Things You'll Need
Heavy-duty tape measure
Tie-on chair cushions or a bench cushion
Decorative heavy-duty screw-in hooks
Hammer
Nails
Rag
Pliers
Hanging cushions for a headboard gives you a custom bed. This basic project gives the bedroom an inexpensive update, and the cushions add comfort for sitting in bed. Choose a durable fabric and a basic color that goes with your decor for long-term use, or hang a new or recovered cushion every time you want to change the bed's look. Using basic hardware to hang cushions as a headboard gives you the effect of popular Euro cushions -- without having to move big pillows every time you make the bed. You'll need a helper for this project.
Step 1
Measure your bed from one side of the mattress to the other. This is to check the width of the bed so you can choose the right cushion size. It's fine to measure across the foot of the bed so you don't have to move the pillows.
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Step 2
Center the cushions against the wall at the head of the bed. Have your helper hold them in place. Together they should approximate the width of the bed. Alternatively, you can hang one bench cushion to serve as the headboard.
Step 3
Adjust the cushions so you can rest you shoulder blades on them when you lean back while sitting up in bed. The cushions can hang so their bottom edges are a few inches above the mattress. You can prop your pillows against the wall to create a soft, attractive bed.
Step 4
Set a carpenter's level on the top edge of each cushion and adjust the cushions so they'll be level. Tie each pair of cushion ties in a knot or bow. Hold each tied pair against the wall with the cushions in place. Mark the wall in pencil inside the top of each pair of ties, where a hook will go. Set the cushions aside.
Step 5
Screw a decorative hook into the wall at each pencil mark. Tap a nail the same diameter as the hook screw into the wall if it's difficult to start the screw. Cover each hook with a rag to protect the finish and use pliers to finish screwing each hook into the wall. Position each hook with the open side facing up.
Step 6
Hang the cushions on the hooks by slipping one pair of ties over each hook. Make the bed as usual and arrange your bed pillows against the wall to create an inviting effect.
Tip
Start holes for the screw-in hooks with a hammer and nail or a drill if the wall surface is hard or you don't have the hand strength to screw in the decorative hook.
Choose a cushion thick enough for comfort. Some tie-on cushions are thin and don't offer much support as a back rest.
If you tie the ties into a bow, make it a double bow the way you'd tie a child's shoelaces to keep them from coming untied. This will help keep the tie from coming undone when you lean back on the cushion headboard.
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