62 DIY Headboards You Can Make in a Weekend or Less

Put a finishing touch on your bedroom decor with a DIY headboard. This quick and simple project can help you transform your space without breaking your back or your budget.

Check out these creative DIY headboard ideas in a range of materials, styles, and skill levels for inspiration.

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Velvet DIY Headboard

The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

Cover three panels in velvet to create a glamorous, high-end look, but without the glamorous, high-end price tag. This upholstered headboard DIY takes a little bit more skill in cutting (you have to use a miter saw), but the end result is worth it.
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Painted Wraparound Headboard

Hotel Henriette

Paint a wrap-around headboard to define the bed area in a small space. Use a bright color like this neon yellow virtual headboard at the Hotel Henriette in Paris from French interior designer Vanessa Scoffier, finished with purposefully jagged edges for a nonchalant, handmade feel.
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Wallpaper Panel Headboard

Terracotta Design Build / Photo by Jeff Herr

Use wallpaper to create either one big panel or a set of panels behind your bed. The color and print is the perfect definition for a DIY faux headboard.
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Half Moon Headboard

Margaret Wright Interior + Lifestyle Photog

Design a moon-shaped tufted headboard with upholstering foam for a striking modern look. Choose an earthy shade of green to complement pink and white bedding.

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Double Doors Headboard

Hotel Henriette

Paint a pair of double doors in a bright uniform coat of blue to add fresh color and vintage style to a small bedroom. The tall doors make the bed nook feel larger by drawing the eyes upward toward the ceilings.

Tip

You can source vintage doors at architectural salvage yards or online.
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3D Wall Panels

Sweet Parrish Place

Create a Lego-inspired headboard using paintable 3D wall tiles. Customize it with your choice paint color, string lights, or accessories once it's hanging on the wall.
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DIY Faux Brass Headboard

Sugar and Cloth

Elevate a plain IKEA headboard into a glitzy showstopper with this golden DIY from Sugar and Cloth. To get cracking, you'll need a roll of peel-and-stick metallic vinyl.
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Woven Wood Headboard

Little Bit Funky

Ask your local home improvement store to cut lumber to size, then weave the pieces together and secure with wood glue. Paint it in a bright color for a kids' room.

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Light-Up Headboard

A Beautiful Mess

Create a playful DIY light-up headboard for your guest room inspired by marquee signs. A Beautiful Mess built a tall wood DIY headboard that could hide electrical elements before tracing the word "Sleepover" using a projector, drilling holes for lighting, painting the lettering black, then lighting it up with 300 Christmas lights.
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Bold Painted Wood Headboard

A Life Unfolding

Decorate a wooden headboard with picture frame molding and paint in a bright and eye-catching color. You'll have an easy and vibrant statement-making headboard that you can coordinate with your bedding.
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Jute Headboard

Sarah Sherman Samuel

Virtually any novice DIYer can create this boho-inspired, natural fiber headboard by Sarah Sherman Samuel. Just staple together a couple of sets of matching jute placemats and table runners onto a wall and presto, you've got yourself a new headboard.
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Winged Headboard

Dorsey Designs

Create a sophisticated look with a winged upholstered headboard. This no-sew upholstery project from Dorsey Designs uses four yards of fabric, 28 buttons, and around 250 brass nailheads to transform pieces of plywood and foam stuffing into a showpiece for around $140.

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DIY Slipcovered Headboard

Most Lovely Things

Remake an old headboard by adding a slipcover in a new fabric. African mud cloth sourced on Etsy transformed a tired store bought headboard in this New York City apartment.
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Geometric Wood Headboard

I Spy DIY

Use a miter saw to build a stylish geometric wood headboard. The assembly is incredibly easy and once all the glue has dried, you've got yourself a stunning headboard to brighten up your room.
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Pegboard Headboard

Our Fifth House

Use pegboard to create a budget-friendly headboard. Paint it in a color to match your decor, or create a fun flag pattern using painter's tape for a professional look.
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DIY Dowel Headboard

This DIY dowel headboard has a timeless feel that is inspired by old spindle beds. The headboard is screwed into the existing bed frame so that it can be removed and changed in the future if desired.

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Faux Headboard

Paper & Stitch Blog

Use painter's tape to create a crisp rectangular painted headboard, you'll need painter's tape. This is the perfect way to bring a touch of your favorite color into your room.
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Plywood Headboard

Mr. Kate

Create a minimalist, Scandi-inspired look with a simple plywood headboard. Purchase pre-cut lumber and it's a cinch to build.
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Painted Arch Headboard

Dream Green DIY

Paint an arched headboard for a soft geometric look. Trace a shape that's roughly the width of the bed, the fill it in with your favorite color.
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Cedar Shingle Headboard

East Coast Creative Blog

Bring farmhouse style to your bedroom with a cedar shingle headboard. This DIY project was created in a couple of hours with a $10 budget.

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No-Sew Headboard

Cre8tive Designs

Give an old headboard a chic new life with a change of fabric. The no-sew project uses a staple gun to do the job.
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Macrame Headboard

House Sparrow Nesting

For a boho-style bedroom, hang a textile wall above the bed that functions as a wall-mounted headboard. Use a branch to enhance the hand-crafted look.
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Diamond Tufted Headboard

Make, Bake, and Love

Create an elegant look with a diamond tufted headboard. This DIY project was made by poking holes in foam using a broom.
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Live Edge Headboard

Classy Clutter

Create the look of live edge wood with a DIY headboard. Sawing out an organic design as shown is much easier than cutting a perfectly straight line.

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Painted Plywood Headboard

Hotel Henriette

Use paint to create a stylish and budget-friendly focal point in your bedroom. French interior designer Vanessa Scoffier designed this playful geometric headboard at the Hotel Henriette in Paris using plywood painted with a deep teal accent.
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Bohemian Headboard

A Designer at Home

Use leftover tile from a bathroom renovation to create a boho-inspired headboard . Pair with plywood finished with a walnut stain to bring out the grain.
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Woven Headboard

Mad in Crafts

Repurpose vertical blinds to make a woven headboard. Make it extra-tall to create a statement.
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Dark Wood Headboard

East Coast Creative Blog

Stain your DIY headboard dark for a moody look. Pair it with navy walls and bedding for a winning bedroom color scheme.

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Cardboard and Fabric Headboard

Stacie / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

Create a budget-friendly headboard using cardboard as a base. Cut out any shape and wrap in fabric for a high-end look.
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Mismatched Doors Headboard

Fantastic Frank

Add character to your bedroom with a DIY headboard made from vintage doors. Choose a mismatched pair with different paint finishes for an eccentric look.
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Stained Pallet Headboard

Liz Marie Blog

Build a wood palette headboard that reaches to the ceiling to create a focal point on a budget. This DIY headboard made from stained pallet wood boards topped with a piece of recycled molding adds warmth to a modern farmhouse bedroom.
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DIY String Headboard

The Merrythought

For a light and airy look, create a DIY string headboard. This minimalist headboard has neutral colors, but you could easily customize it using your favorite colors, or adding rainbow colors for a kids' bedroom.

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Douglas Fir Headboard

A Piece of Rainbow

Mimic the look of your favorite retailer with a DIY project. A Piece of Rainbow made this headboard from Douglas fir for around $200.
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Barn Wood Door Headboard

Funky Junk Interiors

Decorate a DIY reclaimed barn wood barn door with faux hardware for an authentic look. A weathered patina will add character to your bedroom.
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Midcentury Modern

DIY Candy

Complement a platform bed frame with a DIY headboard for a midcentury modern-inspired look. This wooden headboard is an intermediate level DIY project from DIY Candy.
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Wood Slat Headboard

The Merrythought

Use wood slats to create a modern headboard. This DIY wood slat headboard was made from furring strips, resulting in a light and natural Scandi-inspired feel.

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Simple Painted Headboard

A Beautiful Mess

This simple rectangular painted headboard from A Beautiful Mess is an easy DIY project that anyone can achieve. This is a great solution for renters on a budget or for those who want a different look without a heavy investment.
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Picture Frame Moulding

The Merrythought

Use picture frame molding to create a polished look. This DIY picture frame molding wall feature from The Merrythought is a headboard alternative that fills the wall and structures the sleeping space.
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Coastal Headboard

Thistlewood Farms

Build a headboard wall with integrated storage and display space. This space-saving DIY kids room headboard from Thistlewood Farms has a coastal color palette and book storage.
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Copper Pipe Headboard

Sarah Sherman Samuel

Use copper pipe and floor cushions to create a wall-mounted headboard. You'll need leather, needle and thread, an X-Acto knife, hammer and nails, and a tape measure to complete this project.

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Channel Tufted Headboard

Emily Henderson Design

Create a stylish look with an extra-wide DIY tufted headboard. This project was made with fabric, wood, a staple gun, wood screws, strap tie, batting, and some foam.
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Headboard With Sconces

Lil' Luna

Use reclaimed wood to create a rustic barn door-style headboard. Attach sconce lights on the headboard to save space in a small bedroom.
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Plywood Print Headboard

The Merrythought

Personalize your headboard by featuring a favorite photo. This DIY headboard from The Merrythought was made with a plywood base and a blown up vacation photo from a trip to the Adirondacks that makes it personal and meaningful.
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Modern Farmhouse Headboard

My 100 Year Home

Use milk paint to add texture to a recycled door headboard. This DIY headboard from My 100 Year Home was made from an old door that was painted with a single coat of milk paint and then lightly sanded to create a "chippy" effect that lends it some modern farmhouse style.

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Rustic Wood Headboard

@whitepinecottage / Instagram

Stain or paint several pieces of reclaimed wood, then hammer them together and install them against the wall for an easy, rustic look. Depending on your DIY skill level, you can even mount sconces or add a shelf.
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Plywood Sheet Headboard

Miss Jettle

Mount a sheet of plywood to the wall for a minimalist feel. This gives you a base to hang art or a plug-in sconce.
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Wooden Shim Headboard

Jay Wilde

Assemble a pile of small wooden shims to create this DIY headboard. They can be glued to a larger surface in the desired arrangement, creating a mosaic look.
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Hanging Rug Headboard

Jessica Davis

For a quick DIY headboard, hang a rug from a dowel. This is super simple, and, if the rug is long enough, you simply have to drape the rug over the pole.

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DIY Bamboo Reed Headboard

Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Sara Liggoria-Tramp

Practice your weaving skills by assembling a bamboo reed headboard in a crisscross pattern. The result is design that looks much more complicated than it actually is.
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Board and Batten Headboard

Domestic Blonde

Create a DIY headboard using board and batten detailing. Finish it in a color that complements your bedroom decor.
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Wood and Marble Headboard

Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Keyanna Bowen

If you want a more luxe DIY headboard look, try a mixed materials project. This wood and marble headboard includes a picture rail for displaying your favorite works of art.
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Wood Round Headboard

The White Buffalo Styling Co.

For a rustic look, make a DIY headboard from wood rounds. This is just the right look for a cabin or country-style bedroom.

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Leather Strap Headboard

The Orange Home

Try using leather straps to hold up a cushion for a soft, padded headboard that has a modern, comfortable aesthetic.
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Cane Headboard Wall

Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Veronica Crawford

If you love the look of cane, try this DIY project. Cut out a headboard shape from caning, attach it to the wall, and add a fabric border for a sophisticated finish.
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Shiplap Headboard

Angela Marie Made

Get a professional look with beginner-level DIY skills by making a shiplap headboard. Mount shiplap panels to the wall, then add a piece of wood along the top to give it a polished look.
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Geometric Wood Headboard

DIY Huntress

Create a DIY headboard with an asymmetrical design for a striking look. Stain it or paint it to complement your bedroom.

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Wall-Mounted Dowel Headboard

Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Sara Liggoria-Tramp

Create a piece of art that doubles as a headboard by stringing together wooden dowels and hanging them behind the bed. It's a look that feels slightly bohemian and sculptural.
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Tufted Channel Headboard

Designed Simple

Depending on your DIY skill level, creating a tufted channel headboard can be an easy weekend project. It's similar to an upholstered headboard, but you'll create multiple upholstered pieces that will then be attached together.
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Chevron Wood Headboard

Erin Williamson Design

Whether you find two old fence panels or you have DIY carpentry skills, this chevron wood headboard makes a big design impact in a space. While it has a rustic look, it works equally well in more modern spaces.
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DIY Bookshelf Headboard

KatarzynaBialasiewicz / Getty Images

Put a bookshelf behind your bed for a headboard that's as pretty as it is functional. Use the shelves immediately behind your bed for more long-term storage.

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DIY Padded Headboard

Louis Duncan-He

Grab a large piece of wood and attempt this DIY headboard, which involves creating an entire padded wall. This look is over-the-top in the best way, giving major hotel style.
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DIY Tapestry Headboard

Gillian Vann / Stocksy

If you have a beautiful textile or tapestry, simply hang that behind a bed to define the space. It can cover just the width of the bed or extend to the nightstands, too.

Tips for Building a DIY Headboard

Want to build your own DIY headboard? It can be simple and quick, depending on the project you choose. Here are a few tips to help the process go smoothly.

Know Your Skill Level: If you are a beginner DIY'er, then your best bet might be hanging a textile or piece of art behind your bed. If you've moved up to expert level, then an upholstered headboard with channelling could be within reach.
Use What You Have: Many of these headboard ideas don't require any special tools or equipment. If you have extra paint, use that to paint a headboard. If you've recently done a carpentry project, repurpose the leftover wood.
Build It for the Right Size Bed: The hardest part of building a DIY headboard is getting the right size. Make sure you know the bed dimensions before you start, and build the headboard to the size of your bed. Often, you have some flexibility, particularly if there's room to extend beyond the headboard and behind the nightstands.

FAQ

Is it more affordable to buy or DIY a headboard?

It depends on the complexity of the headboard. DIY'ing can be cheaper if the materials are affordable and it's something that may be expensive to buy based on the level of details. However, a less complex headboard may be better to buy since the difference in the cost of the materials and the cost of a finished product may be similar.
What are the pros and cons of DIY fabric headboards?

DIY fabric headboards have a cozy, soft look and feel, plus, they're easy to make with batting and a staple gun. But, there are some downsides. They collect dust easily and, if they get dirty, they may be difficult to clean.
Are there any materials you should not use to make a headboard?

Stay away from silk and satin when making a DIY headboard. These materials stain easily and are difficult to spot treat.