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Make a Padded Headboard with Dollar Store Supplies
I have long wanted a headboard for my queen bed but balked at the idea of spending money on one. That’s mainly because I could never find one that suited my (very fussy) tastes. I liked some of the wood ones I saw, but could never bring myself to spend that much money. After all, when you’re on a tight budget, a headboard is not to be considered a necessity.
In recent months, I began playing around with the idea of making a headboard myself. Now, lest you think that I took up carpentry, let me assure you that anything I attempted to make that way would certainly not be something I’d want to face every night before bed!
No, I went much simpler. Here’s how to make a padded headboard with dollar store supplies. And what I did, anyone can do.
I ran into a snag near the end, so you’ll see that I used a differently patterned tablecloth to finish. Turns out I liked that pattern better anyway.
Supplies Used:
- 3 – 16 x 20-inch canvases (Dollarama)
- 3 standard pillows (Dollarama)
- 1 rectangular fabric tablecloth (Dollarama)
- staple gun (on hand)
- large craft sticks (Dollarama)
Since adding items up to $5, Dollarama has been able to offer an impressive line of things, including these standard pillows. Remove any attached tags. I like colour, which is why I choose the tablecloths I did, but of course, you can choose a fabric that suits your tastes.
I left the canvas on the frames, as they would give the pillows a solid backing.
Attaching Canvases
Laying the canvases end-to-end, I added a few staples to attach them together.
Reinforcing Seams
To reinforce the canvases, I hot glued large craft sticks where each one was stapled together, adding one along the top and the bottom of each canvas where they joined, as well.
Stapling Pillows to Backing
I thought I had a picture of when I stapled the pillows to the canvases, but alas, it must have gotten lost along the way. Anyway, this is after I had stapled the pillows onto my headboard base, adding three or four staples per pillow. I only stapled one side of the pillows to the wood on the backing. This would be the top of the headboard.
Adding Fabric
Next, I draped the tablecloth over the pillows and wrapped the whole thing up like a Christmas present, stapling as I went. You don’t need to see the steps for that because…
The Flop
…once I got the headboard on the wall, I hated the way that it looked like it was floating above the bed.
The Fix
I pondered how to fix my misstep without having to take it all apart. Enter tablecloth number 2. I draped it over the headboard as before, but this time I only stapled it to the top edge of the canvases.
Then I pulled any excess fabric at the ends of the headboard to the back and stapled that into place, leaving the rest of the tablecloth to hang down at the bottom.
My New Headboard
I hung the headboard on the wall and let the fabric at the bottom fall down behind the bed. This was the look I was going for.
I think this looks much more like a proper headboard. Let me know what you think. Now, every time I walk into the bedroom, my new headboard makes me smile.
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