DIY Tufted Headboard Tutorial

Fun fact: I've never had a headboard in my entire life… Until now that is. Not only do I have my very own headboard but it's my dream headboard! That's right, after years of lusting over luscious deep tufted designer headboards, which were totally out of my budget… I took matters into my own hands and designed my own. Thanks to my super skilled, rockin' husband, Michael. We worked together to make this DIY project happen.



What You'll Need:

• MDF (We used 5/8" from Home Depot)
• Twin Foam Mattress Topper or Upholsterers Foam 2" or 3" (Costco, Walmart, Fabric Stores)
• Spray Adhesive (Lowes or Other Home Improvement and Hardware Stores)
• High Loft Batting (Walmart or Fabric Stores)
• Upholstery Needle (Fabric Store)
• Nylon Button or Bead Cord We used S-Lon Bead Cord (Craft and Fabric Stores)
• Buttons To Cover Kit & Refills (Walmart, Fabric Stores)
• Fabric (Fabric Store... more info below on how much I used)
• Staple Gun
• Box Cutter or other tool for cutting foam
• Scissors
• Drill

Those are the basics. Of course if you're wanting to shape you're headboard (rather than leaving it square) power tools in the hands of a skilled craftsman or craftswoman, will be needed as well.
DIY Tufted Headboard Video

What I didn't get to show in the video…

Building The Legs
Midway through, I decided to adjust the height slightly taller, so Michael added 1' legs that he made out of MDF scraps. He simply cut the legs 4" wide (cut them however tall you want) and screw them into place. He made one for each side and one in the center. It gave the headboard that little extra height in case I wanted to prop the pillows upright (OR better yet… Add a few colorful throw pillows in spring/summer! Don't tell Michael… muwawaahahaha ;)

How did we attach the headboard to our bed?
We didn't. Since we don't actually have a bed frame, our bed sits directly on the floor and so does our headboard, resting beautifully between our bed and the wall.

How much did it cost to make?
$230.60 But keep in mind I purchased everything on island and... well, very simply put, everything on Maui just costs more. The most expensive part was the foam ($105.99 eek!) But after spending weeks checking around town, options were slim, not much cheaper, poorer quality and would have taken more work to piece together. . So it's all good! But if you can easily cut that cost in half if you want to use the "egg crate" style foam mattress toppers, Walmart usually sells them, my store was sold out. Seriously... our Walmart's shelves are 50% full, 100% of the time. :( Can't wait for Target to come to Maui!

How much fabric did we use?
Just to be safe, I took the width of my headboard and doubled it. We have a Cal-King, actual headboard width is 2 yards. So I bought 4 yards of fabric, to account for plenty of deep tufting and covering buttons. In a case like this, it's definitely better to overestimate the amount you need. I have about 3/4 of a yard in scraps left, which I'll use for a future project.


Photo Gallery

I'm sure I will be adding to this post as time goes on, so please feel free to refer back to this page or my video anytime.
Thanks for visiting my blog! xoxo, Christine