I've been working on redecorating my apartment and have loved torturing myself over all the details. But, I recently got a new bed and was really overwhelmed with the cost of an upholstered headboard. I'd been researching going the DIY route, but everything I found revolved around plywood. Well guess what...I have zero tools and I'll be damned if a cab will pick you up toting plywood sheets, not to mention the putting together of it all. I had an 'AH HA' moment while wandering around one day and through FOAM CORE! Lightweight, cut it with a knife, duct tape, staple gun, I'm in! So here's how it works:
Materials:
- 1/2" Foam core / foam board - art supplies stores carry this.
- Fabric - I used two yards of 54" width for a full-sized bed.
- Batting - I got four yards
- Staple gun - I got 1/4" staples, but looking back I should have gotten 1/2"
- Duct tape
- Scissors
- Knife or Exacto knife
- Measuring tape
Measure the frame of your bed and cut foam board accordingly. Remember the batting and fabric will add an inch. I purchased 40x30" board which worked perfectly. Don't tell any of my cook friends, but I cut the board with a serrated knife. Haha.
Use a few passes of duct tape on both sides to connect the two foam board sheets.
Lay down your batting underneath the board. I used two layers leaving the outermost layer longer for wrapping/stapling.
Use the staple gun to staple all around. I cut out the overlapping fabric at the corners so they wouldn't be thicker than the rest of the board.
Drape your fabric so the pattern is level and centered. I chose a print that did not have an obvious vertical direction so I could lay the two yards horizontally and not have a seam.
Staple the fabric to the back of the board. Lesson learned: 1/4" staples were barely long enough to go through the batting and fabric and still stick, so either have the fabric exceed the size of the batting or get longer staples---hence the duct tape for extra protection.
Instructions I found online suggested using 3M Command stickies to adhere the headboard to your wall. This did not work for me. The batting made the space between the foam core and the wall too great for good contact. Still looking for another option, but for now the mattress is holding it in place quite nicely.
TA DA!
Here's the cost rundown:
Fabric: $60 for two yards (from Mood)
Batting: $32 for four yards (also from Mood)
Foam Board: $30 for two 30x40" sheets (A.I. Freidman)
Staple Gun + Staples: $15
Duct Tape: $4
3M Command Strips: $6
Total: $147 and about an hour and a half of actual work. SCORE!