DO IT YOURSELF Winter 2020 51
A
B
C
D
MATERIALS
- Circular saw
- ½-inch-thick plywood
- Serrated knife
- Straightedge
- 3–4-inch-thick upholstery foam
- Spray contact adhesive
- ½–1-inch-thick batting
- Upholstery-weight velvet
- Measuring tape
- Straight pins
- Needle and thread
- Sewing machine
- Eighty 2-inch button blanks
- E6000 adhesive
- 1×3 pine slightly shorter than plywood width
- ¾-inch screws
- 1½-inch screws
Step 1 Cut plywood 30 inches tall by the width of your
mattress. Use a serrated knife and straightedge to cut
upholstery foam to the size of the plywood, piecing
together as needed. Working in a well-ventilated area,
secure foam to plywood with spray contact adhesive.
Step 2 Using a serrated knife, trim the top corners of
the foam so they are gently rounded (A). Cut and piece
batting to fit over the foam and adhere using contact
adhesive, cutting excess batting from top corners and
smoothing flat.
Step 3 Cut a piece of velvet to cover the back of the
plywood and a piece to cover the foam-covered front,
adding ¼ inch for seam allowance plus ½ inch on
sides and an extra inch for hem along the bottom of
each piece. With right side down, lay the top fabric
over the front of the headboard and pin the corners
to fit the curve of the foam (B). Remove fabric from
headboard and sew corners, fashioning a dart in the
fabric. With right sides together, pin the front piece
to the back piece along the sides and top, and sew.
Sew the bottom hem. Trim excess velvet from corners,
then turn right side out and fit over the headboard.
Step 4 Follow button manufacturer directions to
cover about 80 button blanks in velvet, cutting velvet
circles (C), wrapping fabric around the top blank, and
snapping the back in place (D). Arrange buttons on
the headboard as desired and attach using E6000
adhesive.
Step 5 Make a French cleat by cutting a 1×3 pine board
lengthwise at a 45-degree angle. Use ¾-inch screws
to attach half of the pine board to the back of the
headboard with the angle facing down and toward the
headboard. Use 1½-inch screws to attach the other
half to the wall with the angle facing up and toward
the wall so the two boards fit into one another to
securely hang the headboard.
BUTTON HEADBOARD
MAKE IT
