50 Best DIY Headboard Ideas

Go rustic with a set of barn doors as your headboard. It’s a creative and resourceful way to bring intrigue and texture to your bedroom.

Adding raised trim behind a bed creates visual interest to not only the bed, but to the entire space. Custom trimwork will make the room instantly feel chic and elevated.

If getting your hands dirty appeals to you, then a DIY painted headboard might be for you. It’s an idea that gives you total creative control—paint color, design and detail are all in your hands.

This is the perfect way to bring some dramatic details to your space and get a beautiful headboard in the process. There are so many design patterns and templates out there, so you can find the perfect fit for your room.

Curtains don’t only belong besides a window. Why not take some pretty drapes and have them frame out a headboard behind a bed? Get creative with different fabric colors and patterns, or stick with neutrals.

Using a large piece of art as a headboard is a chic way to create a focal point in a bedroom. Whether it’s traditional or contemporary, the art itself can be handpicked to fit any style and space.

A headboard doesn’t always have to be the most striking feature of a bedroom. Keeping it simple allows the other design elements of the space shine through, like the striking wallpaper and art on the walls, as seen in this bedroom.

For a coastal-inspired room, go to the beach for headboard materials. Driftwood or recycled oars bring a bit of the beach inside, and come together beautifully to frame a bed.

For a quick update to an existing headboard, simply drape a blanket. Blankets with pretty patterns, or even just a new color, add a fresh take to a room.

Talk about a wow factor! A custom floral mural behind a bed pulls the attention to one point of this bedroom.

Quilts are classic bedroom elements, so why not bring one to the headboard? With a variety of patterns and colors to choose from, a quilt-covered headboard brings a traditional design element to any room.

Transform any bedroom space into a magical place with a sheer canopy. Any little girl’s room is sure to be the most whimsical with soft tulle framing the bed.

A macrame wall hanging functions as a faux headboard in this neutral space. There are tons of different colors and patterns out there, so get creative — maybe, you could even learn to make one yourself.

A tufted headboard is a classic style that is sure to stick around for years to come. If you’re looking to bring a little femininity and elegance to your space, this style will be perfect for you.

If you really want to create depth and visual interest, add custom wood paneling behind your bed. This chevron wood detail adds a modern and sophisticated element to this bedroom space.

Bring a nautical design element to the bedroom with wainscoting. Not only is it classic, but it’s the perfect material to define a headboard design.

Creating a headboard out of wallpaper is an easy way to make a statement. Bring the wallpaper from floor to ceiling for an eye-catching focal point in the room.

For a bedroom fit for a princess, add a beautiful canopy above the bed. Stunning fabric will bring a bit of whimsy and wonder to any child’s room.

If you have a plain headboard, you can add a bold graphic over top to elevate the space. With matching pillows on the bed, the eye is drawn right to the bed in this space.

A modern art piece brings a contemporary flair to this bedroom space. Mixing different materials, such as wire and wood, gives this bedroom tons of cool texture.

Custom shelving above a bed makes for a practical and beautiful headboard. It’s a good place to display odds and ends, and also serves as a convenient spot to rest a water glass or phone.

With a four-poster bed, you can’t go wrong with using beautiful curtains as a headboard. Curtains create texture and movement, while also adding an element of softness.

Hanging a flag (or two) is such a great way to add personality to a space. Nautical flags give this bedroom just the right touch of coastal flair.

Some delicate lattice work adds a bit of dimension and beauty to this bedroom space. It will bring a bit of garden party magic from the outside in.

A custom fabric headboard can cost a fortune and have a high lead time these days. Who wants to wait around when you can simply DIY it? This floral fabric headboard is secured with simple ribbon bows, adding a touch of feminine charm to the look.

The perfect solution to the ‘no drawing on the walls’ dilemma. A wall painted with chalkboard paint allows the imagination of a child to run wild and design their own custom headboard. It’s a win-win for everyone!

There are so many ways to get crafty with wall art, and wall decals are one of them. They are a brilliant way to add a personalized design element to a bedroom that doesn’t feel too permanent.

Custom built-ins elevate just about any space in a home. This bedroom is a dream for avid readers and collectors of any type. Put all of your favorite knick knacks on display.

The Chicago-based Alan Design Studio swapped out a traditional headboard for a Japanese folding screen in this glamorous bedroom.

Follow interior designer Duan Curry’s lead and consider utilizing sanded wood panels as a decorative headboard.

Atlanta-based studio Atelier Davis achieved a bohemian vibe by subbing a geometric rug for a traditional headboard.

San Francisco-based firm Form + Field paired a low-profile bed with a folding screen, creating a casually cool and classically Californian-inspired bedroom.

Superimposing a cozy throw over a headboard is never a bad idea! Designer Denise Foley draped a tactile orange textile over a complementary headboard in this bohemian bedroom to create an alluring effect.

Post a wood panel onto your bedroom wall and voila! You have a sleek headboard, much like this one teed up by LA-firm Trip Haenisch & Associates.

For this guest bedroom, Chicago-based studio Branca used a bold geometric textile for both the room’s curtains and headboards.

A personalized paint job can do wonders when it comes to making a headboard feel like your own. Ann Arbor-based studio Cloth & Kind decorated an old headboard with gray paint and sweet pink accents.

A unique rattan headboard makes an excellent partner to lively wallpaper, as illustrated in this lively bedroom teed up by Trellis Home Design.

A bold textile fashioned as a headboard makes a dramatic statement in this quintessentially Californian bedroom by design A-lister Martyn Lawrence Bullard.

Purple panels fashioned as a headboard make an arresting impact in this chic bedroom by New York-based designer Duan Curry.

If you own a headboard with a spectacular silhouette, simply reupholster it to give it new life! For the dramatic headboard in this eclectic bedroom, designer Robin Gannon selected a classic tartan plaid.

A smoked mirror layered behind a simple headboard makes a striking impact in this room designed by Summer Thornton.

Crowning store-bought headboards with canopies is an excellent way to make them feel custom, as illustrated in this darling bedroom designed by Ash Street Interiors.

A towering headboard can add instant drama to a room, as illustrated in this transportive bedroom from Dan Scotti Design.

Designer Angie Hranowksy transforms a simple bamboo headboard into an intriguing moment by layering an ornate textile panel behind it.

Built-in bookshelves and a pop-out upholstered panel make the headboard in this room designed by Harte Brownlee & Associates as customizable as can be.

An extended upholstered headboard designed by the firm Form + Field adds gravitas to this room’s casual, floor-skimming bed.

When personally customizing a headboard, you can extend it to also envelop your nightstands. Take inspiration from Beverly Hills-based designer, Lori Gilder.