Upholstered headboard

[Mike Walsh]

My daughter has outgrown a loft bed that I built about 12 yrs ago and now wants a standard frame with an upholstered headboard. I was thinking of building a frame out of ~2" lumber and filling the field, front and back, with plywood - very rough drawing below. Final shape of the top of the frame is still TBD. We'd then upholster (foam+batting+fabric) the whole thing from above the bottom cross member.

I'd use mortise 7 tenon joinery for the head and footboard and connect both to the side rails with bed bolts. So I think the whole thing would be more than strudy enough

Is there anything of concern with this approach - or any better ideas?

Thanks,
Mike
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[Jim Becker]

If the frame will surround things as your image shows, your upholstery will likely be on a separate panel that will get inserted into the space and fastened from behind. So to conserve weight, you don't need to fully fill the space...just put in blocking that you can fasten through. If the back of the headboard will also be visible, it will be easy to insert a wood panel from the rear subsequent to fastening the upholstered panel using decorative (yet removable) fasteners into the same blocking.

[Mike Walsh]

thanks Jim, good suggestion! Using the separate upholstered panel may also make the construction easier - I'm getting pushed to finish this quickly

[Don Jarvie]

I made a similar headboard to what you are describing and had a rabbit around the frame and inserted the upholstered part in from the back. I added blocks to hold the padded part in place screwed into the frame. Just make the frame wide enough to account for the lip, padded part and blocks. If you use 1/2 ply for the padded part, a frame width of 1 1/2 inches should be fine.

[Jim Becker]

thanks Jim, good suggestion! Using the separate upholstered panel may also make the construction easier - I'm getting pushed to finish this quickly

Getting a nice finished edge without using a separate panel would be somewhat of a challenge, especially for anyone with limited experience with upholstery. Do remember that the panel will have to be slightly undersized to account for material thickness and corners can be tricky. :) Don's suggestion for inserting from the back is also a good one, especially for many of us that resemble the person I eluded to in my first sentence...the limited upholstery experience person.

[Mike Walsh]

Thanks. I'm trying to keep the shape of the headboard (top) as simple as possible to minimize headaches with the upholstery. I have some recent experience with chair seats - but that was horsehair over webbing (and i didn't find it to be fun)

[Mike Walsh]

Finally finished this headboard project. First picture shows the poplar frame which I covered with birch plywood to just above the cross-rail. Second picture shows the final product - my wife did the upholstery in a class a local WW school. The fabric pattern "drifted" a little from center, but it should be fine. I'm pretty happy with how it came out and my daughter loves it. Foot board is done, just need to mill up some rails. Thanks for all the suggestions and advice

Mike

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[Jim Becker]

I'm thinking that you did a great job on that!