47 Creative Headboard Projects You Can DIY
The right headboard can transform a bedroom, turning a simple bed into a statement piece that defines the room. If you’re dreaming of a bedroom makeover, these 47 DIY headboard ideas are perfect to get started.
The designs range from minimalistic and modern to warm and rustic, ensuring there’s something for every taste. Best of all, these projects are approachable and cost-effective, ideal for both seasoned DIY enthusiasts and beginners.
By creating your own headboard, you’re adding a personal touch that reflects your unique style. Let these ideas inspire you to elevate your bedroom decor, creating a space that’s as stylish as it is comfortable.
Wall Art That Blends In
Wall art that blends in with your headboard design creates a seamless and cohesive look. By choosing complementary colors and patterns, the headboard and wall art work together to form a unified visual statement.
The simplicity of the upholstered headboard allows the wall art to shine without overwhelming the space. You’ll appreciate how this approach adds depth and personality to your bedroom.
Starry Nights: A Celestial Design
Starry nights inspire a celestial design that combines soft lighting with a simple headboard. The built-in lights add a gentle glow, perfect for setting a romantic or relaxing mood.
The translucent panels create a dreamy effect, making your bedroom feel like a peaceful retreat. You’ll love how this headboard brings both functionality and a touch of magic to your space.
Floral Lattice Accents
Floral lattice accents turn your headboard into a blooming masterpiece with delicate paper flowers. The intricate Moroccan-inspired design mimics a garden trellis, bringing nature indoors in a creative way.
The soft colors and intricate details make this headboard a focal point that adds whimsy and charm to your room. You’ll love how this design breathes life and freshness into your bedroom.
Vintage Dresser Reinvented
Another old piece of furniture goes cute, spunky, and contemporary when redesigned into a headboard. The wavy design of the dresser shelves just adds to the whole piece.
It manifests a fun feel that teenagers would love, but adults can also appreciate. Each dresser door also acts like a shelf unit.
When combined together like a puzzle piece, it adds great design and functionality, a must for any bedroom. And when one space isn’t being used as a shelf, there’s always room for personal designs, drawings, books, pictures, or even lighting.
It’s always a smart idea to store your items just above your bed.
Green With Envy: A Tufted Creation
Stylish yet fun, a cute girly bed with a lime green fabric, with super-cute buttons to boot! This headboard is perfect for young girls.
It’s whimsical, inviting and friendly–a matching pair for sleepovers. Complete a border around the tuft by adding piping.
Use any color; like pink, blue, or yellow to add a little more dazzle and to keep the green from getting too bland. Buttons can be created by choosing any color fabric and gluing them to each button.
A white frame is a wonderful way to finish off this headboard.
Pretty in Pink Panels
Pretty in pink panels bring a soft, feminine touch to your bedroom with a headboard that doubles as wall decor. The light, airy colors create a serene atmosphere, while the simple panel design adds structure and balance.
A decorative wreath adds a charming accent, tying the whole look together. You’ll love the delicate beauty and subtle elegance this headboard brings to your room.
Gray Panels with Subtle Sophistication
Tufted headboards always come to the rescue when looking to create a modern, sleek bedroom appeal. Each wood was tufted and covered in a neutral-gray fabric, and then hung individually side by side.
It gives the illusion of one giant headboard. A mixture of long and short pieces will allow you to design the shape of the headboard in any way imaginable.
It’s high end and contemporary. Only hours to make, and much cheaper than buying a premade designer headboard, don’t you think?
The light colored yet alluring paintings above it add color and dimension to an otherwise plain but refined headboard piece. Gray is a beautiful neutral color.
You do so much with it it, so feel free to add more depth by adding colorful ornaments to surround your headboard.
Ladder Turned Vintage Charm
Another interesting utilitarian item turned into a contemporary, comfortable looking headboard. The right paint can give it a country vibe; worn, but still usable.
Laying the ladder perpendicular to the wall allows for shelf space, a place to stick books, photos and other bedroom accessories. Try sticking a lamp fixture between each space.
Or if you’re looking to create your own bedroom canopy, nail the headboard along the wall so that it hangs over the bed, and string over your favorite sheets to each side, draped over, for an inviting place to sleep.
Cozy Vintage Neutrals
Cozy vintage neutrals bring an old-world charm to your bedroom with a headboard that doubles as a shelf. The repurposed door offers a unique, country-inspired aesthetic that pairs beautifully with soft, neutral tones.
Placing the door handle hole at the top adds a quirky detail, while the shelf-like quality provides extra space for personal touches like books or photos. You’ll love how this headboard combines practicality with timeless style.
Wooden Elegance with Balance
Wooden elegance with balance is achieved by combining masculine and feminine elements in a single headboard design. The mix of rough-hewn wood rounds and polished finishes creates a visually striking piece that appeals to all.
The natural textures and warm tones add depth and interest, making this headboard a focal point in any room. You’ll appreciate the harmony and sophistication this design brings to your space.
Barn Door Inspiration
Further proof that barn doors make excellent headboards. They’re simply a golden marriage of decor and functionality.
Love the outdoors? Well why not bring it in?
Rustic barn doors always go surprisingly well with anything, even decor that’s engrossed in primary colors. If you want to stay traditional with colors, a dark nutty colored stain will be warm and inviting.
Barn door headboards are favorite trend because they go great with any color, any age and any season. They’re also incredibly easy to make, and even cheaper if you find one.
Elegantly Simple Tufted Design
Elegantly simple tufted headboards add a touch of luxury without overwhelming the space. The soft fabric and subtle button details create a refined focal point that enhances the room’s overall aesthetic.
Mounted directly on the wall, this design saves space while drawing attention to the bed, making it the star of your room. You’ll appreciate how this minimalistic yet sophisticated design elevates your bedroom’s comfort and style.
Provincial Charm with a Touch of Beauty
Provincial charm with a touch of beauty comes to life with a headboard made from stained wood planks. The rich, warm tones of the wood create a cozy and inviting atmosphere, while the simple design allows for versatility.
Adding a few personal embellishments helps to customize the headboard to your taste. You’ll find this design brings a timeless and elegant feel to your bedroom.
Rustic Meets Modern: A Fusion of Styles
A fusion of rustic and modern styles brings warmth and character to your bedroom. Combining the rich, textured wood with sleek, clean lines creates a headboard that is both timeless and contemporary.
The natural grain of the wood stands out beautifully against the more polished elements, offering a balanced design that complements various decor themes. You’ll find this versatile blend perfect for achieving a cozy yet refined look.
Pallet Creations that Stand Out
Pallet creations that stand out with bold stains and artistic touches transform a simple headboard into a statement piece. The rustic charm of the wood pairs well with creative stencils or wall stickers, allowing for endless customization.
Frame your headboard with complementary decor to draw attention and make it the focal point of the room. You’ll enjoy the creative freedom this versatile design offers.
Mustard Hues with Barn Door Charm
Mustard hues paired with barn door charm create a rustic yet trendy headboard that stands out. The warm, earthy tones blend effortlessly with the natural wood, while the barn door style adds a touch of farmhouse elegance.
Accent lighting integrated into the design brings both functionality and a cozy ambiance, making this headboard a centerpiece that transforms your bedroom into a stylish retreat. You’ll enjoy the cozy, inviting feel this design brings to your space.
Doormat Transformation
A brilliant and simple idea, who would have thought a simple doormat could be turned into something so inspiring. Moroccan inspired door mats are more economical than pre-made headboards.
Pick your favored styled mat, and paint it whatever color suits you and your bedroom. You’ll most likely need 4-6 mats, depending on the width and height of your bed.
Compare this to a similarly styled pre-made headboard, and you can see the hundreds saved.
A Beacon of Light and Style
This headboard beckons you to bed like a lighthouse, with the single wall mounted lantern on the pale toned headboard in a sea of blue comforter. It’s entirely inviting and ultimately relaxing.
The length of the headboard and the lantern will make this piece a top heavy headboard, so you may want to secure it to the wall, along with securing the bottom part of the headboard to the bed frame itself. Single lights are more proof that simple designs can create elegant art, and functionality and creativity can always be combined beautifully.
Rustic Chic with a Modern Twist
Let your favorite vacation inspire your best headboard. Try hitting up your favorite 5 star hotel for ideas!
This one was inspired by hotel in Casco Antiguo. The hotel had a smart take on improvising bench cushions hanging from a wall with leather cords.
Such an interesting design can be translated into any DIY headboard project. Normally headboard hangers are hidden.
But ones like these are in plain sight where function is incorporated into design. Paint the lower part of the wall to add another level of intrigue so as to break up the emptiness that a large wall can have.
From Crib to Cozy Comfort
Another perfect example of why diy headboards are so much better than buying one stock…the price! A perfect headboard for children transitioning from crib to bed.
This stylish blue and boyish headboard is easy to make. Simply take your crib, paint it anew, and add kid friendly upholstery.
Now you have something comfortable and stylish. To keep the headboard leveled and not too low, try a heavy duty mirror/picture hanger to place the headboard on the wall for perfect height.
Beachy Fence-Inspired Style
Beachy fence-inspired style turns humble pallets into a breezy headboard perfect for coastal decor. A light stain brings out the natural texture of the wood, evoking the relaxed vibe of a seaside escape.
Mounted lights add a soft glow, enhancing the headboard’s rustic charm. You’ll feel like you’re on vacation every time you step into your room with this calming and stylish design.
Light It Up with a Glowing Accent
So many interesting things can be done with lighted headboards. They can be cozy, romantic, inspirational, or function as a soft source of light.
A word or phrase with personal meaning to you, lined with Christmas lights makes a great comfortable bedroom headboard. It’s not just for adults.
For any little ones, try a child-friendly silhouette and line it with lights. It’s unique, playful and inviting.
You can use a projector to project whatever image or word you like, and simply stencil, paint, and prep the board for Christmas lights.
Mounted Rustic Vibes
Mounted rustic vibes keep the design simple yet impactful with polished cedar planks. The natural beauty of the wood shines through, offering a minimalist approach that still delivers on style.
Spacing the planks evenly allows for a clean, modern look that complements the bed’s decor without overpowering it. You’ll appreciate the understated elegance and warmth this headboard adds to your bedroom.
Perfect DIY Setting
Natural and nude tones complement a master bedroom with brazen authority with simple things like wicker, wood, and linen decor. The headboard has a raw look to it, and that look is maintained by adding light fixtures with small wool bag coverings over each.
The small plant brings the headboard into a cohesive and pleasant evening-in-the-park setting. It’s uniform yet beautiful design.
Neutral can be exciting and comfortable if done right. Nailed clips are an inventive and unique way of keeping mementos.
It gives the mantle a lovely clothesline effect.
Patchwork Dreams Come True
Patchwork dreams come true with a headboard that embraces the art of quilting. Vibrant fabric pieces come together to create a visually stunning and colorful backdrop for your bed.
The mix-and-match approach allows for endless customization, making each headboard a one-of-a-kind creation. You’ll enjoy the cheerful, handcrafted feel that this design brings to your bedroom, adding warmth and personality.
Artistic Wall Décor with Meaning
The best headboards can double as fantastic wall art. A headboard fashioned out of something from your childhood or something that meant a lot to you can act as a beautiful reminder of that memory every time you enter your bedroom.
Taking a piece of furniture from your past that meant something to you and reusing it in a space where you spend a lot of your time, even if it’s not awake, gives your DIY project more meaning. Chalk or stencil what those words mean to you, then paint over it to seal them in.
Timeless Tufts for Classic Appeal
Timeless tufts offer classic appeal with a twist, choosing a unique shape that breaks away from traditional designs. The tufted fabric adds texture and softness, making the headboard a cozy addition to your room.
Pair it with matching wall art to create a cohesive and stylish look that’s both comfortable and visually pleasing. You’ll find this design brings a touch of sophistication to any bedroom.
Faux Weave for a Creative Look
So this one looks woven but isn’t! Small pieces of wood that make up each square simply change direction horizontally and vertically to match the look of woven wood.
Wood shims are unique to headboards, but don’t have to be. They’re not just for builders.
They’re perfect DIY craftperson’s tool; they’re inexpensive and on-point for creating a trendy headboard. Use fiberboard or thin plywood to make up the base of the board, but use wood shims to create each grid pattern.
You don’t have to follow this design. Try a diagonal pattern too!
Tile Chic for a Fresh Makeover
Tile chic offers a fresh makeover by incorporating faux ceiling tiles into your headboard design. This unexpected material adds texture and visual interest, while the easy-to-mount design makes it perfect for renters or frequent movers.
The glossy finish adds a touch of glamour, transforming your bedroom into a stylish sanctuary. You’ll enjoy the unique flair this creative headboard brings to your space.
3D Decor and Tufted Elegance
Tufted headboards are so soft and inviting. Repurpose any old headboard into a tufted one, every last inch of it!
Painted a nice white color, it almost blends with the zig-zagged decor on the wall behind it. Headboards are normally the focal point, and a glamorous headboard might make a little noise and contrast too much with such a colorful wall.
However, for a little more depth, try adding a slim line of color to accentuate edge of the headboard.
DIY Painted Illusions
DIY painted illusions allow for endless creativity when designing your headboard. Whether using stencils or freehand painting, you can create a personalized fabric that reflects your unique style.
The custom design adds a one-of-a-kind touch to your room, making the headboard a true expression of your creativity. You’ll enjoy the freedom to design a headboard that perfectly fits your vision.
Floral Cutouts for a Unique Twist
Creating your own headboard can be a personal statement–an eye into who you are. With cutout headboards, each piece can act as a window into your favorite design.
The most interesting thing about this design is the accessibility of the fabric. Creating a headboard in this way allows you to flip between any style and color of fabric simply by slipping your favorite piece in and replacing it with another favorite when the mood or seasons change.
The pastel floral design is perfect for seasonal use, or for flower admirer in the family. It’s very reminiscent of stained glass.
A square-ruffled comforter attracts the gaze right to the headboard.
Intricate Weaves for a Unique Touch
Distressed look really makes this look like a wide woven picket fence. Thin, long plywood pieces were woven together, and painted a blue.
The headboard is accented with country-style 19th century fabric pieces that hang above the headboard. It fits a country style house, or any teen’s bedroom.
It’s sheepishly simple and stylish, and beautifully woven. No immense woodworking skills required!
Choose the paint job to fit your mood. You can go for a pastel, friendly look or sleek brown for a more modern twist.
No-Sew DIY Magic
For a lot of DIYers, taking inspiration from high end stores and magazines inspires enough of a challenge to recreate their favorite look–for a quarter of the cost. Tufted is always in, it’s versatile, chic and quite lovely, blending well with most bedrooms.
But you can always create your own tufted headboard. This perfect finish gives the impression that it’s much harder to create than it seems, but don’t be fooled.
The color of this tufted headboard is a pleasing mix to the wall decor, and balances out the bedroom’s palette.
Affordable and Stylish Creations
Rustic looks can be soft enough even for a child’s room. The colors of dark nutty headboards are versatile.
They can go with soft lighter colors, or some of the more traditional primary colors seen in many boys’ rooms. These are always so simple to make and go so well with any room that you can’t go wrong with this kind of DIY headboard idea.
If you’re looking for a little more to enhance the setting, you can spruce this up by adding decorations, stenciling in pictures of words, or just leaving it bare. It’s affordably simple design that goes with just about any room’s setup.
Velvet Softness in Every Detail
Sometimes there’s simply nothing more alluring than a velvety, soft shade of indigo. And what better place to put that color in your bedroom?
A tufted headboard absolutely accentuates the color. For something so romantic, it fits easily with more pastel, spring colors.
It even fits beautifully with white, and makes a brilliant eye-pleasing contrast between the headboard and the rest of the room. Recreate the diamond tufted look by pinching the fabric wherever the buttons will be placed.
Imitate a designer looking tufted headboard the DIY way.
Pink Reigns: DIY Queen Bed
Playful and chic, a pink upholstered headboard brings a burst of color and energy to any room. Perfect for adding a youthful vibe, this DIY project allows for creative expression with fabric choices and shapes.
The beaded tacks not only secure the fabric but also add a decorative border that enhances the headboard’s unique design. You’ll love the fun and vibrant atmosphere this headboard creates, especially when paired with matching spring-themed accessories.
Window View as a Focal Point
Window shutters find new life as a charming headboard, bringing a touch of vintage elegance to your room. The repurposed shutters add texture and interest, while the choice of paint and decor allows for endless personalization.
Whether your style leans toward country or contemporary, this headboard adapts beautifully. You’ll love how this design adds a unique and unexpected element to your space.
Ocean Breeze for Relaxing Vibes
Repurposed furniture is always a good idea. It makes creating a country style room easy, fun and inexpensive.
Two window shutters and an old door were used to create this inspiring headboard, with a little bit of the old bedframe left too; two old leg stands from a table, along with the top of another much older headboard add level of antiquity to the entire piece. Lighting on the shutters adds room for the little things on the desks, while giving a modern appeal to old shutters.
Its utility blends in seamlessly. A fantastic look for the sea-lovers of all ages.
Stylish and Modern Vibes
Stylish and modern vibes come to life with an industrial-inspired headboard made from sliced PVC pipes. The clean, geometric design adds a contemporary edge, while the gloss finish gives it a polished look.
The dynamic lighting effect created by the pipes adds depth and intrigue, making this headboard a standout feature in any bedroom. You’ll find this design perfect for adding a sleek and modern touch to your space.
Blinds as an Artistic Feature
You can repurpose anything into the perfect headboard, perhaps even the kitchen sink. And old vertical blinds are no exception!
Normally, home enthusiasts shy away from the archaic style of long blinds. But woven together so intricately, they make a unique and pretty headboard design.
Normally, woven headboards such as this one can range to about $1,000. Once you repurpose yours or anyone’s old blinds, and you save literally hundreds.
Smart on the wallet, and smart on recycling. And two headlights add utilitarian to the headboard, not to mention add a splash of color to this very white headboard.
Diamond Tufts with a Touch of Elegance
Diamond tufts with a touch of elegance create a refined, high-end look that’s surprisingly easy to DIY. The classic diamond pattern adds depth and interest, while the choice of fabric and buttons allows for personalization.
This headboard pairs beautifully with various decor styles, from modern to traditional. You’ll love the luxurious feel and polished finish this design adds to your room.
Mustard Finish for a Fresh Look
Try a three-piece board with a worn paint job and nude colors for something devilishly simple and stylish. You can stencil in words with a matching color.
The walnut and pale finish inspires something of a country-rustic appeal, or a trip into the mountains. You never have to worry if your headboard piece is too nude–a quick snap of color will bring a cohesive color palette to the room.
Stencils and paint are your best friend when it comes to arting up your headboard with messages.
DIY Barn Door Crafting
DIY Project Details: littleyellowbarn.comBarndoors make excellent centerpieces, adored by DIYers who love the country, rustic appeal that a barn door design can offer. They’re one of the most creative and yet easiest to make as a headboard.
But sometimes you just can’t get an old, unused barn door. So, make your own!
A good wood stain and degreasing technique will give your made barndoor a worn finish. You can create your own barn door headboard with a look that appeals to your personal taste, rather than spending a lot of time trying to find the right one (that also isn’t in use)!
Again, lamps on your headboard is a smart and chic design.
Sweet Dreams Await
Repurpose your old furniture, repurpose your old picture frames. Salvaged wood and expiring picture frames can help personalize any girl’s bedroom.
Have your child choose the words they want, whether it be a personal, inspiring message or simply their name. Chic, sweet and simple make this also affordable headboard idea perfect for your younger loved ones.
Choose a font that fits their personality, and embellish each picture with their favorite thing.
Pallet Shelving for a Smart Look
Pallet shelving offers a smart and functional look, transforming your headboard into a practical storage solution. The open spaces within the pallet create handy shelves for books, remotes, or decor, combining style with utility.
The design adds a modern touch while maintaining a rustic appeal, making it a versatile addition to any bedroom. You’ll appreciate the convenience and character this headboard brings to your space.
Picture-Perfect Comfort
Picture-perfect comfort combines tufting and recycled materials to create a headboard that’s both stylish and sustainable. The soft, cushioned texture provides a cozy feel, while the mix of rustic and refined elements adds depth to the design.
The black frames complement the neutral tones, offering a balanced look that suits a variety of decor styles. You’ll appreciate the comfort and creativity this headboard brings to your bedroom.
