How to Make Your Own Tufted Headboard
Tufted and upholstered headboards aren’t the new kids on the block by any means, but it does seem like they’ve risen in popularity the past few years. So creating one has been on my to-do list so I can share with all of you how to make one yourself and save big money on a store-bought one!
Inspiration
I’ve had this post from Artsy Chicks Rule on creating an ottoman from a coffee table saved for awhile, thinking it’d be a great project for the table in my sunroom. (Maybe one day I’ll get around to doing it…) Then I remembered Nancy had mentioned another tufted ottoman tutorial from Kristi. And Kristi’s ottoman, turned on its side, was exactly what I was looking to make in a headboard.
There’s really not much how-to information I can provide that isn’t better covered in the video above. So be sure to watch it for the full details on how we created a king-sized headboard for Amy’s new house! I do, however, have the material list and a few quick tips on finding what we used below!
Materials
- 1/2″ sheet of plywood*, cut to 76″x36″ (for a king-sized bed)
- (2) twin-sized topper*
- quilt batting*
- fabric (3.5 yards for a king-sized headboard)
- scissors
- level* or yard stick
- tape measure*
- permanent marker
- staple gun* with staples
- 3/4″ roofing nails*
- washers that are 3/4″ diameter*
- hammer*
- fabric button kit, 3/4″ size*
- industrial-strength adhesive*
- wire cutting pliers*
- stud finder*
- drill/driver*
- heavy duty picture-hanging cleat*
Nails vs Screws
For the most part, we followed along with the tutorials mentioned above. But with one major modification. We used nails instead of screws.
The main reason we used nails instead of screws was to allow us to use a less expensive fabric. Driving screws can twist and bunch the fabric. Just make sure the heads of the nails are large enough that the washers don’t slip off. That’s why we went with roofing nails. They have big, flat heads.
Foam and Batting
We also used 1-1/4″ mattress toppers instead of foam from the craft store to save a few dollars. Buying foam that is thick enough and long enough can be really expensive. But using foam mattress toppers doubled-up isn’t noticeable once the fabric is on top! If you do want to go with regular foam, get something 2 inches or thicker to get nice, deep tufts.
To find the quilt batting or fabric button kits, head to your local sewing supply or craft store. We picked up ours in the craft section of our local Walmart. So don’t overlook that option!
Hang It Up
And finally, that picture-hanging cleat is the bomb. It was about $15 (found in the hardware section of the home center) but can hold up to 200 pounds! More than enough to hang this giant headboard-after you locate the studs of course!
If you want to attach your headboard to an existing bed frame, check out Sheena’s headboard. Ironically, she posted about her headboard about the same time I was working on this one and she used the same tutorial that inspired me!
The hardest part of this whole project was the math to figure out how many tufts and where to put them. Once you get passed that, it’s definitely an easy project for a beginner DIYer! It’ll take a little less than a day to complete in full, but you can also divide up the steps very easily and spread your work over a few nights.
And once you’re done, your head and your bed will thank you!
What kind of headboard do you have? We’ve got a dainty iron bed that looks cute, but it’s not so comfy when you want to lounge and peruse the internet or read a magazine before bed. You can also check out this campaign style stained wood headboard I’ve created too!
Thanks for Checking In! ~Chelsea
*This post contains affiliate links*
How much fabric did you use for this!! So handy thanks for the video xx
I bought 3.5 yards for this king-sized headboard. But I could have easily gotten away with 3.25 yards. ~Chelsea
good day thanks i love this best i have seen so far where can i get the thing you used to cover the buttons with the same fabric to purchase
Hi Jessica! Here’s an affiliate link to the button covers I used! https://amzn.to/2RBSRFg ~Chelsea
Its important to note that these button covers are very difficult to use (if not impossible) if the fabric is too heavy. I had to use a different(lighter) fabric to get these buttons to work.
Thanks for the feedback, Debbie! ~Chelsea
Hello love the headboard idea how much will you charge to make this
Hi Amanda! Unfortunately, I don’t make them to sell. I just made a video to show others how to make one themselves. ~Chelsea
This is a lovely headboard. I can’t wait to try it. What is the measurement of the plywood?
And easy way to find the center – after you measure with a tape measure, fold the tape measure in half or thirds, whatever you need for your project
Love this tip! Thanks for sharing! ~Chelsea
I am making a king size headboard that is 48 inches x 81. How much extra material is needed for this?
Where did you find the fabric?
Where did you find the foam toppers? I can only find memory foam ones.
At Walmart in the bedding area! ~Chelsea
Aloha Chelsea, ?
Love it! Thank you for the great headboard step-by-step video.
I can’t wait to do this, it will really dress up our bedroom! ?-Catherine
I’ll be glad to come to Hawaii to show you how to make it in person, Catherine! ?? Just let me know when!? ~Chelsea
Hello I love this headboard what type of fabric and color did you use for the headboard.
Hello, I love the fabric and color as well. Do you know what typed color this is?
It’s a ‘suiting’ fabric from Jo-Ann, “Denim Heather Solid”, if that helps at all! ~Chelsea
about how much did this DIY end up costing?
Hi Meagan, it was about $125-150 depending on the fabric. Don’t forget to use a coupon if purchasing fabric from Hobby Lobby or JoAnn! ~Chelsea
Actually I’m very interested with your heardbord,, kindly sending me some videos on my email thanks a lot
How much did it cost in total to make it?
Hi Verenice! It was about $125-150! ~Chelsea
How many buttons did you use?
What is the size of plywood ? Can’t wait to make it!
what size is the plywood?
This one for a king bed is 76″ by 36″! ~Chelsea
Hi Emily! This king-sized headboard is 76″ by 36″. Good luck! ~Chelsea
How many buttons did you use?
Hi Angela! I believe it was 42 buttons, but it depends on how you space your tufts! ~Chelsea
How did you decide how big to make it? I have a queen sized bed. Can’t decide how tall it should be to look proportional.
Hi Laura! I’m not sure how we came up with the height of the headboard. One suggestion is to use painter’s tape on your wall where you think you may like it to hit. Then you can move it up or down until it’s just right! Hope that helps. ~Chelsea
Hey.
Do you remember the size of the buttons that you used?
Thanks 😀
Just measured! They are 3/4″! ~Chelsea
How wide was your material? and where did you purchase it? Also what type of material did you use?
Hi Alexis! This king-sized headboard was 76″x36″. We used 1/2″ thick plywood from Home Depot. They will make 2 cuts for you in store for free if you don’t have a table saw! Let me know if you have any more questions! ~Chelsea
Would you suggest maybe tripiling the mattress foam for a fluffier headboard or would that be too much??
Hello Brandon! Yes! The more foam the merrier! Let me know if you make it and how it turns out! ~Chelsea
Hi Chelsea, I really enjoyed your video, watched it yesterday and picked up all the materials to spruce-up our master bed while my fiancee is out of town on a business trip (Shhh!) You mention it’s important to have extra fabric for the tufting, did you measure out the extra, or how did you know you had enough extra between the rows? Thanks so much!
Hey! That’s awesome! I just guesstimated how much extra I needed. For this King-sized headboard I bought 3.5 yards of fabric and that was more than enough. Hope that helps! Good luck! ~Chelsea
Hi Chelsea,
how wide was the fabric?
Hi Kerry! The fabric I bought was 54 inches wide, plenty wide to cover the height of our headboard. It was 3.5 yards in length. ~Chelsea
Hi Chelsea,
I watched your video and liked it.
While the process appeared simple, and I am pretty artistic person…
I cannot seem to see what it is I am missing on this??
First my investment this far on this project has run me $170 and I haven’t even got all the washers snd buttons yet.
**Second issue after going to Lowes, Home Depot and Walmart, none of these retailers had 3/4″ roofing nails.
They offered me 7/8″ roofing nails and washers with a 3/4 diameter, as the 3/4 washers looked huge like the nail would go right through and slip out.
What would you suggest?
I have not even started this project and I am investing a lot and don’t even know how its going to come out since they dont have the exact supplies as you mentioned?
Hi Chelsea! Loved the video!
I ran into the same issue as Michelle with Lowe’s only having 7/8” roofing nails, but I bought them along with finding washers that fit without falling thru, and are same width as the crystal buttons I used…they worked perfect! The guy at Lowe’s said the 7/8” is only a tad bit longer than the 3/4” and will work fine. I was scared I was making a mistake but as long as the plywood is 1/2” thick the nails won’t go through. ??
I’m almost done with the project and so far looks GREAT!!! I’m trying to add a wood frame (antiqued) around the headboard just to add some extra character, but having trouble finding any tutorials. Any suggestions??
Christi! That sounds lovely! The closest thing I can think of is this tutorial on adding a “frame” around a bookcase. https://www.younghouselove.com/2014/02/changing-tables-and-our-minds/ Is that kind of what you mean but on a smaller scale? If so, you could totally use 1x2s and then use finish nails to nail it right to the plywood (through the fabric, batting, and foam, of course). Please send a picture when you’re done, whatever you decide to do! ~Chelsea
I used 7/8″ roofing nails and 1/2″ plywood, and my nails DID go through. I’m now trying to figure out what material I can put on the backside of my headboard to keep those nail tips from scratching up my wall…. 🙁
Also — may I suggest adding the material length (3.5 yards) to the list of materials at the top of this post? I did not get enough material (didn’t see this comment until after I bought it), and ended up having to forgo some of my tufts because I wasn’t going to have enough material. 🙁
Hi Lydia! Sorry you had trouble with the nails. I made this headboard 2 years ago, so I can’t recall the specifics. But I do remember a few nails popping through and we just tapped them back, flush with the plywood. It didn’t seem to affect the tufts. Also, great idea to add the fabric length to the material list. I’ll do that now! ~Chelsea
Hi Michelle! So sorry you’re having so many issues making the headboard! The 3/4 for the washers should be the overall width, which matches the width of the buttons. I’m not sure where I got my hands on 3/4 inch roofing nails, but the 7/8 should be fine! If a few poke out of the back, you can always hammer them down into the plywood. Let me know if you have any other questions! ~Chelsea
Hey. Do you remember the name of the fabric you used and the color of the fabric?
Chelsea what type and colour of material did you use? ?
Hi Chelsea,
Great video! Two questions for you, what size did you get the quilt batting? And how much did you spend on the foam mattress topper? I’m having a hard time finding a 1 1/4” foam topper for a king for a decent price.
Thanks!
Hi Justin! For the mattress topper, I believe I got it in a twin or full. Just check the dimensions on the package and make sure it’s long enough for the headboard. In this video, we made a king-sized headboard that was 76″x36″. So you only need a topper that’s ~76 inches long. For the batting, I got a medium-loft pre-packaged batting similar to this: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Poly-Fil-Extra-Loft-Batting-81-x-96/17808679 It’s long enough that you can double it up for extra thick tufts! Good luck! ~Chelsea
Where did you get the buttons?
Hi Chelsea,
Did you have to glue the foam to the plywood, or between the two foams?
What is keeping them in place? is it just the nails?
Hi Chia, On another project I glued the foam down before stapling fabric around it and it didn’t seem to really do much, so we did not glue the foam to the plywood for this project! The nails and the staples the hold the fabric in place hold everything else in place as well. ~Chelsea
I saw that you used 76×36 for a queen but what measurements would you use for a full or queen?
I believe the 76×36 is for a king. To get the width of a queen or full headboard, measure your mattress or bed frame and add 2 or so inches! Good luck, Maricruz. ~Chelsea
I Meant king^.
Hi Chelsea!!!
Omg I loved this video, your head board is by far the best tutorial I’ve seen!! I’m currently in the process of buying my first house ???? And I need this headboard lol. My question is, can you recommend what type of fabric might be best? I want to make sure I’m choosing something that’s going to last.
Thank you and I hope you hear from you soon!!
Hey Kalei! Congrats on your first home! How exciting! I’d definitely recommend an upholstery fabric. Those are usually in the back of a craft/fabric store on big rolls. It will cost more, but they are more heavy-duty! Don’t forget to use a coupon if you go to Jo-Ann or Hobby Lobby! 🙂 ~Chelsea
Hi, I absolutely loved the video. Would those same measurements work for a California King?
Love your headboard. However, since I’m elderly and disabled I’m looking for something a little more simple. Do you have any suggestions or ideas ? Been searching numerous DIY articles. I found one using cardboard and foam board with other materials. Don’t remember the details and I forgot where I saw it. Also saw one where you can use an old rug along with other materials and that you could paint it to match your decor. Again, don’t remember the details or where I saw it. (I’ve read so many). Been searching for almost 2 months. Do you have any suggestions or ideas ??? PLEASE PLEASE HELP. I’M GETTING DESPERATE !!!’ ANY IDEAS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANKS
Hi Chelsea:
I love this project! Reading through these comments is super helpful. Unfortunately I forgot that the batting had to wrap around and did not buy enough. That would be a good note to add in the materials section please. Thanks. Love from 🇨🇦Canada
Sorry for the confusion Sylvia! But thanks for the suggestion! ~Chelsea
what did you use to adhere the foam to the wood?
Hi Kathy! I don’t think we used anything! I’ve previously used spray adhesive for a bench but later thought it was totally unnecessary once the batting and fabric was stapled on the back. ~Chelsea
Hi Chelsey,
Are you able to provide dimensions I would have to use to make this for a Queen size headboard?
Hi Rad, you could use the same height as this king-sized one (36 inches) and then measure your queen mattress to get the width! I’d suggest adding 3-4 inches just to make sure it’s wide enough! ~Chelsea
hello love your video.. can you give me the measurements for your buttons on the headboard.. the space from the top to the bottom, and side to side..thxs
Hi Rasheba, I believe what you’re asking is for the space between the buttons. It’s in the video around the 3:29 mark…5.5 inches horizontally and 9.5 inches vertically. ~Chelsea
This tutorial is great thank you! I do have a question, the fabric at the craft stores are usually one yard wide and I can buy as much length as I want. Where did you get such wide material?
Hi Dina! It is a suiting fabric from a craft store. I believe most fabrics come 48″ wide, so depending on how big you make your headboard any fabric would work! ~Chelsea
Thanks for this video…what a beautiful headboard, exactly what I need for my new house!
One question re: the fabric button covers…how did you determine the size? Asking because the 3/4″ size is hard to find in Paris and I’m considering going with something slightly bigger. What do you think?
And finally, how many buttons did you need for the headboard in the video?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Andrea! I’m a fan of using what’s available to use! Larger buttons would be just fine! I think it was about 38 buttons for the headboard in this video! ~Chelsea
Hi! I’m about to attempt to make a king and queen headboard. I’ve never done anything like this but, you make it look easy. Perhaps I am over confident haha! I do have a question about staples. For the staple gun what size staples did you use? My apologies if that was state somewhere already. Thanks!
You got this! Use 1/2″ or 3/4″ staples! ~Chelsea
It might be a good idea to update your materials list to note that the washer type is a fender washer not a flat washer. You would want the 3/16-in x 3/4-in Zinc-Plated Standard (SAE) Fender Washer. Lowe’s sells the Hillman brand. Turns out I had to get the roofing nails from Home Depot and the washers from Lowe’s. I was able to get the exact washers by pausing your video at the exact right time and seeing the 3/16 on the label and fender lol A little investigative work! Hope this helps someone!
Love the tutorial video. Would this work if I want to upholster my existing wood headboard?
I don’t see why not! ~Chelsea