Bedroom furniture is ridiculous. I looked at headboards online and the ones I actually liked started at three hundred dollars. For a piece of wood leaned against the wall. I decided to build my own, and the total came to about forty bucks.

If you can cut a straight line with a saw, you can build this in an afternoon.

What you need

Grab a 4×8 sheet of plywood, about $25 to $35 depending on the grade, and a few basic tools. You also need sandpaper, wood glue, and either paint or stain you already own. The hardware store will cut the plywood to size for you, usually free, which makes this project beginner friendly.

The size: measure your bed width and add 6 inches on each side. For a queen, that is around 66 inches wide. Height is your choice, but 36 to 48 inches looks good under most windows.

Cut and shape the top

Have the store cut the board to your width and height. If you want a rounded top, mark a curve with a dinner plate and cut it with a jigsaw. If you want it simple, leave the top square and sand the edges. Both look good, the curve just takes a little more time.

I did a gentle arch on mine. It took ten minutes with a jigsaw and made the whole thing look way more expensive than it was.

Sand everything

Plywood edges are rough. Sand the edges and face with 120 grit, then a pass with 220 grit for smoothness. The sanding is the difference between looking like a building project and looking like furniture. Take the extra ten minutes.

Add trim for a finished look

The secret to a headboard that looks custom: add a piece of trim or molding along the top edge. A simple strip of crown molding or even a lattice strip glued on changes the whole look. Hardware stores sell this by the foot and it is cheap.

Finish it

Paint or stain, your choice. Paint hides plywood grain completely, which is nice if you want a clean modern look. Stain shows the wood grain but plywood grain can look busy, so test it on a scrap piece first.

Two coats with light sanding between coats gives a furniture finish. Let it dry fully before mounting.

Mounting it without drilling your wall to death

You can mount a headboard to the wall with heavy duty picture hangers rated for the weight, or attach it directly to the bed frame with brackets. The easiest method: screw two small blocks to the back of the headboard that slot behind the bed frame legs. The weight of the bed holds it in place.

The headboard has been up for a year and a half. Guests have asked where I bought it twice. I told them the hardware store, which is technically true.