DIY Upholstered Headboard With Tufting: Step-by-Step Instructions

There’s something seriously satisfying about pulling off a DIY headboard project that looks like a high-end decor piece- but without the $1000+ price tag. Because gulp...That’s exactly what happened when my mom fell in love with a gorgeous tufted headboard from one of our favorite stores - and I thought, I love me a good furniture knock-off!

That's how we found ourselves knee deep in foam, fabric and pegboard, turning Mom's dream into something tufted, plush, and custom - all without the splurge. In this post, I’ll show you step by step how to create a budget-friendly DIY upholstered headboard that adds up-scale vibes to your bedroom.

So grab your staple gun and let’s get to it!

Pin

Can You Really Make A DIY Fabric Headboard Using Pegboard?

Don’t let the finished look of this DIY upholstered headboard fool you - it's way easier than it looks. With just a few tools and a little time, you’re going to have a beautiful tufted headboard! – Hello lazy Sunday mornings reading in bed!

The secret ingredient? Pegboard. Using pegboard as the frame backing makes this DIY tufted headboard nearly foolproof. The evenly spaced holes make it super simple to add tufting - just feed your buttons right through and you’re golden.

How To Plan the Size and Shape Of Your DIY Headboard

You can make this DIY fabric headboard for any size bed - it's totally customizable.

Your measurements will depend on the width of your mattress and how high you want your headboard. (In the steps below I made a DIY king headboard that is 48 ½ inches tall and 74 inches wide.)

• For the most cohesive look, I recommend matching the width of your DIY headboard to your mattress or bed frame.
• The height will vary depending on the style you want. A great trick is to use painter's tape to mark off different heights on the wall to get a feel for how tall you want it.

Once you decide on height, measure from the top of your bed frame to your marked ideal headboard height. That's how tall your pegboard should be. The width will match your mattress or bedframe. Easy!

Step By Step: How to Make Your Own Upholstered Headboard

Build the Frame Of The DIY Fabric Headboard

Building the frame may be the most intimidating part of this project especially if you don’t have or know how to use power tools.

Don’t worry. Most hardware stores will make the cuts for you right in the store, so you leave with everything cut and ready to assemble.

Step 1: Cut your pegboard

Cut your pegboard to the dimensions discussed above.

Step 2: Frame your pegboard

Frame the edges of your pegboard on the back side using 2 x 4’s as shown below. Attach the 2 x 4’s to the pegboard using wood screws.

Pin

Space The Headboard Tufting

Step 3: Plan out the spacing of the tufting

Once you have your frame assembled, you’ll want to plan out the placement of the buttons of your tufted headboard. (We had 5 buttons across and 3 buttons down.)

• Spacing the buttons going across: We divided the width of the pegboard by 6 (however many buttons you have going across + 1) and using a measuring tape we marked the width of each section on the back along the top.
• Spacing the vertical buttons: First we subtracted the space that the mattress would cover before beginning. (The height of your pegboard – the thickness of your mattress.)

Step 4: Mark the placement of the headboard tufting

• Now take the number you just got and divide by the number of vertical buttons + 1. (We have 3 vertical buttons, so we divided by 4 to get 4 equal sections as shown below.)

Pin

• Then measure down from the top (where you made your first mark for the buttons going across) and find the closest hole. Repeat moving down and mark each hole, then move across until you have all of your buttons marked.

We marked ours on the back side with a circle around each hole. You may want to mark the front too, just so you have a visual of where your buttons will be on your finished project. Better to find any mistakes now, rather than later!

Pin

Creating A Padded Headboard Using Upholstery Foam

Step 5: Attach the upholstery foam and batting to the headboard frame

• Lay the headboard frame flat (front side up), and apply a generous coat of spray adhesive to the pegboard, especially at the edges. *You'll want to work quickly so the adhesive doesn't dry.
• Line up the edges of the upholstery foam with the edges of the DIY headboard frame and press firmly to adhere the foam to the pegboard.

Pin

Step 6: Attach lightweight batting to the foam headboard

• Once the upholstery foam is attached, lay out the lightweight batting on a clean surface and flip the headboard frame on top with the foam facing down.
• Trim your batting so that when you wrap it up and around the sides of the wood frame you can attach it on the back side of the frame.
• Staple the batting in place using a staple gun, making sure that the corners lay flat (like you’re wrapping a present).

Pin

Finishing Your DIY Fabric Headboard

Step 7: Add the fabric to the headboard frame

• Lay your fabric out flat on a clean surface, good side facing down.
• Again, lay the frame face down on the fabric and fold the edges of the fabric up and over the frame and attach with a staple gun making sure the corners look nice and neat.

Pin

Creating A Tufted Headboard

Step 8: Add the buttons for the headboard tufting

• Set the frame on its bottom edge and started adding the buttons for your tufted headboard. This is a two person job.

• Cut a piece of wire, then poke it through the headboard at each marked hole.
• When the wire comes through the front, add the button.
• Then bend the wire and push it back through the fabric close to where it originally came through. You may have to poke around a little bit to find the hole again.

Pin

• When it comes back through, pull the button tight by spreading the 2 pieces apart in opposite directions.
  • The person in the front should eyeball the tufting as the wire gets pulled to make sure the creases that are created look good.

Pin

• Staple each side of the wire in place and then pull them back together and twist them to keep them in place.
• Repeat this process until all the buttons are on.

Pin

You May Also Like

How To Hang Your DIY Tufted Headboard

We hung the frame on the wall so the bottom of the upholstered headboard is just above the bed frame using these large picture/ mirror hangers. The easy instructions were on the package; we put the brackets just across the top, and it made the headboard solid against the wall.

Pin

DIY Tufted Headboard - The Final Result

Learning how to make a DIY upholstered headboard was way easier than I expected. Sure, there was a little trial and error (as with any good DIY), but I worked out all the kinks so you can skip the guesswork and jump straight to the fun part - transforming your space on a budget.

I love how the large scale of this headboard makes such a statement, and the headboard tufting brings just the right touch of traditional charm to this otherwise modern master bedroom. Not too shabby for an afternoon’s work, huh?

And if you’re dreaming of pulling your whole room together - not just making it pretty, but actually making it work for your life - hop to my post on how to design a room that functions exactly the way you want it to. Because a home that looks good and works for you? That’s the real win.

Pin

Pin

Pin

P.S. What if I told you there's a whole new (and way easier) way to decorate your home—without the overwhelm, indecision, or endless Pinterest scrolling.