As the new school year approached, I was looking for something to spruce up my dorm room since last year. I found hundreds of DIY headboard tutorials on Pinterest, which inspired me and my dad to make one for my dorm. This was a really fun and easy project that made many of my friends think I was lying about making it at home.

Materials:

1 1/3 square yard slab of some type of hard material (I used medium-density fibreboard, but you can use plywood or even some really nice cardboard)

1 saw (I used a table saw, but a hand saw would work just fine)

1 drill

1 ruler

1 hammer

1 1/3 square yard of foam or 2 rolls of batting

1 button kit

1 craft button-making kit

1 1/3 square yard of cloth to cover your headboard, plus at least one square foot extra

1 Staple gun

17 nails

17 washers

Directions:

1. Take the fibreboard and trace your desired shape. I traced a dome shape

2. Once you’ve confirmed that your tracing is symmetrical, cut the excess board away

3. Glue your piece of foam to cover the board. Mine was about 2 inches thick, but you can use layers of batting instead for the same look

4. If you’re going for the tufted look, plan out where you want the tufts to be. Be sure not to make the tufts too close together. I made mine about four inches apart

5. Drill holes in the spots you designated for the tufts. My holes were about ¾ inch in diameter

6. Using the scrap material, make the button using the kit’s accompanying directions. The directions are very straightforward

7. Lay your chosen material over the board-and-foam combination

8. Put the nails through the center of the washer

9. Poke the nail through the material and into a hole in the foam

10. Using the hammer, hit the nail until it is secured in both the foam and the board. Make sure the nail doesn’t poke through to the other side

11. Fold the excess material behind the board and, using the staple gun, stable it to the back of the board. Cut off any excess material that might hang from the free-standing headboard

This is a great way to personalize your room and make your small dorm feel more like home. You can pick the color, the size and the decorations you want!