How to Make an Upholstered Headboard With Welts

Determine how long and wide you want the upholstered headboard to be. Make the headboard at least 6 inches wider than the bed. The headboard should be a minimum of 24 inches tall. The headboard can be cut from plywood or any other solid sheet material.

Cut a piece of 1-inch thick foam to the dimensions of the headboard. Staple it to the corners with a staple gun.

Lay a double layer of polyester batting on the floor. Place the headboard, foam side down, on top of the batting. Pull the batting tightly to the back of the headboard and staple it securely in place. Fold the corners like you would a present to give them a neat appearance.

Cut a piece of upholstery fabric the dimension of the headboard. Allow 1 inch extra for the top and sides and 6 inches extra for the bottom.

Pin the flat side of the welts facing away from the right side of the upholstery fabric starting at the bottom left corner. Set the welt so it is 1 inch away from the outer edge of the upholstery. Continue pinning the welt in place in a straight line until you reach the upper left corner. Change directions with the welting by making a 45-degree turn as you continue pinning the welting in a straight line toward the upper right corner. Make another corner and continue pinning the welting until you reach the lower right edge.

Sew the welting in place by stitching as close to it as possible with a sewing machine that has a cording foot attached. Remove the pins.

Cut a strip of upholstery fabric at least 6 inches wide that is as long as the amount of welting you used. Pin the fabric face down so the raw edges match along the edge where you sewed the welting.

Stitch the two layers of fabric with the welting sandwiched between them. Sew as close to the welting as possible using the cording foot. Remove the pins.

Trim the edges and corners. If the corners don’t lie properly, snip through the seam allowance but not through the seam in several places to solve the problem.

Fit the fabric onto the headboard aligning the corners and keeping the welting straight along the edges. Pull the extra fabric behind the headboard and staple it in place. Fold the corners like you would a gift to make them neat.

Locate studs on the wall behind the bed where you plan to hang the headboard using a stud finder. Measure how far apart they are. Mark that same distance on the back of the headboard. Attach at least two D-rings to the headboard using the screws that came with the package.

Attach wall hanger hooks to the wall from the studs using a hammer. Use a carpenter’s level to ensure the hooks are even.