How to Upholster a Headboard
Upholstering your headboard is a great way to transform what once was a drab addition in your bedroom. Here’s how you can do it yourself.
Tools
Upholstery fabric of your choice
Two-inch foam
Handsaw
Tape measure
Portable jigsaw
Sandpaper
1/4″ plywood
Fiberbill batting
Large pieces of paper
Utility knives
Scissors
Staple gun with 1/4″ staples
Paint brushes
Measuring tape
Procedure
Use a measuring tape to measure the dimensions of the headboard. Keep in mind that you will need extra materials to cover the headboard, which includes the sides, the top and the molding. This will be the basis of how much foam, plywood and batting that you will be using.
Cut out a template of the material that will be attached on the headboard on heavy duty paper. Tape it to the headboard to ensure that the measurements fill exactly. Mark fittings with a pencil.
Once you’re satisfied with the measurements, place the paper template on top of the plywood. Tape the paper on the plywood and begin cutting, following the template’s lines. Use a handsaw for straight cuts. Use a portable jigsaw for the curves. Once you’ve cut the plywood, test the fit, ensuring that you left space for the fabric and batting to wrap around in the edges.
Put the plywood on top of the padding. Kneel on top of the plywood and start cutting out the same template on the padding using a utility knife.
You can also use the plywood form to cut the batting. However, you should leave an extra three inches around the batting to allow it to wrap around the plywood backer panel later on.
Clean the area once you’ve done cutting all the materials to fit the template.
Install the fabric. Lay down the fabric with the good side (or the design side) on the floor. Place the batting and then the foam. The topmost layer must be the plywood backer. Align all layers properly.
Fold back the fabric over to the back of the plywood backer. Staple it in place by two inch intervals, starting from the center in both opposite sides, alternating until you reach top and bottom.
Trim away excess fabric using the utility knife.
Attach Velcro strips on the headboard and where it meets the back of the board. Press the panel in place, and you’re done.