Furniture

Twin Size Board and Batten Headboard

This is a really quick and easy build that won't break the bank.

Difficulty: Intermediate
Time: 3.3–6.3 hours
Cost: $$

About this build

This is a really quick and easy build that won't break the bank. Perfect for a beginner! The headboard is designed to fit with an existing twin bed frame. It would be great for either a boys or girls room. Since the headboard is so basic, you could easily add extra moulding or details to customize.

Tools

Essential

Brad Nailer
Impact Driver
Miter Saw
Pocket Hole Jig
Random Orbit Sander

Optional / nice to have

Tape Measure

Materials

Item	Qty
Board, 2x4 96"	1 board
Board, 1x4 72"	1 board
Board, 1x2 96"	2 board
Plywood, 1/4" Thick Half Sheet	1 board
1" pocket hole screws	50 each
Finish nails	50 each

Overall cost: $$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.

Cut list

Part	Qty	T × W × L
Plywood backing	1	1/4" × 30" × 32"
Bed posts	2	1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 2"
Top rail	1	3/4" × 1 1/2" × 39"
Vertical slats	4	3/4" × 1 1/2" × 2"
Horizontal rails	2	3/4" × 3 1/2" × 32"

What to buy

Buy 4 boards at 8 ft.

1 1/2" × 3 1/2"

1 board

2"2"

3/4" × 3 1/2"

1 board

32"32"

3/4" × 1 1/2"

1 board

39"2"2"2"2"

1/4" × 30"

1 board

Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →

Start building →

Instructions

1Prepare Horizontal Rails
Cut 2- 1x4 boards 32" long. Using a Kreg Jig, drill pocket holes in both ends of boards.
2Prepare Vertical Rails
Cut 5- 1x2 boards 23 1/2" long. Drill pocket holes in each end of all 5 boards.
3Build Headboard Frame
Space 1x2's 8 1/2" and 8 3/4" apart. Using 1" pocket hole screws and wood glue at the joints, attach the 1x2 boards to the 1x4's. Make sure your edge 1x2 boards are flush with the ends of the 1x4's.
4Attach Legs
Using 1" pocket hole screws and wood glue, attach the top and bottom 1x4's of your frame to the 45 1/2" 2x4 legs. The 1x4 should be centered on the 2x4, with 1/2" on each side. (see plans)
5Completed Frame and Legs
You should have a sturdy frame and legs now. Make sure everything is square and continue on to finish your piece.
6Add backing
Using finishing nails, attach a 32" x 30 1/2" 1/4" plywood to the back of your headboard. You may want to paint or stain the plywood ahead of time. This should cover up the pocket hole screws in the back.
7Add top board
To finish the headboard off, attach a 60" long 1x2 to the top of the headboard with brad nails.
8Finish
Fill any holes and edges with wood filler. Sand, and paint or stain the headboard.