How to recover a curved, nailhead headboard - tutorial!

How to recover a curved, nailhead headboard - tutorial!

• 1.17.2023

I wanted a really unique, cool headboard for my One Room Challenge guest room but I wasn't prepared for a full-on from-scratch plywood etc. DIY headboard. I found a curved headboard with nailhead trim (not my favorite) for $10 on Facebook Marketplace and recovered it with a beautiful fabric, and found a great solution for covering up the nailhead trim. I didn't even have to remove it! Easy tutorial here!

DIY recovered curved headboard tutorial

You will need:

• Headboard
• Fabric (plan to run the fabric vertically, so enough for the width and height of the headboard plus 6"+ on each side--I had to use two widths of my 53" wide fabric for my full/queen headboard)
• Optional/if your headboard is dark and your fabric is light: white spray paint
• Spray adhesive
• Staple gun and staples
• High heat hot glue gun and glue
• Piping cord (or, I used macrame cord since I liked the size better)
• Zipper foot
• Or, for simpler/no sewing, contrast trim!
• Standard sewing tools

Instructions:

1. Measure out and dry fit the fabric. I had to piece mine so I chose how I wanted to center the pattern on the headboard.

Identify the seam location. I recommend one that already has some vertical texture (i.e. I chose a patterned stripe vs. a solid stripe).

2. Optional/if your headboard is dark and your fabric is light. Give the headboard a light coat or two of white spray paint. Let dry while you sew. 

Generally, spray painting fabric does not work, but since this is just a light coat and it just clings to the top layer of fuzz of the fabric, it should be fine and not cause cracking. And it'll be covered anyway. Just don't overdo it.

3. Piece the fabric, if needed. 

Press seam open, nice and flat. 

4. Apply spray adhesive to the headboard and lay the fabric on top. Press from the center out. Spray adhesive dries pretty quickly, so work in 1-3' chunks. Avoid the edges (north of the nailhead trim) for now.

5. Apply hot glue on top of the nailheads to make sure the fabric really sticks there. It's okay if the texture of the glue and nailheads shows through since you'll cover it with piping.

6. Apply more spray adhesive around the edges and flip over.

7. Snip fabric so it lays flat once bent around curves, and staple. 

8. Cut bias strips. I did mine 2.5" but ended up cutting a lot of excess off, so you could probably go smaller (also depending on the size of your bias cord and finger precision). 

9. Make the double bias tape. With a zipper foot, fold over the bias and sew close to the cord.

Trim the excess. 

Add the other piece of cord and sew through all layers. 

Trim the excess again. 

Remember, if this whole double bias tape thing gets you feeling overwhelmed, go to the upholstery trim section of a large fabric store and look for a contrast trim that goes with your fabric and just use that instead! This could even be a no-sew project that way (if you don't have to piece for the headboard width).

10. Hot-glue the trim on, working slowly and carefully around the curves. 

Bolt the headboard back onto the legs, and... Wahooo!!!

Honestly this room already had plenty of statements (yes, I know that wall color is intense!) but... I LOVE this headboard! What a cool piece, huh!?!

You can read more about this room and all the sources here.