15 Ideas and Secrets For Making DIY Wooden Headboards Look Expensive

Using wood is one of the simplest ways of building a DIY headboard. Below I go over all of the different techniques and creative ways to create a stylish, store bought looking DIY wooden headboard.

Avoid The Biggest Mistake – Finish With Style

A lot of people build a very flat rectangle wooden headboard, which tends to end up looking a little bit unfinished.

1. Finish With Style #1: Creating a border

One way to avoid the ‘flat look’ is to add a border around the headboard. Ana White built a rustic reclaimed wooden headboard and finishes it off with a simple border – her tutorial includes plans on how to make it.

2. Finish With Style #2: Trim pieces

Or how about adding some trim pieces to create different decorative shapes within the headboard – by Shanty 2 Chic

3. Finish With Style #3: Decorative painting

Another way to break up a flat rectangle headboard is to add some shapes to it with paint – the tutorial for the vintage looking headboard above can be found here.

4. Finish With Style #4: Creating gaps

Even separating boards can create some depth and make the headboard look more like a store bought one – by Brian Haazard

Shaping Your Headboard

Another way to avoid the flat look is to create a shape

5. Shaping Your Headboard #1: Wooden planks and a jigsaw

DIY using wooden slats and a jigsaw by Remodelaholic

6. Shaping Your Headboard #2: Create a faux live edge headboard

Or how about using plywood / pine board to create a faux live edge headboard – made by Hunted Interior

7. Getting Crafty – Seeing a Headboard in Other Objects

Wall art frames combined with fabric are used to create a headboard – Happiness is Homemade

8. Upgrading an IKEA Bed

This IKEA bed and headboard gets an upgrade with stick on wooden strips – by Sugar and Cloth

9. Upcycling and Refinishing an Old Headboard

A very easy way to DIY a wooden headboard is to use an old one, and give it new life. Your old one or a thrifted headboard can be painted for a new style – Doss Decor

10. The Headboard Conversion

An old door can be transformed into a stylish headboard – Infarrantly Creative

Inspiration Corner

Here are a few very stylish wooden headboard ideas that don’t have any DIY instructions – but are pretty straight forward to make.

11. Creating a Pattern

Reclaimed wood, barn wood, or stained pallets, can be arranged into a a designer pattern to form a stylish headboard – Design Sponge

12. Using an Old Window

An old window gets transformed into a large vintage headboard – Kara Rosenlund

13. Canvas Art

Canvas art can be mounted onto plywood, and fitted behind the bed to create an artistic headboard – Soldier Sailor

14. Decorative Wooden Blocks

This is the one DIY project I’m eyeing up to do

15. A Wooden Carving Headboard

A wooden carving makes for a decorative headboard design – which can be painted to match the color palette of your bedroom. This would be an interesting DIY to watch, but until then it can be bought over at Urban Outfitters.

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