20 Headboard Alternatives for the Master Bedroom

Headboards are one way to add a focal point to your room, plus, depending on the type of headboard you choose, you can create a comfortable backdrop to your bed for leaning against to watch TV, read a book, or talk on the phone. There are a million different ways to create a beautiful bed and headboard ensemble. While many people may choose to purchase a pre-made headboard from a store for practical reasons, which can be costly. Others enjoy the idea of spending less money, along with the notion of being able to use their own creativity to come up with a unique design to personalize their bed and room. If you love the idea of an out-of-the-ordinary idea for a headboard, there are lots of ideas for DIY headboards that will allow you to be as creative and frugal as you want to be. Some may be easy on the checkbook, easy to make, and easy to assemble, while others may take a little more expense, effort, or may have some things you should consider before you make a decision to run with the idea. To get your creative juices flowing, we’ve put together a few ideas that can help to spark some creative ideas in you.

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Wall Mural

One way to add a really personal touch for the look of your bed is create a mural behind the bed. A mural gives you the freedom to choose from an endless line of designs, colors, pictures, characters, or any other look that appeals to you. Although it doesn’t take any man power when it comes to assembling it, it does however, require skill if you want it comes to painting. If you are artistic, you may be able to paint the mural yourself and save on hiring a professional. Of course, painting it yourself will take time and effort, but it will give you great satisfaction knowing it was your own handy work. One thing to keep in mind that a downside of a painted mural comes with moving. Murals will typically stay with the home when you move, so if you don’t want to leave something like that behind, it may not be the headboard choice for you. Also take into consideration the painting restrictions if you are renting.

Barn Doors

Barn doors are one of the most popular ways to add a little nostalgia and “old-timey” look to a room. Barn doors have long been used to create a rustic, or farmhouse look in homes and you can use them in many different ways, from creating a unique table top, to using as a sliding door to an office, bedroom or bathroom, even as a headboard. If you can locate an old barn door and are even just a little handy in woodwork, you can cut it to size or have the entire door as the backdrop to your bed. You can also either choose to mount it to the wall or to the bed, whichever appeals to you. Barn doors are easy to maintain and keep looking nice, no matter if you choose to sand and stain it, or leave it in a distressed state. These will be a bit cumbersome to maneuver and mount, so may require a helping hand for both installing or uninstalling when you move.

Tapestries and curtains

Whether you prefer an old tapestry, curtains, handmade or store bought quilt or some type of macrame design, you can hang a beautiful headboard look with the material and design of your choice. This option gives you the ability to be as bold as you want when it comes to colors and designs, not to mention, they’re pretty easy to install. Whether you decide to hang a tapestry or quilt directly on the wall behind the bed, or suspend some curtains from the ceiling behind the bed, this is an easy way to create the look of a headboard that fits your style, budget and design theme. One consideration is the upkeep of this type of headboard. Materials collect dust and are often bug collects, so in order to keep these looking and smelling neat and clean, you will want to remove and clean them on a regular basis. Some materials also made fade over time when hung in bright, sunny rooms.

Nautical ideas

Are you a nautical nut? Does the sand and the sea call to you to the point where you’d love to crawl into bed and drift off with thoughts of the deep blue seas in your head? You can when you create a nautical themed headboard by hanging a large ship’s wheel on the wall behind your bed, or creating a collection of rowing oars that can easily be hung on the wall above your bed. If you prefer the oars are mounted to the bed, simply mount them to a board first, then mount the board to the bed or hang the board on the wall. Oars can be fun to work with. You’ll have fun shopping for the perfect collection, whether you want to mix and match rustic and new oars, or mixing and matching different looks and styles of oars.

For more ideas, keep scrolling to see 20 alternative headboards for your bedroom.