How to upholster a beautiful padded bed headboard for an opulent and luxurious look

How to add a budget-savvy luxe headboard to your bed for instant impact

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Published: January 12, 2022 at 10:48 am

A luxurious upholstered bed headboard can add instant glamour and richness to your bed and bedroom whatever your style, but can be costly. Here’s how to make your own at a fraction of the cost.

How to choose a feature headboard for your bedroom

What you need to make and upholster a bed headboard

A piece of plywood cut to size
Foam
Spray glue
Upholstery batting/wadding
Fabric
Staple gun and staples
Fabric glue
Wooden battons (optional)

How make and upholster a bed headboard

Total time:

An afternoon

Step 1

Cut a piece of plywood the width of your bed and decide on the height you want. Some builders’ merchants will cut this for you, so it’s always worth asking. Choose your thickness of foam; higher density foam will soften the feel of the wood. Cut this to the size of the plywood.

Step 2

Apply an even coat of spray glue to the foam and plywood, then press together so it bonds.

Step 3

Cut some batting wide enough to wrap around the wood and foam and cut your fabric so it can wrap around all of these layers, making sure to line up any pattern.

Step 4

Place the foam side on to the batting and staple the batting to the plywood, ensuring it’s taut all the way round, then cut off any bulky excess, especially at the corners.

Step 5

Place the headboard (batting side down) onto the centre of your material. Staple all the way round, pulling the fabric taut as you go. Cut off excess fabric and if there is a gap at the corners, stick the edges together with fabric glue.