How to Make a Headboard for a Children's Bedroom

Lay out the foam batting on a flat surface and place the frame on top. Cut around the frame so you have about 5 inches of batting extending all around the edges.

Fold the edges of the batting over the frame, pulling it taut as you go and stapling or tacking the batting to the back of the frame. Tuck and fold the corners as you would when wrapping a present or making hospital corners on a bed.

Spread out the fabric you've chosen for the headboard and iron it, wrong-side up.

Place the frame batting-side down over the fabric and cut around the frame leaving 5 inches all around. Attach the fabric as you did the batting.

Take the hanging portion of a French cleat and place it under the top edge of the frame at the back. The front of the cleat should be flush with the edge of the frame. Secure the cleat to the frame with screws that are long enough to penetrate the cleat and are around half the frame width.

Mark a level line over the bed at the height you want the headboard to hang, and mark the wall stud positions on the line. Place the receiving portion of the French cleat onto the wall line and secure it to the wall studs with screws long enough to go through the cleat and into about half the thickness of the stud.

Hook the hanging portion of the cleat over the receiving portion attached to the wall to finish the headboard.