How to Make a Headboard Using Old Doors

How I built a headboard using old doors and stock wood molding to decorate my bedroom Oducu.

Remember this DIY headboard that I made for the master bedroom in my previous house using bifold doors that I bought for a few dollars a piece at the thrift store?

I really liked the headboard and when we moved from the house we removed it and took the old doors with us to South Carolina.

Since then, they have been stacked and leaning against a wall in our garage.

Not anymore though…

old doors turned into a headboard for king size bed

…since I recreated the headboard made using doors in a slightly different way to make a new headboard for the master bedroom.

This new headboard replaced twin headboards that I semi-upholstered. I liked that headboard, but it was not very tall. The wall above it always looked empty and I did not want to add anything above the bed to keep a minimal, casual, carefree air to the room.

We did not have crown molding in the Pennsylvania house so when we made the door headboard for that room, we took the doors all the way to the ceiling and added crown molding to the top.

how to make a headboard using old bifold doors

In the lake house there is crown molding in the room, so we cut the height of the doors so they would go 3/4’s of the way up the wall. We used a combination of stock molding from Home Depot to make the decorative top for the headboard.

I also had some assistance from my neighbor who has a wood working workshop in his backyard that would make Norm Abraham’s proud. So the 5 doors would fit evenly in-between the two windows, he cut a 1/4″ off each side of the doors for me so they would fit perfectly. I could have done on my rickety table saw, but having a big table saw right next door, I opted to go the pro route.

navy and white bedroom with bed headboard made using old doors

It was a little hard getting the molding on top of the doors just right by the windows on either side of the bed…

…but we made it work.

Turn an interior door or doors into a DIY wood headboard

I am in the process of updating the bedding for the spring and summer. For this photo, I took the DIY no-sew pillow from the living room and placed it on the bed. It is only temporary until I get new bed pillow shams made.

I wrote a post on where I found my style and color inspiration for my bed refresh earlier this year when I was out and about at a local furniture store. I loved this bedding, but not the price tag. The duvet alone was $425, the shams $78 a piece, plus I would have to buy a comforter too.

So I searched for similar colored bedding and like what I found. (All resources are at the end of this post.)

How to make a unique headboard using doors

I will post about the pillow shams and a few other tweaks to the room as I complete each.

Blue grasscloth on accent wall in master bedroom

MAKEOVER UPDATE: Since writing this post I have removed the wall-to-wall carpeting, put wood laminate in it’s place and added an area rug as well as wallpapered the walls. You can read all about it in this post: Blue & White Master Bedroom Makeover

My favorite addition so far is the new pom-pom trimmed bed skirt. I love it! It has elastic that goes around the box spring, so no having to lift up the mattress to add a bedskirt. EZ! I did have to wash it in hot water and dry it to shrink it a little to fit the height of my 15″ boxspring. Newer box springs are now about 18″ high. The navy and white swirl paisley comforter is called Oceanside.

How to make a headboard using salvaged doors from the thrift store

How to Make a Headboard Using Old Doors

wood molding needed to create the top for a headboard made using old doors

Supplies are for a king size bed. If making a headboard for a smaller size bed, you will need fewer doors and lumber lengths. Buying primed wood, will save you a painting step.

supplies needed:

Bifold doors – for a king size bed – you will need 5 doors
two – 2″ x 4″ x 8′
one – 1″ x 4″ x 8′
one – Alexandria Moulding 1-3/16 in. x 3-3/4 in. x 8′ Primed MDF Crosshead Moulding – Home Depot
one – 11/16 x 8′ cove molding
one – 8′ length – base shoe molding
3″ long wood screws
Screw driver
pencil
tape measure
bubble level
stud finder
Paint – Sherwin Williams Pure White 7005 in semi-gloss
Paint brush, paint roller, paint tray
Spackle and caulk
Spackle knife
Optional: If edges of doors are unfinished or made of particle board you can use Band Edge Tape to finish them.

old doors made into a head board tutorial

Here is a photo of the finished headboard and how it is hung on the wall.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Since I figured out how to install the doors and molding between the two windows as I went, I didn’t finish off the outer edges of the two doors at the end on each side of the headboard and molding before attaching to the wall. Big mistake! Since they were cut, the ends were rough. This is easy to fix with iron-on birch veneer that you can buy very inexpensively at the home improvement store if you add it before you hang the doors and molding.

APPLY the veneer to all the rough edges on the molding and wood that will be exposed BEFORE hanging the doors. This is so much easier than trying to do it once they are hung.
Check out this post that shows how to apply the veneer. It is a five minute job.

______________________________

How to Attach Doors to Studs in Wall

Use 2-1/2″ or 3″ long wood screws to attach doors and 2″ x 4″ to studs in wall. Countersink all screws.

Figure out how high you want the headboard and cut, remember to add 5-1/2″ inches for the top molding to the measurement.
Using a bubble level attach a 2″ x 4″.

how to tutorial on how to make a headboard using old doors

3. Place each door on the 2″ x 4″ and then attach to wall. Use a stud finder to easily find the studs. Doing this will create the base of your headboard.

4. The second 2″ x 4″ goes on top of doors.

make a headboard using old doors and stock molding

5. Then the primed 1″ x 4″ on top of 2″ x 4″. Use wood screws to attach from the top down into the 2″ x 4″. (See the raw edges of the wood. I can’t stress this enough… Apply the birch veneer before hanging the doors/molding.)

step by step photo tutorial showing how to make a headboard using old doors

6. Next, attach the MDF Crosshead molding. It is starting to look like a headboard.

step by step photo tutorial showing how to make a headboard using old doors and wood molding

7. I used wood glue to attach base shoe molding upside down right under crosshead molding. Use finishing nails if needed. Use painter’s tape to hold glued pieces in place until dry.

Wood molding idea on how to top a bed headboard make using old doors

8. The cove molding is attached with small finishing nails or Liquid Nails along edge of 1″ x 4″.

photo tutorial showing how to make a headboard using old doors

9. Using a miter saw, cut pieces of cove and shoe molding to go around ends of doors. Fill in any gaps with caulk or Spackle.

crown molding trim idea for top of an headboard made using old doors

10. Fill all holes and over counter-sinked screws with Spackle and let dry, sand smooth. Fill and gaps between molding with caulk, let dry.

What to use to cover unfinished particle board edges

Here is a close-up of how the wood and molding all go together on the top of the doors.

How to Paint the Headboard

how to make a big headboard to go between two windows using old doors

11. Apply a light coat of paint to headboard, let dry, add a second coat. I rolled the paint on over the flat surfaces using a small roller and used a 1″ angled paint brush to paint the recessed areas on the panel sections and molding.

I still need to touch-up this end with 220 grit sandpaper and add a dab of paint, but two coats of paint provided coverage for the headboard.

All finished.

It makes me happy that I have been able to create a one of a kind headboard using old doors, once again. I could call it my Re-salvaged door headboard.

If you liked this project showing how to repurpose bi-fold doors, you may like this idea using them – How to Make a Rolling Door Using Old Bi-Fold Doors