How to make a headboard out of foam board

I’ve been wanting a headboard pretty much ever since we moved in. I think our bed looks looked so sad and college-dormy and naked as just a mattress pushed into the corner. In a moment of brilliance (driven by lack of supplies and laziness), I decided to make a headboard out of foam board!

And pretty much ever since we moved in I’ve been inspired to create a headboard by numerous blog describing how easy it is (as seen here and here). I was a little scared by the purchase and cutting and dealing with some kind of large board. And even more concerned about how I would attach that large board to our fragile plaster walls. Luckily, one day I chanced upon a blog post about making pelmet boxes for the windows out of foam board. I decided to do this, so I bought some foam board and fabric and batting the last day I had a car.

However, as summer suddenly became almost over, the headboard overtook other house projects in priority. Being stuck at home with no car, I had to make do with the supplies I had, so I made the headboard out of foam board, which was brilliant because it solved both the problems of dealing with and hanging heavy board! Hooray!

Here’s how I did it:

I gathered my supplies: batting, fabric, two sheets of foam board, tape, and a stapler.

First, I taped those foam boards together to make one long board. If you wanted to make the headboard taller, just tape two more boards on top.

Then I spread out my batting and folded it over a few times to make it thicker. I put my foam board on top, and stapled the batting around the back edges. Next, I spread out my freshly ironed fabric and put my batting-covered board on top of that.

I pulled the edge of the fabric tight around the foam board and stapled that sucker down.

I attached two D-ring hangers to the back of the foam board with a super glue that was actually called Amazing Goop and forgot to take a picture. After the hangers dried on, I measured and marked the wall and hung my headboard behind the bed.

I pushed the bed back against the wall, 

made the bed,

and voila! We’re not poor college students any more, but real grown-ups with furniture! Even Phil admitted it looked much better. 

Don’t you agree? If any of you make your own headboard out of foam board, please share pictures!

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