Upcycled Ikea Bed with DIY Tufted Headboard

If you follow along on Facebook, you’ll know that I was debating between getting a toddler bed and a twin for Miss E. Well, thanks to all of your feedback, I decided to go straight to a twin. I had a pretty specific vision in mind on how I wanted the bed to look. I was originally going to build the entire frame myself until I stumbled upon a really basic twin bed frame on Craigslist for $30 and it was the exact base I was looking for. It’s really similar to this one from Ikea.

So today, I’m showing you how I transformed a basic $30 Ikea Frame using paint and adding a DIY Tufted Headboard. I have to say, it is exactly what I envisioned for her room and I am SO excited out it.

What a huge transformation! And to think the whole frame only cost me about $100.

I started by painting the entire frame in Annie Sloan Pure White Chalk Paint. I did this while the frame was disassembled. I did two coats to get the look I wanted and then sealed it in Annie Sloan Soft Wax. Already a huge transformation right there! White just makes everything better :)

I have always wanted to make a DIY Tufted Headboard and this was the perfectly opportunity. I have to say I think the hardest part was making the buttons! My dad helped me make the headboard and I have to say it was much easier with two people. It helped to have someone hold it in place while tightening the tensity of the buttons and to have an extra set of eyes with placement. Since this was my first time making a headboard, I relied on tutorials from Thrifty Decor Chick and The Steen Style.

Here’s My Tip: Foam can be incredibly expensive at the craft store. If I were to buy the exact size I needed for this project, it would have cost me about $35 for a 2ft X 3ft piece. Instead, I found a 6ft foam camping mat at the grocery store for $19, and I only used half of it. That was a huge savings for me. I also used peg board instead of plywood for two reasons 1) it was cheaper 2) the holes were already there so I didn’t have to do any drilling.

The beautiful duvet cover was made by my mom. She is an amazing seamstress and I always pull her into sewing projects when she has time! You might remember this fabric, it is actually what we used as a backdrop for Miss E’s 1st Birthday party! While planning the party way back when, I knew that I wanted to use the fabric in her ‘big girl’ room one day and it worked out to be the perfect size for her bed. And to top things off, Miss E has been asking for a ‘pink bed’ ever since we started talking about her new room. She absolutely LOVES it.

The fabric is from Hobby Lobby and it only cost me about $20 since it was on sale at the time. Since they don’t carry the pink anymore (such a bummer, but they do have black and cream now), my mom lined it with a white flat sheet. It looks great and it actually helped it from slipping off. So the total cost of the duvet cover was only $30.

The room is slowly coming together. I have a lot more to do before I feel like it is exactly the way I envisioned, but it’s been really fun to see how excited Miss E about every new piece that goes into it. She is absolutely loving it.

About Taryn Whiteaker

Hi! I’m Taryn! The voice behind Taryn Whiteaker Designs. I launched this brand over 11 years ago when I became a stay-at-home mom. What started as a small craft and mom blog eventually grew into a full time design and DIY site. My goal has always been to inspire others (especially women!) with design ideas, DIY tutorials, entertaining ideas and give you the tools you need to complete them yourself!