DIY Wood Headboard Tutorial

Is your bed lacking a headboard? Or maybe you just fancy a new one? If you’d like a decorative yet cheap solution, don’t miss this tutorial on how to make a king size headboard out of pallets. Pallets can be used to create contemporary furniture with a quirky rustic touch. This feature gives pallet furniture a lot of personality. That’s why, if you’re looking for something a bit different and original for your bedroom, we encourage you to make your own DIY wood headboard out of pallets.

Go ahead, start creating!

Tools and Materials

• Reciprocating saw
• Reciprocating saw blade for wood and metal
• Mitre saw or mitre box
• Sander
• Drill/ screwdriver
• Nail gun
• Coach screws
• Brush
• Paint and varnish
• Masking tape
• 2 wooden planks measuring 2400 x 680 x 210mm

Cost, time and difficulty

This DIY project requires a certain level of expertise in the use of both the reciprocating saw and the mitre saw. Therefore it is rated medium difficulty and recommended for DIYers who have already completed projects requiring similar tools!

The approximate cost of the materials is less than £40, although this will vary depending on the price of the pallets and the tools you already own. Read this guide to find out how to find cheap or free pallets.

You can purchase some of the tools and materials used via this sample shopping basket.

Lastly, to make a headboard from pallets like this one, you will need around 8 hours. Keep in mind that a large part of the time will be spent decorating the pallets, meaning you can cut down the completion time by using only a simple coloured varnish.

Step-by-step Tutorial

Step 1: Dismantle the pallets

First of all you need to dismantle the pallets. Remember that in our case, the bed measures 1.5m wide, so we need 20 pallet boards lined up vertically to cover the whole width.

To dismantle the pallet quickly, use a reciprocating saw. Insert the saw blade between the joints with the crossbeams to cut the boards in just a few minutes.

Note that it is important to use a suitable wood and metal blade for the saw.

Step 2: Sand the pallet

The next step is to sand the pallet boards with a sander. This allows you to:

• Even up and smooth the surface of the wood.
• Remove splinters, mildew, and resins from the top layer.

Step 3: Cut the boards

Next, you will cut the length of the board to the desired headboard height. In our case, the headboard is 1.2m high, although the visible section is only 70cm.

When it comes to cutting the boards with the mitre saw, bear in mind that you should set them at various levels to form the silhouette of the skyscrapers. Furthermore, the upper edge of several boards should be cut to angles of 30º and 45º. This gives the look of sloping rooftops to some of the buildings.

Step 4: Assemble the headboard

To make the headboard frame that the pallet boards will be attached to, follow these steps:

1. Cut two planks measuring 120 × 6.8 × 2.1cm for the sides, and 2 measuring 155 × 6.8 × 2.1cm for the top and bottom.
2. Screw on the horizontal planks to the back of the vertical planks, leaving a 70cm gap between them.

Step 5: Attach the pallet boards to the frame

Once you have assembled the frame, attach the pallet boards. To do this, nail one pallet board beside another, keeping in mind that they should all be attached at varying heights.

Step 6: Paint and varnish the headboard

The last step is to paint and varnish the headboard. This step is not only decorative but also helps to protect the wood, giving it a durable finish.

To paint the boards we combined different varnish stains (oak and wenge colours). We also painted a few boards in metallic silver and gold, then coated these with a varnish to dull down the brightness.

Lastly, paint the windows with the help of masking tape. This tape is so fine that it allows you to paint perfect edges without the paint seeping through.

Después de todos estos pasos, así habrá quedado finalmente el cabecero de cama con palets.

This article was written by: Bricoydeco and translated. Mari Luz authors the blog ‘Bricoydeco’, she is a DIY fanatic, lover of recycling and customising furniture. Her passion is giving a second chance to turn once forgotten things into unique pieces!

Have you got a fine pallet? Hungry for more?

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