easy ideas for making a headboard

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Three Easy Ideas for Making Headboards

I have long pondered how I could fashion a headboard using materials from the dollar store. At first blush, it’s not the kind of thing you would expect to be possible.

However, I’m always up for a challenge and finally came up with three relatively easy ideas.

Fabric and Batting Headboard

 

This headboard for a single bed is tacked directly onto the wall using furniture nails.

Materials used:

  • 1-31-inch square tablecloth, or piece of material
  • small piece of flat batting, on hand or optional
  • 24 or more furniture nails, hardware store

Just fold the tablecloth in half, insert some batting, if you are using it, and attach it to the wall at the appropriate height. You may find you need an extra pair of hands to hold the material up while you secure the top corners.

After you finishing nailing down the outside edges, if you use batting, you can achieve a faux tufted look by adding a couple of rows of nail head trim to the centre. The grid pattern of this material makes it easy to space the nails evenly.

Room Divider Panel Headboard

Dollarama sells 15 ¾ -inch square plastic cut-out panels that are made to use as hanging room dividers. They are sold in packages of two, come in black or white and in different patterns. For this project, discard the metal rings that come with each package.

This headboard fits a queen-sized bed and is also made by securing the four panels directly onto the wall using furniture nails. You will need 32 nails.

If you have the space, you could add an extra row of panels above the first one to give the headboard more height.

Artist Canvas Headboard

 


For this twin headboard you will need:

  • 3-12×16-inch artist canvases
  • 26 furniture nails
  • Duct tape
  • Enough material to overlap canvases by at least two inches on all sides
  • Staple gun
  • hammer
  • scissors 

I found the crushed velvet remnant at Dollarama for three bucks but, as is often the case, they don’t seem to be stocking fabric remnants now. As an alternative, look for large tablecloths at the dollar store in a pattern that appeals to you.

Begin by arranging the canvases face down and side by side horizontally. Use duct tape to bind them together, making sure the edges are even.

Measure and cut the material to the correct size and wrap it snugly around the joined canvases. Staple the material onto the wood trim on the back of the headboard.


Using a contrasting colour of furniture nails, add the nail head trim. Space them about four-inches apart around the outside of the headboard and hang it as you would a large picture.

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