How To: Fabric Headboard

How To: Fabric Headboard

March 24, 2011, 9:00 am
Filed under: How to | Tags: bedroom, headboard, home decor, how to, tutorial

My apartment has two bedrooms: a large one with no discernible closet, and a small one with a glorious amount of closet space. Since I didn’t like the idea of having to go ALL the way down the hall every morning to get dressed (I’m super lazy like that), I decided to take the smaller bedroom. Now, I haven’t had a headboard on my bed in my last several places, but for some reason, this room just feels like it needs one. I think it’s the fact that I can’t paint the walls… I feel like I really need something to break up the seemingly endless sea of off-white. However, since space is at a premium (not to mention money), I didn’t want to buy something big and bulky.

Enter my new crafty best friend: Stiffen Stuff. You may recall that I’ve used this product before, both here and here. Now I’m going to see how this stuff works on a much larger scale!!

For this project I used:
– 1 yard of good quality decorator fabric, which I bought at Premier Fabrics in Germantown. I chose Zig Zag in Corn Yellow.
– Stiffen Stuff
– Good fabric scissors
– An iron

Step 1: Cut the selvedge off and square up the fabric. If you have a queen bed, you’re going to want to keep as much of the width as possible, so be sure to cut close to the edge of the selvedge.

Step 2: Iron that puppy to within an inch of its life. Once you start spraying you’re not going to be able to iron it again, so you want to get it as flat as possible now.

Step 3: Fold the fabric in half lengthwise and sketch on the shape of your headboard. Since my fabric is so angular, I decided I wanted the shape to be really fluid and curvy.

Step 4: Cut out your headboard.

Step 5: Lay your headboard, face down, on a flat surface, with a tarp under it to keep your floor or table from getting sticky (I use a shower curtain liner from the $1 store… way cheaper than an actual tarp). I planned on spraying the entire back, but within a few minutes, my fingers were cramping and the spray bottle started sticking. So instead, I opened the bottle, poured a little into a bowl (one I didn’t mind never eating out of again), and brushed it on with an old paintbrush. Try to get at least a little glue on every inch of the fabric, but be SURE to REALLY SOAK the edges. Let it dry overnight.

Step 6: Once your headboard is completely dry, it’s time to place it on the wall. You can use packing or masking tape to temporarily hold it up. Make sure it’s straight before you start ironing!

Step 7: Set your iron to high heat with no steam. I started in the middle, ironing the middle section from top to bottom, then working my way out. Be sure to focus on the outer edge, making sure it is firmly attached all the way around.

And you’re done! I’m really happy with how this project turned out. It really brings life into my bedroom, which has felt pretty lifeless since I moved in. And the best part is that it cost about $9, didn’t take much time, and is completely reversible if I get sick of it!

UPDATE 1/27/2012: Since I’m moving out of this apartment, I had to take down the headboard. Big :(!!! BUT! It came down SO easily, didn’t take one bit of paint with it, and is still in perfect condition, so I can reuse it! I’m not sure yet if I’d have to respray, or if the starch still remaining on the back of the fabric will be enough to adhere it to the wall, but when I get around to putting it up, I’ll let you know!

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