HGTV's Emily Henderson Shows You How To Elevate A Simple Headboard To Bedroom Luxury

Sprucing up an old or simple headboard will allow you to get more use out of it than buying a new one. If you haven't found the perfect headboard to place in your bedroom, you can always DIY one. Interior designer Emily Henderson showed how she took a plain wooden headboard she bought from Ikea, covered it in vintage fabric from Etsy, and turned it into a stunning midnight blue headboard for her son's bedroom (via Instagram). It added charm to the bedroom once she connected it to the base of the bed. 

When you're purchasing a new bed, a few styles don't come with headboards. If your bed doesn't have a headboard, you can make one with a few wooden panels from your local home improvement store. On the other hand, some have headboards that are too simple. Moreover, the beds that include stylish headboards are often too expensive, so you'd have to purchase a separate one, which could be twice as expensive. Or, DIY a plain headboard, like Henderson, and give it a personalized touch by adding your own flair to it. It'll make the perfect accent piece for your bedroom. Here's how to DIY a headboard by following Henderson's advice.

How to DIY your headboard

If you want to upgrade your bedroom's interior, DIYing a headboard is easy and can change your room's ambiance. In Emily Henderson's Instagram video, she takes a slatted wood headboard and gives it a vintage twist. For the DIY project, you'll need a headboard, wood backing, batting, a staple gun, and your fabric of choice.

Start by assembling your headboard per the instructions it comes with. If you bought one premade, you're a step ahead. Once you're done building, measure the backing to fit the headboard. Check the headboard's measurements beforehand to ensure you get the proper size for the backing so that you don't have to cut it to size. Next, line up the backing to the headboard, lay the batting over both pieces, and staple the batting directly to the wood using your staple gun. Depending on the size of your batting, you can cut it to have one layer or fold it in half and lay it against the wood. Finally, cover the batting with the fabric you picked and staple it around the headboard again. You want to ensure you fold the fabric over the sides so you can staple it to the back instead of directly on the sides. Set up your new headboard behind your bed and admire the work you did.

Other ways to DIY a headboard

DIYing your headboard can be an excellent weekend project, and you can DIY it in various ways other than using printed fabric. For example, if you have a plain wooden headboard like Emily Henderson's Ikea headboard, try painting each panel differently instead of covering all of them up. Painting the panels adds color to the room, especially if it's a minimalistic interior with white walls and simple bedding. This will make it the main focus of the room. For a maximalist interior, a painted headboard amplifies the style by becoming a small part of the whole space. However, the colors you decide to ain't it will still make it stand out.

On the other hand, if you prefer to use an old wooden headboard instead of purchasing a new one, upcycle it and paint it a completely different color, like sage. You can even upholster your headboard and add velvet can upgrade your bedroom and make it look glamorous. Velvet headboards are perfect for incorporating texture into the space. Furthermore, they can complement any interior and different furnishings, such as brass, dark wood, or metals, so you wouldn't have to redecorate your entire room.