DIY Headboard Ideas to Beautify Your Bed

The headboard is a focal point in any bedroom, which also means it's a great place to start when you're ready to refresh your space. But it might not be practical to rush out and purchase a brand-new headboard (in this economy!?) just because you're bored with your bedroom decor.

Never fear! Look no further than our roundup of DIY headboard ideas to make your bedroom feel cozier, more rustic or more glamorous or to create whichever vibes you crave. We've gathered a whole slew of easy headboard upgrades from some of social media's most brilliant DIYers. Just don't blame us if you want to spend more time lounging around in your bed than ever before!

Let's start simple. This makeover idea from TikToker @nataliedoef offers an easy option for upgrading a headboard made of simple wooden slats. It requires just three things: a staple gun, scissors and a sheet of rattan or cane webbing material, which you can purchase via Etsy or a home improvement store. If you're seeking boho or beachy vibes in your bedroom but have limited DIY skills, adding rattan to your headboard and footboard will do the trick with minimal effort!

It might sound unconventional, but creating a tile headboard makes sense once you think about it. The huge variety of tile styles and shapes gives you tons of freedom to customize your headboard design. Creating a unique headboard by plastering real tiles to your wall, like Instagrammer @maitlandandpoate did, is certainly a bold swing. Consider trying it with temporary peel-and-stick tiles if you like the look but aren't ready for a permanent commitment.

Hello, glamour! Building and tufting a headboard with luxe upholstery fabric and buttons might not be a beginner's DIY project, but if you have the patience and skills to pull it off, you'll wind up with an eye-catching statement piece at a fraction of the typical cost. The process is too involved for @thatdesignermom to share completely in a brief TikTok video, so she also offers a step-by-step tutorial for the project on YouTube.

If the idea of making your own tufted headboard from scratch gives you DIY anxiety, let's go back to basics with a simple project from TikToker @lexi.diy. She crafts a rental-friendly upholstered headboard using a lightweight foam base that attaches directly to the wall above the bed. It's already a low-cost project, but you can make it even cheaper if you repurpose an old sheet instead of buying new fabric.

Maybe you already have a perfectly good fabric headboard, but it's just a little...meh. Instead of replacing or reupholstering, what if you added some visual interest in the form of iron-on patches? That's what Instagrammer @istoriainteriors did to liven up a child's headboard, but there's no age limit for this brilliant design idea. Scour Etsy, flea markets and local craft fairs for iron-on patches that speak to your aesthetic.

No one admiring your bedroom decor needs to know that your chic velvet headboard is made from pool noodles and a piece of plywood. TikToker @diydecorwithcg makes it look easy with this tutorial. We love unexpected projects like this—especially when they're totally cost-effective!

If you love the slightly retro, rustic look of macrame but don't ‌actually‌ know how to tie all those intricate little knots, this DIY headboard project could be for you. TikToker @hello_homes builds a simple wooden headboard frame and then uses a basic basket-weaving technique and many, many yards of macrame cord. The result is a lightweight macrame headboard perfect for installing in a college apartment.

Where's the rule saying a headboard can't stretch up to the ceiling? Oh, right, there isn't one—so get inspired by @casaboanova's example from Instagram. They used wallpaper, wooden slats and leaves from a local tree to create a one-of-a-kind oversize headboard/modern wall art piece.

Painting a faux headboard on the wall behind your bed, like TikToker @georgethemillennial demonstrates, is a genius way to make your bedroom design feel "done" without taking on crafting or woodworking projects. Granted, painting a headboard isn't always feasible. Before you lift a brush, make sure you're happy with the bed frame and nightstand positioning. And it's probably not an option if you rent, though you could replicate the effect of a painted headboard using temporary wallpaper.

Are you going to make over your own headboard or create a new one from scratch? Do you keep things rustic or make a statement with a jewel-toned headboard that covers half the wall? It's your room and your choice!