DIY Headboard Ideas for a Small Bedroom

A bed without a headboard tends to look temporary, like a mattress waiting for the rest of the furniture to arrive. In a small bedroom that matters more than usual, because the bed fills most of the view and has nothing else to hide behind.

The DIY headboard ideas here share one property: they add almost no depth. A store-bought upholstered headboard can push the bed 3 to 4 in (8 to 10 cm) into the room. Most of these take less than 1 in (2.5 cm), and two of them take none at all.

Getting the Proportions Right First

Whatever you make, the shape does the work. A headboard reads best when it is the width of the mattress or up to about 4 in wider on each side, and rises roughly 20 to 28 in (50 to 70 cm) above the top of the mattress. Lower than that and the pillows hide it. Much taller, and in a room with a standard ceiling it starts to dominate the wall.

Mark your planned outline on the wall with painter’s tape and look at it from the door before committing.

1. A Painted Headboard Shape

A rectangle, an arch or a rounded block painted directly on the wall behind the bed has zero depth and still gives the bed a clear backdrop. Choose a color two or three steps deeper than the wall, such as dusty blue on warm white, in a matte finish so the edges look soft. Start the shape at the floor, not at mattress height, so no gap of wall color shows if the bed shifts.

An arch makes a low ceiling feel higher, because the curve leads the eye upward. A wide rectangle that extends past the nightstands makes a narrow wall look broader. If you rent, get permission before painting.

2. A Fabric-Wrapped Panel That Stands on the Floor

Cut a panel of thin plywood or rigid foam board to the width of the bed and tall enough to stand on the floor and reach your chosen height. Wrap it in a layer of batting and then a sturdy fabric, such as linen, canvas or cotton velvet, pulled tight and fastened on the back. A fabric remnant is usually enough, which makes this one of the better low-cost updates for a small bedroom. The panel stands on the floor and the bed frame presses it against the wall.

The result looks like an upholstered headboard and feels soft to lean on, at roughly 1 in deep. The panel has to be held firmly along its full width so it cannot lean forward. If the bed does not pin it tightly, it should be secured to the wall as described in the safety note below.

3. Large Cushions Against the Wall

Two or three firm cushions about 26 in (65 cm) square, stood on edge along the wall behind the sleeping pillows, form a soft headboard with nothing to build. Use covers in one solid color and a heavy weave so they read as one piece of upholstery. This suits a bed in a corner especially well, since the row can turn the corner and run along the side wall, turning the bed into something closer to a daybed.

4. A Textile Hung on a Rod

A quilt, a woven blanket or a length of heavy fabric hung flat from a slim rod gives color, pattern and softness in one move. Set the rod so the textile falls behind the pillows and ends just below the mattress top. A small-scale pattern works here, because the pillows cover part of it.

This is the one idea in the list that hangs over the bed, so keep it lightweight: a slim rod and fabric only, no heavy poles or decorative finials. The guide to what to hang above the bed covers sizing and spacing for anything else on that wall.

5. Floor-Standing Rattan or Cane Panels

Two or three woven panels standing side by side behind the bed bring a natural texture that suits pale rooms. Old folding-screen sections and cane-fronted cabinet doors found secondhand are the usual sources. Because the weave is open, the wall color shows through, so the headboard looks lighter than a solid panel of the same size, which helps when the bed already takes up most of the room.

Tall panels need the same care as any tall piece. They should be secured so they cannot tip forward, either pinned along their full width by the bed frame or fixed at the top.

6. A Low Freestanding Ledge

A narrow box or console about 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) deep, as wide as the bed and topped about 8 in (20 cm) above the mattress, stands on the floor between the bed and the wall. It is the deepest idea here, and it earns the space by replacing a nightstand: a small clip-on or rechargeable reading light, a book and a glass of water all fit on top.

Paint it the wall color so it looks built in, or a deeper tone so it reads as a headboard. Keep what sits on it low and soft-edged, with nothing heavy or made of glass directly behind the pillows.

7. Removable Wallpaper Cut to Shape

A panel of peel-and-stick wallpaper cut into an arch or rectangle gives the effect of a painted shape with pattern added, such as a small botanical print, a grasscloth look or a wide stripe. Draw the outline on the backing paper, cut it out and apply it from the top down.

Renters should check the lease or ask the landlord first, test a small piece on a hidden spot for a few days, and use the product only on the surfaces its maker lists. Removal results vary with paint type and wall condition. More approaches along these lines are in the guide to renter-friendly bedroom decor.