20 Best DIY Wooden Headboard Ideas
Custom wooden headboards add unique style to any bedroom, but they can cost an arm and a leg – if they’re store-bought, that is. But there are plenty of ways to use wood (reclaimed or otherwise) to make your own wooden headboards that will add serious style to your space. Bonus: your friends and family will be in awe of your woodworking skills!
Keep reading to see our favorite DIY wood headboard ideas that will lend style to your bedroom while going easy on your wallet.
1. Make A Herringbone Headboard From Pallets
This farmhouse style wooden headboard was made using ever-versatile pallet wood and arranged into a bold herringbone pattern to give it some movement. The key is to lay out all the pieces before you begin cutting, to make sure the design looks perfect. And here’s the best part – because pallets are usually free, the entire project will cost you under $60!
See post: Casey FitzGerald|DIY Pallet Wood Headboard
2. Try A Reclaimed Wood Headboard For A Rustic Vibe
This wooden headboard is made from reclaimed wood, and as this Hometalker notes... what’s not to love about reclaimed wood? It’s good for the environment and it adds a beautiful rustic feel to any space. Here, the wood is purposely distressed using any tools you have on hand to dent, scrape or damage the top surface of the wood. Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?
See post: Brock Berglund|Reclaimed Wood Style Headboard
3. Fake a Rustic Wood Headboard
They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery, and that’s certainly the case here! This Hometalker was entrusted by her niece to help redesign her bedroom, with the pivotal element being a wooden plank headboard that she had seen elsewhere and snapped a photo of. The copycat headboard was brought to life with cedar planks, wood stain and a whitewashing effect to make it look aged.
See post: Lisa L Wiedmeier|Copycat Custom Cedar Headboard
4. Make Your Own Carved Wood Headboard
If you enjoy carving wood, then this is the project for you. Assembly of the headboard is quite basic – it’s the decorative elements that make it stand out. Begin by carving thin trench-like lines into the side frame pieces and attach them to the large piece of wood in the center. Add a beautifully carved sea turtle for the piece de resistance, attaching it right to the center of the headboard.
See post: Sarah Brown|Custom Wood Headboard With Sea Turtle Theme
5. Create A Faux Barn Door Headboard
When a nearby barn was knocked down, this Hometalker took advantage of the free wood they were offering – and turned it into the headboard of her dreams. The reclaimed wood lent the perfect shabby chic finish, but she felt that one thing was missing… so she took it a step further and added metal hardware above the wood to create a faux barn door. But you’d never know it was fake at first glance!
See post: Funky Junk Interiors - Donna|How To Fake A Faux Barn Door Headboard!
6. Turn Trash Into Treasure With This Headboard Tutorial
When this Hometalker’s friends told her they were throwing out the wood from an old deck, she jumped at the chance to turn it into a gorgeous reclaimed wood headboard and bed frame to coordinate with the barn door in her bedroom. So she laid out the wood, created a paper template for the arched headboard and began cutting. The final product is nothing short of incredible… and free!
See post: Suzie W.|DIY Reclaimed Wood Bed
7. Use Different Stains To Make a Pattern Stand Out
This pallet wood headboard combines form with function, thanks to a set of sconces mounted on either side of a beautiful chevron decorative element in the center. The lights save space too, leaving the nightstands free for books and other bedside necessities. The diagonal pieces of wood in the center of the headboard are further accented by different stain colors, allowing the pattern to stand out.
See post: Vintage Headboards|Plank Wood and Pallet Wood Headboard With Accent Lights
8. Elevate a Mixed Height Headboard With Decorative Cutouts
This unique project shows that wooden headboards come in all shapes and sizes, including heart-adorned ones! Starting with wood from a local reclaim yard, she had the planks cut to size and then used a wide drill bit to create the tops of the hearts and finished cutting them with a jigsaw. The last step was to connect the boards and add fabric behind the hearts… and voilà, a one-of-a-kind carved wood headboard!
See post: Vickymcreations|Old Wood Transformed Into a Loving Headboard
9. Make Your Own Coordinating Twin Wood Headboards
If you’re on the hunt for custom color twin wood headboards, the easiest and cheapest way to find them may be to make them yourself. This Hometalker found paint and fabric that coordinated with her kids’ room and created a pair of no-sew upholstered headboards with painted wood frames. They rival any store-bought headboard… and she created a video tutorial so you can get the look too!
See post: Stephanie Abbott|DIY Wood and Upholstered Twin Headboard
10. Paint a Flourish On Pallet Wood For a Truly Unique Headboard
Starting with pallet wood arranged horizontally, this headboard was already a beautiful example of how to create something out of virtually nothing (or a disposable pallet in this case). But this Hometalker went the extra mile, adding a decorative tree branch pattern in one corner using a decal and painting technique to create an eye-catching focal point. And the stain and paint colors can be customized to your liking!
See post: Kelsey McGinley|DIY Pallet Headboard
11. Make a Mantel Headboard For Your Bed
When this DIYer ran across fireplace mantel wooden headboards online, she almost fainted at the price – so, in true Hometalk spirit, she promptly decided to make her own from scratch. A rectangular box forms the basic mantel shape, and then a variety of decorative wooden trims add detail and character. The last step is to create the upholstered piece in the center, for a perfectly comfy finishing touch.
See post: Amy Ogden-Paparone|DIY Fireplace Mantel Headboard
12. Turn Leftover Materials Into Cottage-Style Headboard
This couple’s white wood headboard was built using old wood and paint that they already had on hand, along with a healthy dose of ingenuity. The goal was to create a headboard with a beachy vibe, and the white paint helped to achieve this look. You may not notice just by glancing at it, but the frame is actually made out of leftover floor molding. Talk about creative problem-solving. Let this be a lesson that you should assess your spare materials and get creative too!
See post: Beth Ladnier|Newly Built Headboard
13. Slice Up A Fallen Tree To Achieve This Cool Effect
This Hometalker used stocked firewood as her inspiration for a bold DIY wooden headboard made out of sliced wood from a tree that fell in her yard. To recreate the look, attach slabs of wood to a piece of plywood and add 2x4s to the bottom to form legs. Paint the plywood black to make it look even more like a pile of wood. This unusual piece will add some serious panache to your bedroom and on a budget no less!
See post: Lindsay Jackman|DIY Wood Round Headboard
14. Make a Removable Headboard Out of Wood Blocks
This beautiful woodblock headboard can be customized to your space, doesn’t cost very much to make – and here’s the best part – it’s mounted to the wall but easily removable. So if you’re planning to move in the near future, don’t discount a DIY wooden headboard… make this instead. The end grain of the wood on each block goes a long way to add texture and movement to this piece. Just grab a few 4x4 inch wooden posts and some stain and get to work!
See post: Becky at Flipping the Flip|A Custom Removable DIY Wood Block Headboard for Cheap!
15. Add Texture With Peel and Stick Tiles
This Hometalker created a textured headboard using adhesive wood tiles made from old pallet wood and then mounted industrial style pipe lights on either side. The process is really quite simple; attach the peel and stick wood tiles to a large piece of a utility board, and thread the sconces through holes on either side. Attach it to the wall with a French cleat, and you’re done. What an easy way to add a healthy dose of drama to your bedroom!
See post: Mother Daughter Projects|How To Make a Pallet Headboard With Wood Tile
16. Make This Showstopper Out of Wood Shims
Who would have thought that you could create such a thing of beauty with material as simple as the humble wood shim? This gorgeous herringbone-patterned DIY wood headboard will take a little while to make, but the investment of time will be well worth it once you are able to hang your finished product behind your bed. Plus, wood shims are affordable... so this project won’t break the bank!
See post: Austin Alvarez|How To Build a DIY Herringbone Headboard With Wood Shims
17. Turn An Old Door Into a Hefty Wooden Headboard
Here’s another good reminder that one man’s trash might be another man’s treasure. This stunning DIY wood headboard was made out of a large Alder wood front door that was being discarded. To achieve a similar effect with any wooden door, simply cut it to size, add a crown molding shelf at the top and attach a set of legs.
See post: Vintage Headboards|Twin Size Alder Wood Door Headboard
18. Mix Materials For A High End Look
This queen sized wooden headboard combines materials, using supple gray leather and pairing it with a dark stained frame. This wooden element is what adds depth and character to the piece, thanks to its herringbone-style corners and rich brown color. Start by creating the wooden frame, and then finish the piece by laying it over the padded leather upholstery.
See post: Vineta @ The Handyman’s Daughter|DIY Upholstered Leather Headboard With Wood Trim
19. King Headboard Wood Project Using a Door
An antique door is another great material to use as a wooden headboard. This king headboard wood project was quick and easy to complete, showing that sometimes simplicity is the best option. They began by trimming one end of the door to make it symmetrical, then added legs and a crown molding detail on top. Last, they painted it a warm brown color to create a consistent finish.
See post: Vintage Headboards|Rare 6 Panel 100 Year Old Vintage Door Converted Into King Size Headboard
20. Make a Lego-Lover’s Dream Come True
For a kid’s take on a pallet wood headboard, add round slices of wood to each pallet plank to create a rustic Lego-style headboard! Begin by cutting the planks to sizes that resemble Lego blocks, then slice up a couple of 2x2 inch wood dowels to form the round tops on the “Legos.” And after a bit of sanding and staining, you’ll have a whimsical yet rustic wood headboard perfect for the Lego-lover in your life!
See post: Life Up On The Hill|Wood Lego Headboard
While unique wooden headboards can be prohibitively expensive to buy, it doesn’t mean that you have to give up on the idea altogether. There are plenty of ways to build your own headboard out of old pallets, reclaimed or even new wood for a fraction of the price of the store-bought alternative. All it takes is some time and a little bit of inventiveness to create a distinctive headboard that will add style and function to your bedroom.
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Written for the Hometalk community by: Faith Provencher | Design Fixation
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