Family Bed Vol. 3 – Headboard DIY

(This is the final part oft the headboard DIY. Click here to see part one and two.)

When all the material is purchased and your tools are ready to use it’s time to start.
First of all you need to transfer the draft onto the MDF boards. It’s easier to draw just one half and mirror the other.Don’t forget to draw in the positions of the buttons!
Whenever you’re satisfied with the alignment you can start cutting out the first half.

When you’re done with that you can use it as a template to reproduce the shape for the other half.
Put both parts on top of each other and sand any unevenness you see. You should get two complete identical halves in the end. Use a screw clamp to lock the boards into position.
Now the buttonholes need to be drilled. Keep the boards on top of each other while doing this.

When this is done you can start to connect the halves. We used perforated panels and self-tapping screws (on both sides!)

Don’t forget to drill the buttonholes on the center line after connecting the MDF boards.
If you think your headboard is in the need of some legs, you can easily cut them out of the leftovers.
(We thought a headboard with legs would look a little bit nicer)

So to say the frame is done by now.
Spread the tarpaulin and put on the fabric on top. (the “good” side facing down)
Place the MDF frame on the fabric and go over the lines with chalk. Mark the button holes with a crayon. Cut out the fabric and bear in mind to add about 15cm.
If you went for the legs, you can now piece on some fabric remnants. The seam won’t be visible in the end.
Now, place your frame on the foam boards and trace it with a marker.

Cut out the foam boards. We used a bread knife. It’s important to use a serrated one.
Fix the foam boards with double-faced adhesive tape.Spread the upholstery wadding on the floor and place the frame on it (foam boards facing down).

You see: It’s not that bad to have TWO strong men helping you out.
Cut out the wadding and don’t forget to add about 15-20 cm again on each side.
Use a staple gun to mount the wadding.

Unfortunately the position of the buttons is only marked on the back of the upholstery fabric. Use yarn to transfer and mark them on the “right” side. (in my case I had to do that 53 times)When this is all done, spread the upholstery fabric on the tarpaulin again (the “good” side facing down). Place the headboard on the fabric. This is not an easy thing to do because of the enormous weight.Staple the fabric evenly to the headboard. Cut in the curves and make sure to stretch the fabric properly for a neat look.While I upholstered the headboard in the living room, my husband started to work on the bedframe at the other end of the apartment.

But let’s get back to the upholstery….
If you’ve done everything right so far, each piece of yarn on the fabric should be subtended to a drilled hole in the MDF board.
Thread a loooong needle and a thread through one of the drilled holes and make sure the needle enters your yarn marking on the other side. Thread a button and pull the needle back through all layers.

Use some cheap plastic button to tie everything off and keep the knot from slipping back.
Repeat this step until all rows of buttons are pulled and tied off.

Repeat this step until all rows of buttons are pulled and tied off.
To fasten the headboard we used a metal rail on the wall and built matching parts that looked like this:

Place the headboard and the bedframe… … and you’re done!