woodworking skills, and is a great piece to add to a guest room. The pieces of shiplap are cut to the width of your bed then attached directly to the wall. Shiplap is still a popular decorating choice, and this new headboard will look great in any room you use it in.
29. DIY Cane Headboard from Making Manzanita
Cane or rattan, whichever word you use, this DIY headboard is fun and modern and right on-trend. Making your own cane headboard will save you hundreds of dollars versus buying a new one. The frame of this headboard is made with yellow birch and the cane is held in place by strips glued and stapled to the back of the headboard frame. Be sure to check out the tutorial to make your own!
30. Wooden Headboard from Crafted by the Hunts
Headboards don’t have to be stand-alone pieces to make an impact in a room. As part of this canopy bed, the wooden headboard adds texture and interest to the space. This modern canopy bed is the perfect backdrop for the angles and design of the headboard. You will need 1x8s and a few tools to make this DIY headboard for yourself and you can even get the instructions for how to build the canopy bed!
32. DIY Herringbone Headboard from At Lane and High
The herringbone pattern of this DIY headboard is classic and will never go out of style. You can find inspiration for different DIY headboard ideas using a herringbone pattern on Pinterest to determine how you want to orient your own pattern, but the simple, timeless basic pattern of this headboard is perfect in my opinion. Plywood and poplar wood are used to make this headboard, with the poplar pieces attached directly to the plywood using a nail gun.
33. Wrap Around Velvet Headboard from Emily Henderson
This DIY headboard will make you feel like you are staying in a 5-star hotel with the velvet fabric and the way it wraps around to enclose even the end tables in luxury. Don’t be intimidated by design. You can get all the plywood cut to the dimensions you need at the home improvement store, and all you will have to do is upholster it and install it.
34. DIY Headboard from Saved by Scottie
When you don’t want nail holes to show or you don’t want to fill them in before painting or staining, you can screw the boards from the backside of the DIY headboard. This project uses metal tiles for an industrial look. All you have to do is peel off the backing and apply.
35. DIY Caning Headboard From Emily Faith
Here’s one more cane webbing headboard that I had to share, just because I’m in love with all things cane right now. They do this one a little different from the others I have shared, and it gives it a completely different look.
36. Woodblock DIY Headboard from A Life Unfolding
I think it is one of the most unique DIY headboard ideas of the whole group. You can make this yourself using a piece of plywood and some 4×4 posts. The pieces are stained then assembled in a random pattern to make this unique woodblock headboard.
37. DIY Headboard With Hardwood Flooring from Linen and Logs
This simple DIY wood headboard is easy to make using hardwood flooring. It has a Craftsman-style that I really like. Pocket holes hide the joinery on this project and give it a clean, professional look. You can easily make this for any size bed.
I hope these have left you inspired and ready to build your headboard and give your bedroom a custom look and feel!
Which one will you build?
More Project Ideas for Your Bedroom –
Anika's goal is to inspire and empower beginners with woodworking, DIY, home improvement, and home decor ideas.
She wants everyone to unlock their creative potential and experience the feeling that comes with making something. Nothing feels better better than seeing something and saying "I can make that!"
