Today I’m saving you hundreds of dollars by teaching you how to make this gorgeous, simple headboard. You would never guess this started as a cardboard box! (Ps. My go to jewelry site is having a huge 60% off sale and I’ve rounded up my 16 favorite pieces at the bottom of the post XO)
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Hey, hello! It’s me, a crazy person! Today I’m sharing a DIY tutorial with no pictures of the process.. I know, I know the pictures are everything but this tutorial is so simple I don’t think pictures are needed!
When RJ & I decided to turn his house into our home I tried to keep a few key words in my head, “gender neutral, cozy, within our price point”. Do you know what doesn’t fit into all of those categories? Headboards. Headboards are not cheap, you would think they massage your back before bed at the price of some. After hours and hours of searching Pinterest I decided I could make one easy peezy. RJ was not convinced and kept offering just to buy one, at this point I was determined to show him that I could build it no problem.
What You Need:
Cardboard
Padding (I used 2 yards for a California King)
Duct Tape
Fabric of your choice (2 yards for a California King)
Staple Gun
Command Strips
Preparing Your Cardboard:
I originally decided to make a headboard out of wood but I really wanted to stick it to RJ and not ask for any help. I am not one with power tools so I decided to turn to cardboard. He found this very amusing, and often told me I was ‘wasting money and to just find one to order’. We had just purchased a new dresser so I had large pieces of cardboard on hand & I just taped two together but if you can’t find any you could easily tape small pieces together. When deciding how large you need your headboard, measure the width of your bed and add at least 2 inches on each side. The height is completely your preference, if you don’t want to worry about mounting your headboard make sure you make it tall enough when resting on the floor.
Once you have the size you want you can start on the shape. Obviously you can leave it rectangle and it will look great! I was feeling ~*adventurous*~ and decided to cut ours up! This may have been the hardest part of the entire process. I traced a bowl on the edges and cut out a semi circle. Seriously not that hard. That’s how easy this process is.
Covering Your Cardboard:
You need padding and fabric to cover your headboard, I found both at Hobby Lobby. I needed 2 yards of each for our California king. First you take the padding and cover the front. Flip your headboard over, fold the padding over to the back and tape. Continue all the way around your headboard. Lay your fabric on the floor (pattern side down) and place your headboard on top (padding side should be touching the back of your fabric). Pull your fabric around to the back and staple. Repeat all the way around the headboard. Be careful not to staple to the floor. The tighter you pull your fabric the less thick it will be, I pulled mine pretty tight for reference.
Mounting Your Headboard:
Wahlah! You are done. It’s the most rewarding feeling see how adorable your new piece is! Before you can rub it into everyone’s face that you just made a headboard from some old boxes, you have to mount it. I used command strips and it hasn’t fallen yet!
If you need more detailed instructions/you have specific questions/just want to show me your amazing headboard feel free to comment below, email me (RileyBrahm@iCloud.com) or tweet me (@ChacosandChanel).
XO, Riley
Ps. I’m going to be sharing a ton of Labor Day sales all weekend but I wanted to give you guys early access to my absolute favorite jewelry site’s sale. They’re giving 60% off and there are so many great + cheap pieces. Almost every single thing in their sale can be worn year round and most are under $20 right now. WHAT A STEAL. Happy shopping babes, I’m linking some of my favorite picks below!
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