5 Ideas For Vintage-Inspired Headboards

With the right headboard to frame your bed, you can change the whole look of your
bedroom. Whether your décor just feels blah or you love your current style but need a
little extra drama, a “new” headboard can freshen up your bedroom. Create an eye-
catching focal point in your bedroom with these five headboard ideas. They all use
vintage or salvaged items to craft stunning headboards that are do-it-yourself easy.

Rustic wooden planks

image: House Tweaking

Talk about a freebie headboard. Reclaim some old planks from a neighbor’s torn
down fence, salvage yards, secondhand stores…wherever you can find them. Leave
the boards in their weathered state or stain them in a hue you like. Then, simply
nail them together in a pattern of your choosing above your bed. They’ll give off a
rustic feel, and can look especially eye-catching with a simple message painted
against the grain.

An old door

image: CAPow!

This idea is a-door-able. (Yeah, I went there.) Simply flip an old door on its side and
mount it to the wall directly above your bed. You can do whatever you want style-wise
with this easy door headboard—paint it, leave it in the same shape you found it in,
distress it with some sandpaper…I personally like the idea of leaving the door looking
a little worn.

Castoff dresser drawers

image: Better Homes and Gardens

Make your own one-of-a-kind headboard using dresser drawers taken from an
unsalvageable dresser. Or, scour your local secondhand shops and thrift stores for
mismatched drawers. Once you assemble your selection of drawers, you can make
your headboard. Paint all of the drawers in the same color to give them a cohesive
feel. Then, arrange the drawers in a pattern you like on the floor. Once you get the
look just right, secure the drawers together and hang the whole headboard on
the wall above your bed.

Mismatched chairs

image: Mother Earth Living

I’ve loved this idea of turning mismatched chairs into a headboard ever since I first
saw it on Natural Home magazine’s website when I worked there as an editorial
intern. (The magazine has since switched to a new title: Mother Earth Living.
Check it out!) You simply arrange an assortment of mismatched chairs (about four
fits well with a queen size bed) in a pattern of your choosing and then screw them
together using a board. You then affix the board to your bed frame. You could paint
the chairs in the same color for a coordinated feel, or go for all different colors to
create an eclectic look.

Repurposed windows

image: Better Homes and Gardens

After scoring an old window at a garage sale recently, I’ve been planning to use it as
a makeshift headboard. I don’t technically need a headboard, but my cute vintage
metal bed frame barely peeks out over my pillows. And, the area above my bed is
looking a bit bare. So, I plan to repaint the old window and suspend it above my bed
from picturing hanging wire. Look for a post with my results soon! You could also
use two or three windows, depending on the styles and sizes you find.

What do you think about these vintage-inspired headboards? Do you have something
similar in your bedroom? Let me know with a comment!

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top image: Kingfish Pies