Custom headboard

Padded headboard front and rear views.

Something we have always wanted but did not have until now was a padded headboard for our bed. We did have a headboard with shelves but it never suited us well. To be comfortable while reading in bed we would stuff it full of pillows.

After looking at purchasing a ready-made padded headboard we determined they were too expensive. So we decided to attempt to make one ourselves. Going through materials we had on hand we decided we needed to purchase a sheet of half-inch plywood and two yards of an imitation suede fabric for the cover.

To determine how big to make the headboard we measured the width of the bed, ours is a California king size. Then for the height we wanted it to be 26 inches above the mattress which was 10 inches high. So we made the total height 36 inches.

We rounded the top corners to make it look better. To attach it to the bed we used four recycled 2x4’s, one on each end and two spaced in between. These attached to the back of the headboard as well as to the pedestal of the bed.

Then deciding some shelf space would be nice for things like a Kleenex box and electric blanket controls we made one long one going all the way across, just below the top and a short one on either side about half way down. The top shelf is below the top just enough to keep the items on it out of view from the front. We cut the shelves from other recycled boards we already had on hand. To keep things from falling off the shelves we added a thin strip of molding to the back edge of each shelf.

To cover the front we first cut a piece of two-inch thick foam the same size as the plywood. Then we went to cover it with fabric and discovered it was shorter than the two yards we had ordered. Looking through our collection of fabric on hand we came up with a contrasting piece to sew a strip down the middle. After cutting the larger piece in half and sewing the strip in we stretched it over the foam and plywood. We secured it to the back of the plywood using a staple gun.

After securing the finished headboard to our bed there was only one thing we wanted different. We wished we had made it over 27 years ago. That way we could have enjoyed it our entire married life.

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