28 Easy Headboard Projects

A headboard takes up a chunk of wall space, so it's often what people see first when they enter a bedroom. Make sure it's focal point-worthy by using one of the following ideas.

The headboard pictured gets a shot of color when you drape fabric or an area rug over it. This one is tied on with clip-on drapery rings and fabric, but you don't have to do anything that permanent. Even better, you can change the look with the seasons— bright or gauzy fabrics in summer, nubby wools in winter.

Blogger Kelly Rinzema nailed molding to the wall to create an easy, stylish faux headboard in the master bedroom of her Michigan home.

Dress up rustic window panels for a one-of-a-kind headboard. Remove glass and install fiberboard or thin plywood. Cut fabric for each section and secure with spray adhesive.

The pattern on this upholstered headboard ties together the bedroom's dreamy color palette.

Add whimsy with a romantic flower. Trace it on and paint it in room-coordinating colors.

Use old dresser drawers and storage cubes to create a one-of-a-kind headboard. Lay out your finds on the floor first until you've got the arrangement you want; it's okay to leave spaces where the wall shows through. Add wallpaper and paint to coordinate with your decor. Screw pieces together and hang on the wall using 1x4-inch cleats. 

A curtain rod opens a realm of decorating possibilities. Here, we've hung fabric bearing favorite sayings. The next slide shows other ways to use the rod.

Switch out seasonal or fave fabrics.

Basic shapes don't have to be boring. Choose a fabulous fabric, sew or glue lengths of ribbon along the edges, and tie it on.

Simple widths of wood—stained and sealed, if you like—add country style to a room. Nail or screw them to two upright boards that sit on the floor or attach to your bed frame.

Doors painted and hung on the wall (we used brackets) add fun style to this boys' room. Even a simple hollow core door would work. Depending on the size of the bed, hang the door vertically or horizontally.

Trace a curvaceous pattern on a piece of medium-density fiberboard, and cut out. Paint the edge white and cover the front with wallpaper that suits your decor.

Squares of embroidery brighten an otherwise plain Jane of a headboard. The designer traced the pattern onto the wood, drilled holes for the stitches, then filled the design with yarn. You could also glue on completed fabric squares or just ink the design.

Bold fabric adorns this otherwise bare spot above this bed. A sheet, shower curtain, or even a large scarf would work.

You might not be able to go as elaborate as this headboard, but a coat of metallic paint or sheet metal covering even a plain board will add shine to your room.

Different widths of your favorite wood veneer woven in a pleasing pattern form a funky, airy headboard. Attach the lengths to a frame of matching wood.

Give old closet doors new life. Two closet doors mounted on the wall behind the bed create a sleek focal point in this midcentury-modern bedroom. The tall headboard gives the room a sense of height.

A row of nailhead trim emphasizes lovely lines. Buy nailhead trim kits at crafts stores or online.

A weathered mantel gets new life as an eyecatching headboard—and a display shelf for mementoes. 

These bookcases hold personality-packed items -- a lot more than any set of nightstands would.

Tack accent fabric over a layer of foam and batting. Cover the edge with coordinating ribbon. And you've got a soft spot to rest your head.

A simple finial adds a crowning touch here. Or maybe you want to add two, one at each outside corner of a flat-topped headboard.

Create a framed headboard from a graphic print. Stretch fabric over heavy cardboard or foam-core board and secure on the back. Insert the panels into two inexpensive poster frames spray-painted a coordinating color. You could also use several picture frames with the glass removed.

The two stained-glass windows in this attic space make for a naturally lovely headboard look.

Fabric strips applied quilt-fashion add homespun charm.

Give your existing headboard more oomph by gluing on trimwork and then painting the whole thing a bright new color.

Accent the shape of your headboard with a base coat of a bright shade and a stenciled pattern in a contrasting color. Stencils could be rub-on or paint-on.

Bamboo shades glued onto an existing headboard add tropical flair. For a finished look, frame edges with bamboo poles.

Any hue on a grainy wood adds texture and color to a room. This versatile treatment would be great for a kid's room!