How to Build a Pool Noodle Headboard

A pool noodle headboard is a cheap, easy way to level up your bedroom. To start, gather all of your supplies. You'll need pool noodles, plywood, fabric, duck tape, a staple gun and staples, and an electric knife to start.

Measure Up

Before you head to a hardware store to buy plywood, make sure you have the measurements ready. You will want to measure the width of your bed and then add about four inches. If you do not have a measuring tape handy, you can find standard bed sizes online. You will also need to decide how tall you want this DIY headboard so that you can give the hardware store that measurement as well.

Because plywood traditionally comes in chunks that are eight feet long and four feet wide, this DIY uses a four-foot-tall plywood board, but you can ask for the board to be cut shorter or special order a taller one.

In order to find out how many pool noodles you need, measure the width of the pool noodle and divide the height of your board by that number. Take that number and divide it by two (because the noodles will be cut in half).

You will then have how many pool noodles you need to cover the height of the board. Also, note that a standard pool noodle is only sixty inches long so if you’re making a wider bed frame, you are going to need to get extra pool noodles.

The last thing you need to measure is the fabric. You can use a blanket with a fun texture or a patterned fabric but make sure that you have it cut to the right length. At a fabric store, they can help you find, measure, and cut a piece of fabric that will cover your board. Fabric traditionally comes in pieces that are forty-five to forty-eight inches across with a length that can be extended by as many yards as you’d like.

If you want a seamless piece of fabric for a king size headboard (which would mean you’d need a piece of fabric about ninety inches wide) you may need to buy specialized fabric or sew fabric together at that point.

No matter the size of the headboard though, you will want to add at least ten inches in length and width to whatever headboard measurements that you have. This will give you the extra fabric you need to cover the noodles and sides.

Thinking through this pool noodle headboard DIY beforehand and making meticulous measurements will help this project move along smoothly.

Prep Work

Cut all of your pool noodles in half with the electric knife so that you have a flat edge and lay them out on your headboard. If the noodles fall short on one side, add extra pool noodle pieces to the side and cut them to the appropriate length.

Then trim your blanket or fabric so that it has eight inches of extra length and width on all sides.

Make sure you have the rest of your tools handy and are working in a large space with lots of room, then start assembling.

Attach the Noodles and Fabric

Take your noodles and begin attaching them flat side down to the board. Use construction adhesive to attach them. Hold the noodles as the glue slightly hardens so they stay in the right place. If you find that your noodles continue to shift, you can use tape to hold them in place as the glue dries. It is very important that your glue dry all the way before you continue to the next step.

Attach one row at a time. Once the glue has dried on the first row you will attach the fabric before you move on to adhering the next row.

To attach the fabric, start by stapling and gluing the fabric to the back of the board. Hold the fabric taught and make sure that the right side will flip and hang over the pool noodles. Then, using the noodle as your guide, flip the fabric from the back of the board and fold it over the noodle and staple it at the base. Place the staples evenly across the entire length of the pool noodle.

Repeat these steps until you cover the entire board. Then, pull your fabric excess fabric over the sides and secure it with tape. This will secure the edges and smooth them so the headboard hangs evenly on the wall.

Use adhesive strips, like command strips to hang the headboard behind your bed. Because the board and pool noodles are so light, four or five strong adhesive strips will do.

Once you’ve put this project to bed, learn how to turn twin beds into bunkbeds or add a canopy to a bedroom in your home that needs a little pop.