Wednesday, April 10, 2013

DIY upholstered nailhead trim headboard

I love anything nailhead! Obsessed would be the word. I've decided to take this Waverly fabric I got at Joann's and make my own nailhead head board for the guest room. I have to keep this room someone in the middle of design since more than likely I have my teenage cousin staying the night for babysitting or all the girl cousins for sleepovers with my daughter. ( the boys are not afraid of the basement and love sleeping down there!)

On occasion I have a few adult fiends that come to stay so the nail head helps to keep it modern and adult friendly.


This article from BHG Centsational Style is the perfect tutorial and easily explains it all.

 To make your own nailhead trim headboard, you’ll need a nailhead trim kit, a mallet, needle nose pliers, fabric of choice*, three layers of batting, ¾” plywood cut to size, jigsaw for curved designs, ‘D’ rings or interlocking brackets, and a staple gun. *A note regarding fabric: most are 54” in width, so with any headboard larger than a twin, choose any fabric with a pattern repeat that will work when you lay it horizontally on your plywood instead of vertically. For the width of your headboard, measure the width of your bed mattress and add an inch to both sides.


For a simple rectangle shape, have the plywood cut to the width and height you specify at your local home improvement store. If you want to add a curve or notch out the sides, that can be done with a jigsaw. The height of your plywood for a rectangular headboard should be at least 36” inches above the mattress so you allow for room to lay your pillow shams up against your frame, but also have it attached to your wall below the top of your mattress. For curved or detailed headboards, allow for 40 to 48” in height depending on your design. Sketch your design by hand, or create a template with paper to use as your guide.


 Once your plywood is cut to form the design, add three layers of quilt batting on top, and then your fabric of choice. Attach the layers of batting and fabric to the headboard with a stapler. Start at the top in the middle, and work your way around to the sides, smoothing the fabric as you go. With nailhead trim kits you secure the trim with every fifth nail with the help of pliers and a mallet. Use the needle nose pliers to stabilize the nail and the mallet to pound it into the wood. Use a mallet not a regular hammer to avoid damaging the nailhead. To make turns around the edges, clip the trim and restart, using the same method securing every fifth nail.

 Once you’re done, secure your new headboard to the wall studs using ‘D’ ring hooks or interlocking brackets as shown below.


 In an afternoon you can have an upholstered headboard with nailhead trim in your own custom design. Plywood will run you between $15 to $25 depending on your region, and the trim kits retail for $20. If you find quality fabric that you love for a reasonable price, a nailhead
trim headboard can be yours for between $50 to $100.

1 comment:

  1. I always think I am going to make my own headboard...but then I get lazy! It sounds simple but it is hard work for sure.....

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