The Genius Headboard DIY That Prevents Leaning While Adding Extra Storage

Moving your bed is a great way to change a room's ambiance. Typically, beds with headboards go against the wall, but this simple move can be complicated by various architectural and interior design features. Aside from obvious issues like awkwardly positioned columns and pillars, structures on the bottom of the wall, like baseboard moldings and heating systems, make bed placement a challenge. Such structures cause gaps behind the headboards or even cause them to tilt or lean. A clever trick that can prevent the headboard from leaning while eliminating the awkward gap is to create a stunning wooden headboard with DIY storage shelves — not only does it keep the headboard pinned against the wall, but you also get extra storage space for small items! This is an especially beneficial design in small bedrooms.

This is precisely what TikTok user @pagan-diy did to solve his leaning headboard thanks to the baseboard heating system, which pushed the bed's bottom 3 1/2 inches away from the wall. To resolve this, he crafted a 63-inch long shelf that extends 5 1/2 inches in depth from the wall. This DIY solution secured the bed firmly against the wall to prevent the headboard from leaning and cleverly concealed the unsightly gap at the bottom, hitting two birds with one stone!

Begin by measuring the length of your headboard and deciding on the depth for the storage shelf, which should be equal to or slightly more than the depth of the space you're dealing with. Cut two plywood strips to these dimensions for the top and bottom of the shelf and one or two more for the internal shelves. For the height, measure your headboard's height, subtract the height of any obstructions plus approximately an inch for clearance. Use these dimensions to cut two more plywood strips for the shelf's sides. Then, get another plywood sheet to cut the back panel based on your measured height and length.

Sand all the pieces so they're smooth. Remove the headboard from your bed if possible. This will make it easier to attach the top, the internal shelves, and the bottom board using screws. Then, add the back panel to finalize the structure. Prime and paint the shelf to match or complement your existing décor. You might want to add hinged doors to the sides of the storage to enhance functionality and aesthetics, similar to what Stacey Risenmay did for her DIY headboard shelf project on YouTube. This addition conceals storage contents and helps reduce dust accumulation on the shelves. You can also extend the headboard higher for extra storage for an eye-catching headboard. This is also a great idea if you need more storage and have vertical space for it.