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An oversized headboard is a really easy way to add drama to a room. Whether it’s floor to ceiling or wall to wall like ours, they definitely make a statement.

I started by measuring the wall and deciding what width to make the panels. I wanted them around 20cm wide so I divided the wall length (in cm) by 20 and that gave me the number of sections I needed. The problem was that the wall didn’t divide evenly and I didn’t want a half section at the end so I swapped the numbers (20 panels at 22.5cm rather than 22.5 panels at 20cm). Is there probably an easier way to work this out? Probably. Am I a mathematician? No!

I thought about buying the foam in large sections and cutting it myself but because I wanted the sizes to be exact I decided to order pre-cut foam. This also meant they were perfectly straight and the edges were sharp. I used ‘Standard Sofa Cushion Foam’ from foamdirect.co.uk and it was really easy, I just entered the dimensions and quantity and it was delivered a few days later.

You could use any type of fabric. After many many samples, I decided to go with a Seafoam velvet from Terry’s Fabrics. My top tip would be to order more fabric than you think you will need. I didn’t account for the sides of each foam panel and under ordered by about 2 meters. This caused a big delay as the fabric was actually out of stock for a few months so I couldn’t finish the room.

The next step was putting everything together. I used 18mm thick MDF as the backing and stapled the velvet to the backside of one edge. I then flipped the MDF over and used Spray Adhesive to stick down one of the foam sections. I covered the foam with fabric, smoothed it out, and stapled in place. The next section butted right up to the last to cover the staples and I repeated this for the full length of the wall. When all the panels were in place and covered I trimmed the top and bottom then carefully folded and stapled each section.

We had another little mishap the first time we tried to attach it to the wall. The plan was to drill between some of the panels and screw the headboard to the wall. Our mistake was not cutting a slit in the fabric before drilling which caused the fabric to get tangled in the drill and make a big tear. I could have cried! After that, we cut a little gap for the drill and there were no more rips. For now, we have hidden the rip on one end and I’ve enlisted my mum to repair it. I don’t have the sewing skills or patience for a job like that.

We made a few mistakes but overall I would say making the headboard was pretty simple, even for an upholstery novice like myself. I’d definitely recommend giving it a go!