How to Decorate Headboards

Upholster

• 1

  Cut a piece of 2-inch upholstery foam to size in the shape of the headboard. To measure the shape, place the headboard face down over the foam and trace around the edges. Cut with a utility knife.

• 2

  Use spray adhesive to mount the foam to the front of the headboard. Add a layer of spray adhesive over the front of the foam and cover with a layer of cotton batting. Pull the batting taut around the back of the headboard and staple in place.

• 3

  Position the headboard face down on a sheet of fabric. Pull the fabric taut to the underside of the headboard and staple in place. Staple approximately once every inch to hold the fabric tightly in place. Cut away excess fabric.

• 4

  Add an extra decorative touch with tufting. Mark on the back of the headboard where you want tufted buttons to be. Drill a small hole on either side of this position. Place buttons in place on the front of the headboard and thread through to the holes in the back of the headboard, pulling the button tightly to create a tufted look on the front of the headboard.

Paint

• 5

  Prepare the surface of your headboard for paint. Whether the surface is wood, plastic or metal, painting the surface should always include cleaning and sanding to help the paint adhere properly to the surface. Tape off any areas that you want to protect from paint.

• 6

  Paint the headboard all one color to better coordinate with your space. Stop here, or use this layer of paint as a base for further accents.

• 7

  Add freehand or stenciled accents to further customize the headboard. Painting techniques are useful here. For example, if you want your headboard to look weathered, use a ragging or sponging effect to add texture to the headboard.

Other Decorative Touches

• 8

  Drape string lights or miniature lanterns around the edges of the headboard. If your headboard has bars or decorative trim pieces, it will be easy to thread these lights through the areas on the headboard so that it stays in place.

• 9

  Glue ribbon to the front of the headboard in your desired pattern. For example, a pattern designed to look like plaid, a woven ribbon design or a checkerboard design are all options that will add instant presence to your bed.

• 10

  Glue other decorative accents to the headboard, such as fake flowers, sequins or plastic gems. For lightweight items, hot glue is sufficient. However, a stronger epoxy might be needed for heaver decorative items.