Upholstered Headboard from a Baby Crib

Are you ready to change up that old headboard or baby crib?  Then you have come to the right place.  You are about to find out how easy it is to make this DIY headboard.  I recommend finding an awesome friend or two, like I did, because you will need more than one set of hands.

DIY Upholstered Headboard 

 

Supplies for DIY Upholstered Headboard

 

Supplies Used

Baby Crib Railing or Headboard
1 Piece of Plywood - cut to size by hardware store
Cotton Batting Roll
Painter's Canvas Drop Cloth
Screws - see step 10 for details on size needed
Staple Gun & Staples
Cabinet Knobs (optional)

 

How to Upholster a headboard or old crib

1.  Measure the section you would like to upholster and have a hardware store cut plywood to that size.

2.  Layer batting from roll until you get the thickness you would like.

3.  Wrap layered batting and plywood with a thin piece of batting.

4.  Gently fold batting around the opposite side of the plywood.  Do not stretch.  Then staple with staple gun.

5.  Cut the painter's canvas drop cloth to the size you need -- I made sure it had at least 5 inches of excess on all four sides.

6.  Iron the canvas cloth, then lay it out neatly on a clean surface with best side toward the clean surface (I used a carpeted floor). 

7.  Gently place the batting wrapped plywood with batting facing down, on top of the canvas cloth.  Pull the four corners of the canvas drop cloth to make sure it did not bunch up underneath.

 8.  Wrap the cloth gently around the batting and plywood, much like you would a present.  You do not want to pull too tightly on the cloth because it will cause ripples in the fabric once it is all stapled down.  Continue this around the entire piece.

9.  Once this is complete, use wood screws with an electric screw driver to secure the piece onto the former headboard or crib railing.  You need to do this through the back of the headboard into the back of the plywood piece.  Measure ahead of time so that you can use a screw size that will go through the headboard and most of the plywood, but not into the batting.  Also, you need to apply a good amount of pressure to avoid twisting the fabric.

10.  Because my former crib had 2 holes on the front, I used hot glue to attach some flower cabinet knobs that would hide those holes and add a glam embellishment.

Happy Crafting!

Niki