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DIY Fabric Headboard with Nailhead Trim

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Ok y’all I promised you the details for my daughter’s DIY fabric headboard. (click HERE if you missed the reveal and all the photos) When I decided that I wanted to make our daughter a queen headboard, I originally wanted an upholstered curved and stepped down design. When I decided to finish the headboard with individual brass upholstery nails instead of the more commonly used nailhead trim kit, I thought a more simple shape would be easier.

In the end I have to say that this DIY fabric headboard is pretty easy to make and affordable too.

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DIY fabric headboard with brass nailhead trim

DIY Fabric Headboard with Brass Nailhead Trim

List of materials

Tools needed:

DIY fabric headboard instructions:

I bought the MDF board from Lowes and had them cut it down to 64″ wide. I kept the heighth which is 49″ and I used the rest of the MDF board to double up the shape of the headboard which made it really heavy. If you want it to be lighter then I advise you to use partial board.

I glued the MDF scraps to the perimeter of the large MDF piece with liquid nails and then drew the corner curves to it. After that I cut out the corner round shapes. I have to admit that the hubby had to help for that step because it took a lot of strength to cut through the 2 thick layers of MDF with the jig saw.

This is  what it looked like after these steps:

MDF headboard shape for DIY fabric headboard

For the legs of the of headboard I used 2x4s which I also doubled up so the legs could hold the weight of the queen headboard. I off set the taller back layer of the legs though so they wouldn’t be visible from the sides as you can see in the photos.

legs for DIY fabric headboard

One shorter piece of 2×4 is there to support the weight under the headboard and the taller 2×4 is offset behind it to stabilize the construction. I attached them all with liquid nails and screws.

building the MDF bead frame for the DIY fabric headboard

After that I cut and glued the foam to the front of the MDF with spray adhesive. I was lucky enough to have some 2″ foam left in our attic and I only had to buy half of the amount needed. This is where I missed a photo step. Must have been my sticky hands! I left a 1.5″ gap between the foam and the edge of the MDF so I could have room for my upholstery nails. If you don’t offset the foam then you don’t have anywhere to easily hammer inn the upholstery nails at the end. So make sure you don’t miss this step.

After that I wrapped the headboard and legs in batting and stapled it to the back:

applying foam and batting to the DIY fabric headboard

The next step was the fabric. I decided to use a set of Ikea Sanela curtains for my headboard and tailored bedskirt (I will explain that later) you can’t beat the price of $40 for the quality of the fabric. And the amount worked out perfectly. At the end only a few scraps were left.

I bought an electric stapler (like THIS one) just for this purpose and I was pretty happy with it. My heavy duty air compressor stapler was way to loud to use inside for this longer amount of time which is why I used my hand stapler.

stapling the fabric to the DIY fabric headboard

 

The transitions between the headboard and legs were solved with Upholstery Tack Strips. This works really really well for the edges of the bed instead of just folding the fabric to the back and stapling it inn.

You put down the fabric, lay the cardboard Upholstery Tack Strip down over it and right aligned with the edge/side of the headboard. Then you staple the upholstery tack strip in place (arrow 1)  and then fold the fabric over (arrow 2), pull it tight and staple it in place at the back side of the headboard.

Easy and professional looking upholstery edges with cardboard tack strips for DIY fabric headboard

Which will give it the below finished edge look.

brass nails used for velvet headboard

This is just demonstrated on a smaller piece of fabric in a better lighting situation. (Not an actual part of the headboard)

upholstery tack strips for DIY fabric headboard

finished upholstery edges on DIY fabric headboard

After that it was time for the upholstery nails and I’m so glad that I went with the larger individual brass nails. I like the tight and neat look they give the edge. it’s not lumpy the way it sometimes looks with the nail kits. My trick to this application was this little tool, a Quick Nailer Spacer:

applying brass upholstery nails with a handy tool on DIY fabric headboard edge

I put the nails into the spacers of the tool, tapped them deeper in place with the mallet and then removed the spacer and finished hammering them all the way in with the mallet. That’s it! It really wasn’t that hard. I just needed a couple of practice runs.

This is why I left the 1.5″ gap between the edge of the MDF and the foam, so I would have room for the nails.

using a rubber mallet to apply brass upholstery nails on DIY fabric headboard

hammering in brass upholstery nails on DIY fabric headboard

How to upholster with individual brass nailhead trim

My last and final step was to use another layer of cardboard tack strip and fabric along the edge of the MDF that was stapled to the back of the headboard to give it a tailored, professional and finished look. At least that’s what I went for. You be the judge of the finished product 😉

turquoise velvet DIY fabric headboard with brass upholstery nails

Below you can see the beautiful finished edge from the upholstery tack strip.

velvet DIY fabric headboard with individual brass nails

perfect upholstery edges of velvet headboard

So this is how I made the DIY fabric headboard. And I almost didn’t get it up the stairs with a friend, that’s how huge it is. Looking back, I think I could have totally handled the Jonathan Adler headboard shape. The hardest part of making this headboard was lifting and turning it around during the process. My back was killing me.

The room’s paint color is Behr W-B-100 Billowy Clouds by the way and the comforter set is the Emmie Ruta set from Ikea. I really really love it.

Back to the bed skirt. I actually sewed panels and attached them (just like last time) with velcro. The one side of the velcro strip is hot glued to her box spring. This eliminates having to remove a mattress to be able to wash the bed skirt. It’s seriously so much easier.

light pink girls bedroom with turquoise velvet DIY fabric headboard

DIY DIY fabric headboard tutorial with individual brass nailhead trim

professional looking upholstery edge on DIY fabric headboard

If you aren’t a fan of DIYing then you can get a similar look with the headboard below (click HERE)

upholstered fabric headboard with nailhead trim

Here is a photo of her old original room:

turquoise velvet DIY fabric headboard in little girls room

Which evolved to this room HERE:

turquoise, mint and pink little girls room with moravian star chandelier and DIY fabric headboard

{SOURCES: bedding HERE | rug HERE | chair HERE | downloadable artwork HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE | colorful diamond pillows from Ikea Germany | lamps HERE | shades from Target not available anymore | similar greek key pillow HERE | light HERE or similar light HERE| desk Ikea HERE or similar desk HERE | flooring HERE

And recently changed to dark blue walls in this room HERE:

dark blue girls bedroom with turquoise DIY fabric headboard, hanging chair and colorful moroccan rug

{SOURCES: rug HERE | duvet HERE | rug HERE | throw from HomeGoods | similar bed HERE or HERE | my Ikea home decor post HERE | curtains HERE | mudcloth pillow HERE | colorful diamond pillows from Ikea Germany |  lamps HERE | shades from Target not available anymore | light HERE or similar light HERE | macrame chair HERE | similar throw in macrame chair HERE | lava lamp HERE | rainbow pillow HERE  }

All the work was totally worth it. I had sold my daughter’s previous bedroom items on Craigslist and used that money to redo her room. I ended up staying pretty much within budget.

Talk to you on Friday.

Tschüß

(Youleeya)

UPDATE: Come see what the room evolved to by clicking HERE.

DIY fabric headboard in pink girls roomDIY fabric headboard with brass nailhead trim

DIY headboard tutorial with individual brass nails
63 Comments
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Comments

  1. Bethany DeVore says

    This is one of my favorite projects of yours Julia! Everything looks so neat and professional. I never knew they made a spacer, that makes perfect sense! I’ll be pinning this for future reference for sure. Thanks for the great tips and tutorial!

  2. Andrea Mowery says

    It’s beautiful! I can’t figure out how you got the seam to run along the curve of the headboard so perfectly, but you did a fantastic job. It really does look like it was professionally upholstered. I love it!

  7. Jesse @ Scout & Nimble says

    Woah, Julia! That is gorgeous! I was wondering how you got the nail heads so perfectly in line. I’m going to have to get one of those spacers…never knew it existed! The bed looks amazing!

  10. Kim says

    It’s perfect — a “professional” could not do better. I am so impressed!!! Gorgeous room! I noticed the faux chandelier in your post earlier this week and found something similar on eBay for my daughter’s room.

  11. Brittany Cramer says

    I love the idea of using Ikea Sanela curtains! They truly are the best deal for the quality! And that blue is one of my favorites, paired with brass nail heads – perfection!

  12. Andrea says

    I LOVE how this headboard came out!!! This is exactly how I want mine to look, except a little shorter. I don’t quite understand the cardboard tack strip, but I guess I can google it to find out more about it. About how many tacks did you use? I have a king-size board I want to do and would be great to have a frame of reference of how many tacks I will need.

  16. Jennifer @ Dimples and Tangles says

    It truly turned out so good, Julia! I love how you used the same fabric for the skirt, it looks more like an entire upholstered bed. Thanks for sharing your resources, too! I need some of that cardboard tack strip and the spacer tool looks like a lifesaver!

  17. Kelly @ A Swell Place to Dwell says

    Wowzers!! Look at you go! amazing. I am in love with it, and it looks professionally upholstered. I was actually looking at those same curtains to make cushions for my benches out of – you can’t find velvet for a better price anywhere else.

  18. Amy Krist says

    Want to come down to San Diego? wink. wink. A headboard for my 6 yr old girl is on my ever-expanding “Amy-Do-It” list, but I lack all motivation right now. You sure have one lucky little girl! 🙂 Tschüß

  20. Patty Day @Pattys Epiphanies says

    Although I will never attempt this, you have made it so simple to follow all the steps….Maybe someday, because I love that headboard!

  22. pam {simple details} says

    It’s gorgeous, Julia! I LOVE the size and it looks so professional, that spacer is the ticket! I absolutely think you could have handled the more difficult one, next time! 🙂

  24. [email protected] says

    oh! my it’s a lot, a lot of work and I’m sure your back must hurt very much but it was worth it, you did a beautiful job Julia 🙂 I had to read your steps a few times because I didn’t know that some of these things existed and I’m really impressed how you managed to do everything 🙂
    I really love your daughter’s headboard, I wish I had something like that when I was growing up or even now (ours is too simple) 🙂
    thanks for sharing all these steps with us too (great tutorial)

  27. Amber Wills says

    The headboard is gorgeous and so professional looking! I love that Jonathan Adler bed too. I think you went with the right shape though. Good call.

  28. Ashley Allison says

    Soooo, I’ve had 2 headboards that I had my boyfriend cut out of MDF (in the same EXACT pattern as yours), the fabric, and the nail head(kit) for hmmm… 2 years now? lol I’m so afraid to start them! Especially since I spent so much on the fabric. Yours turned out super professional looking. I love the cardboard tackstrip idea! When I eventually build up the courage, I think I’m going to try that method. 🙂

  29. Anonymous says

    Das ist großartig geworden, superschön, Julia! Auch die Vorhänge sind so hübsch.
    Und die Ikea Vorhänge werde ich ab jetzt nochmal mit anderen Augen sehen, prima Tipp. Habe sie in pilzfarbig in der dunklen Jahreszeit an den Fenstern, dieses aqua ist aber viel schöner…
    LG, Katrin

  30. Katja @ Shift Ctrl ART says

    Wow this headboard is gorgeous. I love how straight your brass pins are. This looks flawless. I didn’t quite understand the step with the cardboard strips. Somewhat, but I didn’t get how you got the fabric to be taught once you flipped it over and how you got the corners by the circles so sharp and flat. I would love to know more about that 🙂

  32. Brynne Delerson says

    This tutorial is awesome. Seriously! I am crazy about the color of the velvet with the gold nailheads, and insanely impressed that you were able to keep them so perfect, especially around the curves!

  33. House Envy says

    Julia, great job on this tutorial. The headboard turned out wonderful. I really need to get up the courage to try this project myself. We have a guest bed still with no headboard!

  35. Stephanie says

    I was wondering if you used the cardboard strips when I first saw the headboard! I have used those in the past and it really does give you a nice finished edge. I still am in awe of your individual nail head skills. I have that tool and I still couldn’t get them straight! Kudos to you my friend, it is just a spectacular headboard, I love it!

  43. Anonymous says

    Why does the tutorial pic have a smooth wrapped edge and the finished project had a sewn seamed edge like a cushion cover?

  46. Ed says

    Love it! I’ve been looking at many DIY bedheads (since we don’t have any at the moment). But this made me kick it off tonight. I bought the MDF and timber at 8:45pm (just before the hardware shop closed).

    Thank you for all the details (much needed, and inspiring).

    I’m going shopping tomorrow to get the rest of the upholstery stuff!

  47. Andrea says

    Beautifully made headboard. Excellent tutorial. I’m plotting to recreate my own right now, but I have a few questions:

    1) what thickness MDF did you use?

    2) why did you double up on the thickness of the MDF around the edges?

    3) to make the clean fabric covered edges at the end, how is the fabric adhered to the side? I know it is stapled from the back, but is it glued with something along the edge?

    – Andrea

    • Julia says

      It’s about 1/2″ thick and I doubled it to make the edges look thicker so I could finish them with the cardboard tack strip. I just like the look better.
      And the cardboard tack strip is only stapled the way I’m showing in the photos not glued. Hope that helps and good luck with your project.

    • Julia says

      I used a ruler and the curved parts where mostly freehand but you can use anything large that is curved like a large bucket to trace for example.

    • Julia says

      I don’t mind at all if it’s only photo with a link back. Thanks for letting me know!

  50. Amy says

    Hi Julia!

    LOVE the headboard! I’m inspired to make my own this weekend for my bedroom! Then I get what I want, for WAY less money! I just had 3 questions! I’m motivated to make mine look as beautiful as yours!

    1.) When you put the foam on the front, did it overlap onto where you “doubled” up the MDF? I just wasn’t sure if it would look funny mostly covering the less thick part, and the edges of it on the thicker part (if the front would look uneven with it being thicker at the edges). Or was all of the foam “inside” of the doubled up edge?

    2.) On the “offset” on the back of the legs, when you upholstered that part, did you just put a staple in the “inside corner”, or was that somehow done with that uphostery strip? I didn’t see a staple visible in the picture, but wasn’t sure how that particular area would be done with the strip.

    3.) Do you have any idea how many tacks you used? I see they come in sets of 100, but I’m not sure how many I’ll need!

    Thanks!

    Awesome work!

    • Amy says

      Ooops….disregard my “foam placment” question! I see now that that “double up” is on the back, so the front is a smooth surface! Makes more sense! Just a blonde moment!

      Amy

    • Julia says

      I’m so sorry that I missed your comment.
      Hope a late response still works for you 😉
      to 2. Yes I just stapled in the back and then used the upholster strip.
      3. I’m sorry but I have no idea how many tacks I used. I remember having to buy more and now I have some left over.

    • Julia says

      Hi there Denise and thank you. Her window curtains I made myself, the curtains used for the headboard are from Ikea.