Build a headboard for your bed yourself and add to the feel-good factor in your bedroom.
We spend almost a third of our lives in bed, recharging our batteries and recovering from the rigours of the day. You can make your bedroom even cosier and more relaxing with a few small changes. The focus is on the bed, of course. With a homemade headboard, a simple bed without a bedhead can be turned into a unique piece of furniture. The elegant French style of this headboard invites relaxation and adds tasteful accents of colour.
You’ll need the following materials to make a French headboard:
- light wooden board in the width of the bed, height approx. 80 cm, depth from 12 mm
- foam the same size as the wooden board, approx. 7 cm thick
- upholstery fabric of your choice, e.g. velvet (with a bed width of 1.60 m you need approx. 2 m x 1.20 m fabric), as well as the same amount of volume fleece
- 12 self-cover buttons
- an upholstery needle
- heavy thread
- scissors
- tacker (e.g. J-102 DA from Novus) and fine wire staples, size A
- electric drill, screw-on hangers, wall anchors, hooks
And here’s how it’s done:
Mark the position of the 12 buttons on the wooden board in 3 rows of 4 buttons, about 20 cm apart. Now drill two small holes close to each other for each button, in line with the markings.
Cut fabric & foam to size
Now cut the fabric and foam to size. The dimensions are calculated from the surface area of the wooden board plus 15 cm on all sides. For a clean finish to the fabric, cut the corners on a 45-degree angle.
Staple the foam to the wooden board with the volume fleece
Attach the foam to the board with the volume fleece: lay the fleece over the foam and staple it to the back of the wooden board. When covering the board, it is important to start by stapling the fabric in place on two opposite sides, pulling it taut. Now fold the edges of the upholstery fabric and staple it to the back of the wooden board, too.
To attach the buttons, push the upholstery needle with a double strand of thread through a buttonhole in the wooden board and forwards through all the other layers.
Thread the button on. Now push the upholstery needle back through all the layers of the headboard and guide it through the second button hole in the wooden board. To get that special French look, pull the thread tight and knot it at the back of the headboard.
Attach the hangers
To finish, screw the hangers onto the top of the board and fix the corresponding hooks in the wall with the anchors. Your elegant headboard is ready, inviting you to a well-earned rest.
Tip: If you have a cable tacker, e.g. the NOVUS J-19 OKY, you can use the insulated cable staples as hangers with suitable hooks.
Don’t be afraid to use bright colours
The selective use of splashes of colour in the bedroom can work wonders and give the room a completely different look. When choosing your fabric, don’t hold back on the colour, because colours have a positive effect on your mood. Red awakens energy, love and passion; light blue inspires peace and trust. Green conveys security and harmony, while yellow shines with cheerfulness and joy. The choice is entirely yours! And if you coordinate your curtains, bedlinen and other accessories with your chosen colour, the result is a well-rounded, distinctive colour concept.
