the Crafty Sister: DIY Headboard

I have my moments of DIY but must admit that since the kiddos, my personal DIY's are usually driven by some sort of necessity rather than true creative inspiration.  Lately, I have been living DIY vicariously through my kid sister who always seems to have some project in the works.  This month she took on a chesterfield headboard.  Check it out for the how to and the finished result.  And stay tuned for more from "the Crafty Sister".

 

 

 1) Supplies needed for a Queen-Sized Headboard [under $110]:  

• Fabric – Upholstery fabric is 54” wide, while others are 45” wide, so be conscious of your desired height dimensions. With a 60” wide desired headboard, I chose a piece that was 68” long, approximately 2 yards of fabric [Fabric Corner - $17]Sturdy Plywood (60”w x 33”h) – wide enough to cover the width of a queen bed and high enough to touch the top of box spring with enough height to sit-up comfortably. [Home Depot - $30, cut to desired size] Note: An alternative to use could be pegboard, a lighter-weight material that would not require you to drill holes into the plywood for the chesterfield effect.
• Twin-sized Egg Crate – perfect height for my dimensions and I only had to cut a few inches off the width. It was an economical way to have foam without purchasing what can be pricey upholstery foam from Joanne’s, etc. [Bed, Bath & Beyond - $10, with a coupon]
• Full-Sized Quilt Batting – It folded in-half and I had enough to pull over the foam and the plywood. [ACMoore - $6, with a coupon]
• Dritz 7/8” Half Cover Buttons – These ensured the same fabric I was using for the headboard would be the same fabric for the buttons. [Windsor Button - $20]
• Hangman – Can mount up to 200lbs [Home Depot - $15]
• Upholstery Thread & Long 4” Needle [Fabric Corner - $7]
• Drill/Drill Bit
• Staple Gun/Staples
• Measuring Tape
• Permanent Marker
• Scissors
• Spray Adhesive 

 
2) Measuring/Marking/Drilling

With a 60”w x 33”h board, I measured alternating 5 and 4 hole rows. 6” or 12” apart vertically and 5.5” or 11” apart horizontally.

3) Marking/Cutting

I laid the foam next to the plywood with the flat side on top and marked/cut the button holes to align with drill holes. [Note: Spray adhesive can help to keep the foam from moving while marking/cutting]:

Then I laid the quilt batting over the foam and stapled along the edge of the plywood – starting in the center and working out, stapling 3 – 5” apart. 

4) Buttons

Using the extra fabric from the headboard, I made the 23 buttons using the Dritz 7/8” Half Ball Cover Button Kit. These were easy to complete, there is a pattern on the back of the kit with the size of the fabric circle you need to cut.  I just laid the top of the button on the fabric, tucked it into itself, catching on the teeth and then pop on the back side. No tools required.  Then I strung about 16” of doubled upholstery thread onto the eye of the back of the button, in a simple loop to fasten.

I did this all in advance to help speed along the process of putting the buttons through the board.

To place the buttons, I led with the eye of the needle through the back of the plywood and punctured the fabric.  Then I threaded the needle and pulled it back through the hole.  I taped the thread to hold in place until we were ready to staple them.  

To staple the thread of the button, I found it much easier with two people. One person to push the button and pull the thread in the back simultaneously, while the other person staples the thread. 

5) Final touches
Finally I pulled the fabric taut and stapled to the backside of the plywood, working in the center, stapling every 3 – 5”. The corners can be tricky, so I cut a bit of the batting and fabric to reduce the bulk, tucked it into itself and folded over the corner for a crisp corner. 

Using a French Cleat we attached one part to the wall and one part to the headboard and voila, new headboard!