Part 13 - Adding your first staples

Part 13- Adding Your First Staples

Now that all the components have been sewn together and your headboard is constructed, you can begin the process of upholstering.

1. Begin by laying out your headboard with the foam and fabric layers facing up. Place your main fabric on top, front side up.

1. To help you centre the main fabric exactly on your headboard, it's a good idea to create reference points. You can do this by folding your fabric in half and marking the centre point by cutting a very small notch out of the bottom edge of the fabric. Then use a measuring tape and Sharpie to mark the centre point of your headboard.

1. Always keep these two reference points aligned to ensure the fabric is in the correct position. You can also repeat this process at the top to create additional reference points.

1. Smooth out the fabric across your headboard, checking you have enough fabric around every edge to be able to pull it round to the back.

1. You want to staple your bottom edge first. This will probably be the straightest edge, so securing this first ensures the rest of your headboard is set straight.

1. Begin to insert temporary staples along the bottom edge by holding your staple gun at an angle, so that the staples don't fully embed into the wood but still secure the fabric.

1. Next, move to the top of your headboard. Start in the middle, and gently pull the fabric taut against the temporary staples in the bottom edge so that the fabric is tight and smooth across the headboard. Ensure your fabric is still centred, then secure with a staple.

1. Work along the top of your headboard, repeating this process.

1. Once you're happy with how the fabric is sitting on the headboard, it's time to turn the headboard over and insert permanent staples along the bottom edge.

1. Start in the middle and remove the first temporary staple using pinchers. Pull the fabric tight and begin to insert a row of permanent staples roughly 2 cm up from the edge, removing the temporary staples as you go. The staples should be quite close together and evenly spaced.

1. It's well worth turning your headboard back over every now and again to make sure you're still happy with how the fabric is sitting.

1. Repeat this process along the entire length of the bottom edge, leaving a few centimetres free at both ends, as we'll come back to the corners later.