How to Attach a Headboard to Any Bed Frame: Step-By-Step Guideline

After reading this step-by-step guideline, you'll have the perfect understanding of where and how you should attach a headboard to a bed frame.
By
Romeo Vitelli
Romeo Vitelli
Expert Writer
Received his doctorate in Psychology in 1987, spent fifteen years as a staff psychologist in Millbrook Correctional Centre. In 2003 went into full-time private practice. read more
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Last updated: August 18, 2023
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Do you know that the major reason for attaching a headboard to a bed initially was to ensure that people’s heads do not get extremely cold, particularly during chilly nights? Although the case may be different nowadays, the fact remains that today’s houses are more cold-resistant than old houses. So, a headboard is very useful when it comes to creating a cold barrier between the top edge of your bed and the wall.

If you’ve just got your bed or are thinking about getting one, this content will help you by unveiling how to attach a headboard to a bed frame and where you will need to place it.

What Type of Headboard Do You Have?

Headboards are of different types, and each has its unique features. Knowing these types will open your understanding to the best one that perfectly suits your needs.

The several features you may want to check when you’re thinking about the right type you headboard for your bed include:

  • Material
  • Installation options
  • Design
  • Size
  • Intended use

Note: A headboard can be free-standing, frame-mounted, or wall-mounted. Irrespective of the way the headboard is, you can still have it installed on your bed frame. Besides, there are different common designs you may want to pick for your headboards. These may be traditional headboards, modern headboards, or slatted headboards.

Therefore, let’s explain the different available types of headboards materials with respect to their characterizations.

Material

The three main types of headboards materials include:

  1. Wooden Headboard
How to Attach a Headboard to Any Bed Frame: Step-By-Step Guideline
If looked after properly, wood can last several lifetimes, and a good quality wooden headboard is an excellent investment.

People used wooden headboards traditionally for the prevention of contact between their heads and a cold wall. Based on the development that has occurred over time, houses are being designed to be more insulated, which then changes the reason headboards are used. Headboards today are decorative pieces of furniture.

Wooden headboards have elegant and luxurious designs that make them the most classic type of headboard. Also, because it’s made of wood, it can always be easily painted or redecorated with new pieces of metal or fabric.

  1. Metal Headboard
How to Attach a Headboard to Any Bed Frame: Step-By-Step Guideline
Metal headboards are a perfectly safe option for children and adults alike.

In the Victorian era, Metal headboards were offered laudable prominence. Metal can characteristically offer a modern or vintage look, but that will be determined by the patterns or color of the headboard.

You can craft metal headboards from several arrays of materials such as aluminum, wrought iron, brass (an alloy of zinc or copper), copper, and polished steel.

It has a unique look mainly because of its natural color. However, you may decide to change its color to match what you want in your bedroom design.

  1. Upholstered Headboard
How to Attach a Headboard to Any Bed Frame: Step-By-Step Guideline
Upholstered headboards are a relatively affordable way to add profound impact to the bedroom.

The upholstered headboard is distinctively characterized by its elegance, comfortability, and luxury. The fabric used in making it is often designed with metal nailheads and buttons. The three main types of fabric you can make upholstered headboards with include velvet, leather, and linen.

Moreover,  to give your bed more fluffy and comfy looks or fancy details, you can go for padded headboards or tufted headboards, respectively, depending on the manufacturer; an upholstered headboard can either be padded or tufted.

Installation Options

There are three installation options for your headboard:

      1. Free-Standing Headboard

People find free-standing headboards convenient because they can place them between the bed and the wall or move them to anywhere they want easily. For its installation, you don’t need to drill any holes or attach any material. You may decide to attach them to the wall or the bed frame, even though they can stand independently.

      1. Bed Frame-Mounted Headboard

One of the significant benefits of bed frame-mounted headboards is that they offer your bedroom a cohesive look. They are made to be directly attached to the bed frame. Interestingly, hardly will you know that the headboard and the bed are not originally made together after mounting the headboard. The appearance will be like an all-in-one set.

      1. Wall-Mounted Headboard

You can use a wall-mounted headboard Trusted Source Bliss in the bedroom | Money | The Guardian If you want to keep pace with changes in fashion you can simply saw off the headboard and replace it with a wall-mounted type in the current style and/or use an all-concealing floor-length throw-over bedspread. www.theguardian.com with almost any bed frame. You can attach it easily and directly to the wall with a flat surface by drilling holes into the wall and headboard. With this type of headboard, you can offer your bedroom the aesthetics you want by selecting the appropriate placement for the headboard to the bed frame.

Design

How to Attach a Headboard to Any Bed Frame: Step-By-Step Guideline

The headboard of the bed is one of the key details that set the style of the bedroom. Today there are many different models. You need to choose not only for external beauty and attractiveness but also for functional features.

Traditional Headboard

Traditional headboards are popular with bedrooms that feature 18th and 19th centuries European-style decorations. Their major characteristics include classic elements and minimalism. Manufacturers design them with wood, and they can be attached directly to the bed frame.

Modern Headboard

With modern headboards, you can offer your bedroom a more contemporary look that it deserves. This explains why they can also be called contemporary headboards in various colors, featuring glass, wood, metal, and chrome elements and providing the headboard with an exceptional design.

Slat Headboard

Slat headboards are perfect for bedrooms with a low ceiling because their design makes the headboard appear taller. Generally, they comprise metal or vertical wooden pieces which you may decide to position in any area. Between each slat, you may have equal space or group several slats closer to one another, with a larger distance between the groups. Although slat headboards are designed with different colors, you may choose to repaint them to match what you want for your space.

Size

Before you even think about how to put the headboard on the bed, you need to consider the size of the headboard that can match the dimensions of your bed. Since the size of a headboard directly corresponds to most of the standard sizes of beds in the market, knowing the size and dimensions of your bed can help you match the right size for the needed headboard.

For a single-sized bed, the dimension is 38 x 75 inches; a full-sized bed has a dimension of 54 x 75 inches; a Queen-sized bed has a dimension of 60 x 80 inches; a king-sized bed has a dimension of 76 x 80 inches; a California King-sized bed has a dimension of 72 x 84 inches.

Intended Use

You can characterize headboards according to the purpose of which they are made. From a general perspective, manufacturers design headboards to meet people’s specific needs (such as comfort, decoration, and extra storage).

Categories of headboard use

  1. Wooden or metal headboards with attractive designs and patterns: for aesthetics (as a decorative piece of furniture).
  2. Soft and cozy upholstered headboards: for sleep comfort
  3. Free-standing wooden headboards with shelves and drawers: storage or bookcase to store clothing, books, etc.

How to Connect a Headboard to a Bed Frame?

There are different ways to mount your headboard. You can do this by connecting it to the wall or mounting it directly to your bed. Knowing how to connect a headboard to a bed frame will help you engage the process perfectly.

Check out below how you can attach the headboard:

Attaching a Headboard to a Wooden Bed Frame

How to Attach a Headboard to Any Bed Frame: Step-By-Step Guideline

You can quickly learn how to attach a headboard to a wooden bed frame because it’s a simple process. To get it done, start by collecting essential tools such as bolts, screws, and washers. Then connect the headboard legs and affix it to the bed frame with nuts, bolts, and washers.

Common tools you need:

  • Big Washers
  • Nuts
  • M6 bolts
  • M8 bolts
  • Wrench
  • Headboard mounts
  • Small Washers
  • Wall mounts (if you want to attach the headboard to the wall as well)
  • Drywall anchor
  • Screws
  • 4mm Allen key
  • 5mm Allen key

Step-by-step guide

Step 1: Get your headboard and tools ready for assembly

  • Put the headboard face-down on the floor
  • Prepare needed tools

Step 2: Connect the legs to the headboard

  • Attach the legs to the headboard
  • Secure them with bigger bolts and washers (use a 5mm Allen key)

Step 3: Connect the headboard

  • Attach the headboard to the bed frame
  • Put the assembled headboard (front side) to face the bed frame
  • Connect it to the frame with washers, smaller bolts, and nuts (use 4mm Allen key)

Attaching a Headboard to a Metal Platform Bed Frame

How to Attach a Headboard to Any Bed Frame: Step-By-Step Guideline

How to attach a headboard to a metal platform bed frame is not in any way complicated, just like the wooden bed frame. Follow the below steps to get it done quickly.

Step-by-step guide

Step 1: Prepare your bed frame

  • Remove the mattress and the padding from the bed to expose the metal frame
  • Slide the frame carefully away from the wall to see the front edge

Step 2: Prepare your headboard

  • Slide the headboard to where you will want it to be after installation
  • Ensure the headboard stands straight up

Step 3: Alignment

  • Make the hole in the front of the frame align with the bolt holes in the headboard. Do this by sliding the bed frame up to the headboard gently

Step 4: Set them up

  • Press firmly against the headboard on the right side of the frame
  • Drive the bolts through the back of the headboard
  • Connect the nuts to the bolts and ensure they are tightened to avoid any problem like rattling headboards Trusted Source Rattling headboard? Tightening and padding are the solutions | The Washington Post Depending on the connection, there are a bunch of ways to eliminate the rattle. www.washingtonpost.com

Step 5: Repeat the nut and bolt installation

  • Repeat the installation on the left side of the headboard
  • Pull-on each side gently to ensure the pieces are attached firmly
  • Slide the headboard and bed frame back into position
  • Then reassemble the mattress and padding

Attaching a Headboard to a Box Spring

It’s crucial to have good information on how to attach a headboard to a box spring because the task can be very tricky.

Manufacturers usually design box springs with fabric which makes seeing where the wooden parts are impossible. It might not be successful in attaching a headboard to a box spring because its wooden pieces are not as durable and sturdy as a wooden bed frame.

Ensure that you do not connect a headboard to a box spring in order not to damage the box spring. You can instead use a free-standing or wall-mounted headboard characterized by both aesthetics and functionality.

Attaching a Headboard to an Adjustable Bed

Not all adjustable beds are made with headboards. Those that fall in this category tend to leave much open space between the wall and the bed frame. And this may not be too good for the design of your bedroom.

Since there are great adjustable beds out there, you may want to learn how and if you can attach a frame-mounted, wall-mounted, or free-standing headboard to one.

To do this, get all the needed tools, assemble the headboard, and attach it to the frame, following the manufacturer’s directions.

Based on the open space between the bed frame and the floor, you may want to consider the free-standing.

Attaching a Headboard to a Wall

How to Attach a Headboard to Any Bed Frame: Step-By-Step Guideline

Wall-mounted headboards are attached directly to the wall. To do this, gather the tools, such as bolts, screws, and washers, attach the headboard’s legs and connect the headboard to the wall.

Common tools you need:

  • M6 bolts
  • M8 bolts
  • Wrench
  • Washers for M8 bolts
  • Washers for M6 bolts
  • Nuts
  • Screws
  • Headboard mount
  • Wall mount
  • Drywall anchor
  • Hex key

Step-by-step guide

Step 1: Prepare the tools and headboard

  • Start by unboxing the headboard and place it face-down on the floor
  • Prepare both the headboard and the tools for assembly and attachment

Step 2: Connect the legs to the headboard

  • Attach two legs to the headboard with appropriate bolts (M8 bolts) and the hex key
  • Secure with washers. And you just adjust the height of the legs,

Step 3: Attach the headboard to the wall

  • Screw two headboard mounts to the top of the headboard
  • Attach the wall mounts to the wall with the screws. Ensure the wall mounts are properly aligned to match the headboard mounts
  • Then lift the headboard and attach it. Try to secure the headboard with some drywall anchors to ensure it is attached to the wall properly

Where Should a Headboard Be Placed on a Bed?

Generally, headboards do not touch the floor. They are attached to the bed with headboard bolts that are screwed into the divan base.

Traditionally, people usually place a double, king-sized, or queen-sized bed against the center of the wall (opposite the main door) where the headboard can be the center of attention for everyone that enters the bedroom.

Final Thoughts

With the elaborated details on how to attach a headboard to a bed frame in the content, you shouldn’t find it difficult anymore to know what to do before and after buying a headboard. Always keep in mind that a headboard is ideal for different methods. You can prefer to attach it to the wall behind your bed, fix it directly to the bed itself, or consider a free-standing position behind the bed.

With headboards, you can offer your bedroom the appropriate beauty and even make the space more comfortable and storage-worthy. Importantly, for materials, there are different available options you can choose from. Go for the one you like and decide the installation option best for it. We hope you have the bedroom of your dreams!

References

1.
Bliss in the bedroom | Money | The Guardian
If you want to keep pace with changes in fashion you can simply saw off the headboard and replace it with a wall-mounted type in the current style and/or use an all-concealing floor-length throw-over bedspread.
2.
Rattling headboard? Tightening and padding are the solutions | The Washington Post
Depending on the connection, there are a bunch of ways to eliminate the rattle.
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