Making a Vintage Button upholstered headboard is an easy weekend project. You can use this vintage headboard to display an entire collection of vintage buttons or cover only certain areas if the headboard in a design.
In a few hours you can make to completely transform an ordinary bedroom into a shabby chic get away.
Use your favorite Vintage Buttons to make this simple upholstered headboard. If you like to collect Vintage Buttons then you should have an awesome headboard.
You can complete this Vintage Buttons project in one day, for less than $100. The cost will depend on how pricey your materials are.
To save money making your headboard I recommend using a your own Vintage Buttons and a sheet to cover the headboard. You could also buy buttons that looks old.
To Make an Upholstered Vintage Buttons Head Board You Will Need:
MDF (3, 6, or 9 Pieces, sizes described below)
Foam
Fabric (sheet)
Vintage Buttons
Needle Thread
Staple Gun
Screws
Flat L brackets
Spray adhesive
The first step is to cut your MDF to size. I recommend letting the professionals at the home improvement store make these cuts for you. They only charge 25 cents a cut!
My measurements are merely recommendations for a Vintage Buttons bed headboard. You can easily change the dimensions of this headboard for a twin, full, or king-sized bed based on the size of your bed.
Cut three separate pieces of MDF to these specific measurements:
Measure how wide your bed is.
Now, have the MDF cut to the largest square possible to match the width of your bed. You can always make it larger if your want though! The look is in threes, so three across and three squares up is what we are going for.
You need at least thee of these, but you can make it as wide or as tall as you want.
Now, cut a piece of foam to fit each of the three or more pieces of MDF exactly. You can buy sheets of foam at any fabric store. To save time you can as them to cut it. You can also easily cut it at home using an electric knife.
Lay your pieces of MDF outside on a flat work surface. Spray each piece lightly with a strong adhesive spray. Lay the corresponding foam piece on the MDF and press it into place. The spray adhesive with hold it in place so it does not ever move.
Now, cut your sheet or plain fabric out to squares that are about three inches wider and taller than your MDF squares.
Now, this next step will take a little time, but the results will be worth it!
Start sewing on your Vintage Buttons to the fabric. You can cover the entire square of fabric, or create a pattern. Do this on all three pieces of fabric before you move on.
Lay the Vintage Buttons Square of fabric face down on a clean flat work surface. You want the button fronts you want to see laying down on the table.
Lay the corresponding piece of MDF and foam down on the back of the Vintage Buttons Square. The foam should be touching the back of the Vintage Buttons Square. Start in the middle of each side. Pull the Vintage Buttons square up and over the back of the MDF. Use a staple gun to attach it in place. If you are worried about damaging the Vintage Button Square you can use upholstery tacks.
Do the middle of each of the four sides first. Pull the Vintage button square in taunt each time. Evenly work your way out from the center staples. Do the four corners last? To make them neat practice folding them over like you is wrapping a package. Once you have the right look staple the corner fabric into place.
Repeat this process on all of the pieces of the Vintage button headboard.
Now, once all of your Vintage button pieces are covered you need to lay them face down on a clean work surface. Place three in a row or however many you need to be as wide as your specific bed. Line the squares up at the bottom of the headboard. This line should be straight, causing a straight line at the top of the Vintage button headboard.
Use a metal flat bracket to attach each piece of the Vintage button headboard together. Place one at the top and one at the bottom of every piece of the headboard. The left hole of the bracket should be on the left piece and the right hole of the bracket should be on the right piece. You can find these flat brackets where the L brackets are in the hardware store. Make a mark where each hole falls with a pencil. Pre drill the hole about ½ inch in. Lay the brackets back in place and screw them into place.
Screw in picture hanging hooks onto the left and right sides of the back of the upholstered Vintage button headboard. If you are making this exceptionally large, bigger than the recommended dimensions here, use heavy weight picture hanging hooks. The hooks should be installed about four inches in from the left and right side of the headboard. They should be about 2 inches down from the top of this piece.
Install you screws into the wall and hang your upholstered Vintage button headboard.
Make sure your screws are firmly attached into the wall. You can drill them into the studs for best results, which may cause you to place your picture hanging hooks on the back of the headboard based on these measurements. You could also install toggle bolts into drywall if no studs are located where you need them.
