Part 14 - Top section

Part 14- Top Section

When your bottom edge is all secured, you can begin to replace the temporary staples at the top of your headboard with permanent ones.

1. To work on the top, it is easiest to stand the headboard up on the floor so you can access the back while also being able to check how the front looks.

1. Take out your top central temporary staple using pinchers.

1. Set about pulling and smoothing the fabric up and over the edge of your headboard. Smooth the front with one hand and pull at the back with the other hand until you are happy with the tension. This stage requires a fair amount of force, and you eventually want the top edge of the foam to be pressed against the wooden base.

1. Once you're happy, you can secure your fabric. As we'll be adding borders, instead of stapling on the back to secure, you can insert a permanent staple on the top of the wooden board, around 1 cm in from the edge of the wood.

1. Repeat this process working across the top, checking you are maintaining an even tension all along. If you have a curved edge, it helps to bunch the fabric together in one hand and pull to achieve a smooth finish across the top that's free of creases.

1. Use this method across both the curves and straight lines on your headboard – angles can be left until later, just get as close as you can for now.

1. At this stage, it's a good idea to cut away any excess fabric up to where you have stapled to make things easier.

1. Once you've completed all the curves and straight lines, you can move on to tackling the angles. Start by working the fabric into the angle as much as you can by smoothing and pulling, and secure with one or two permanent staples.

1. Next, use fabric scissors to make little diagonal incisions into the area of fabric you are trying to encourage into the angle. The fabric will start to open up and you'll be able to start flattening and smoothing it down.

1. As you begin to be able to smooth increments of fabric down, secure with permanent staples as you go.

1. Continue this process until you're happy with how it looks.