Eco-chic headboard

Materials: Rykene bed, particle board, hammer, saw, drill, staple gun, cotton fabric, burlap, 8 wooden buttons, an old mattress pad (or foam cut to fit your headboard), strong thread, extra long doll needle

Description: My boyfriend and I were tired of our old Ikea Rykene headboard. We wanted something modern and naturalistic and came up with this ecofriendly project. We used burlap as our fabric, old wooden buttons and an old mattress pad that was headed for the dumpster.


First we removed the six metal bars from the headboard. Next, we sawed off both ends of the top wooden bar of the headboard, to get a nice clean rectangular shape. We then nailed piece of particle board, cut to fit our headboard to the front of the wood frame. Before going any further, we measured and drilled holes for the buttons.

Next we lightly duct taped a piece of an old foam mattress pad to the front of the particle board. We wanted a thicker cushion so we doubled up on the foam. Next we stretched a piece of cotton fabric over the headboard to get the desired shape, stapling the fabric to the back of the frame. This step isn't absolutely necessary but will make it easier to reupholster the bed in the future.

Next we stretched the burlap over the cotton, stapling it to the back of the headboard. Once we had our desired shape, I used a long doll needle to secure the buttons to the front of the headboard. The holes in the back of the headboard intended for the metal bars, made securing the buttons on easy. I tied them down, getting a tufted effect by keeping tension on the line.

The great thing about this project is, with a few modifications, it can be done with virtually any of Ikea's bed frames.

~ Monica, Sacramento, CA