IKEA Hack Headboard (Easy DIY IKEA Tarva Bed Hack)
Last Updated on April 2, 2026 by
If you’re on an IKEA budget but have a one-of-a-kind taste, you might be in the market for an IKEA hack headboard. Living in a small NYC apartment doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style or functionality, especially when it comes to your bedroom. Today, I’m excited to share our latest DIY project: a custom headboard for our IKEA Tarva bed. This clever IKEA hack is one of the simplest DIYs we’ve done, and you’re going to love the end result!
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En Nuestra Casa
We’ve tried our fair share of beds over the years. When we first did all our renovations, we went with the simplest cheapest adjustable metal bed frame from the mattress store, and honestly it was great for a time! But eventually the time came that we wanted to upgrade our style and give our bedroom a refresh (and, okay, I fell in love with the IKEA Brimnes with storage…though, in retrospect…what was I thinking? So not my style.). So we had the Brimnes for a while and came to the inevitable conclusion that it was just far too big for our space. So we started to look at other IKEA products.
I had always seen the Tarva and honestly wasn’t really impressed, but then I started to think outside the box. It’s got “great bones” as they say–you can stain it, you can DIY a headboard; it’s a blank slate with tons of possibilities! Then I saw a beautiful variation-of-classic (always my style!) headboard on Pinterest and, you guessed it, fell in love. I knew it would be easy to recreate with the Tarva, and indeed it was!
Quick Shout Out to Our Love for IKEA
When it comes to IKEA furniture, the possibilities are endless. The Tarva bed frame, with its simple, minimalist design and solid wood construction, is the perfect canvas for DIY projects. By adding a custom headboard, we’ve elevated this basic IKEA bed to a new level, creating a piece that’s both functional and stylish. Tap here to see a quick video of this project.
One of the best things about this DIY headboard is its versatility. You can easily adapt this project to fit other IKEA bed frame sizes (yes, even a standard king bed). And the best part is that you can complete this simple woodworking project for a fraction of the cost of buying a new headboard!
Before we dive into the how-to, let’s talk about why we chose to hack our IKEA Tarva bed. First things first, we love the warm, natural material of the solid wood frame. It’s a beautiful, timeless material that fits perfectly with our minimalist design aesthetic. And of course, it was CHEAP. Always a plus! But if I’m totally honest…the pine framing, the pine headboard, the pine legs…it was all just a little TOO MUCH PINE for me. So we had to do something about it!
Quick shout out here to the Tarva in general. While we wanted more of a natural wood look, there really are endless ways to customize this particular IKEA bed frame to meet your styling preferences. There are tons of tutorials out there for making an upholstered headboard or storage headboards for your Tarva, and with a little creativity, this bed can be the WOW factor in your bedroom makeover.
Oh! Also, we love that the Tarva is low to the ground. While I’d love to store nothing under our bed, that’s just not a reality in our small space. But because the Tarva sits so low, you don’t really notice the additional storage space beneath the bed. It’s these clever IKEA hacks that really make the most of every inch of space in our NYC apartment.
DIY IKEA Hack Headboard Instructions
This DIY Tarva headboard is probably one of the simplest IKEA headboard hacks that will give your bedroom a whole new look!
1. Gather Materials
- Pocket hole jig
- Pocket hole screws
- 3/4″ Plywood (amount depends on the size of your bed frame; we bought one sheet 4’x8′ that we then cut down to our measurements)
- Circular saw
- Tape measure
- Wood stain
- Pre-stain
- Sealer
- Paint brush
- Rags
- Sander + sand paper
- Edge banding (this is basically adhesive wood–it’s great!)
- Edge banding cutter
- Iron
- Tape measure
- Wood clamps
- Drill
- Screws
2. Measure & Cut the IKEA Hack Headboard Pieces
Measure the space between the inside edge of the side post and the inside edge of the center post of the headboard area of your bed frame. If you’re using an American queen size IKEA Tarva bed like we did, this measurement will be 29″. This is the width of each section of your DIY headboard.
Measure the space between the bottom edge of the top post and the top edge of the bottom post of the headboard area of your bed frame. If you’re using an American queen size IKEA Tarva bed like we did, this measurement will be 21 1/2″. This is the first step in finding the height of each section of your DIY headboard.
Decide how much of an open space you’d like in the top part of the headboard (ours is a 1 1/4″ space), and subtract that from the measurement you just found. If you’re staying on track with our size and design, you’ll end up with a measurement of 20 1/4″. This is the height of each section of your DIY headboard.
Using a circular saw, cut two identical sections out of the plywood according to your height and width measurements. Be mindful of the grain direction as you cut; depending on your design preference you may want the grain going vertically or horizontally.
3. Prep for Drilling
Drill pocket holes into the back side of each headboard piece, using the pocket hole jig. We did 2 holes near the bottom left and bottom right, 2 holes at the middle left and middle right, and 2 holes at the top left and top right.
Tip for success: The pocket holes that will attach your headboard pieces to the middle post should be staggered. Otherwise, the screws will run into each other.
4. Sand & Stain
Here’s a simple step-by-step for sanding and staining your DIY wood headboard:
- Sand all surfaces and edges of your two cut pieces. The best way to get a nice, smooth finished product is to start with 80 grit, then 120 grit, and then 150 grit or 220 grit until you’re happy with the smoothness.
- Attach edge banding to one long edge of each cut piece.
- Sand the newly attached edge banding.
- Wipe all surfaces and edges with a dry rag, making sure there are no tiny pieces of dust or lint.
- Pre-stain the long edge that has edge banding and one face of each cut plywood piece according to the instructions on your pre-stain can.
- Stain the same long edge that has edge banding and face of each cut plywood piece according to the instructions on your stain can.
- Seal the same long edge that has edge banding and face of each cut plywood piece according to the instructions on your sealer can.
5. Attach Your DIY wood Headboard
Yay! The exciting part! Let’s finish up this project.
- Detach the existing headboard. If you’ve already assembled your Tarva bedframe, you’re going to need to disassemble a bit here. Go back through your instruction manual (or find it online!) to figure out how to do this part.
- Clamp one DIY headboard piece exactly where you want it: It should be the exact right size to fit in between the side of the headboard frame and the middle post. Be sure to situate this headboard piece toward the front (mattress side) of the bed frame, with the stained side facing out. Your DIY headboard piece should be flush with the front edge of the headboard frame.
- Drill your first DIY headboard piece into place.
- Repeat Steps 2&3 with the second piece.
- Stand back and admire your job well done!
Making Adjustments on your IKEA Hack HEADBOARD
If you’re working with a different size IKEA bed, you might need to adjust the dimensions slightly. The IKEA website is a great resource for exact measurements of their products. And don’t forget, you can always visit your local hardware store or Home Depot for any additional materials you might need.
Quick note: This DIY would work great with the IKEA Tarva, but I wouldn’t recommend it for beds like the Hemnes bed frame or Malm bedframe that aren’t made of solid wood.
Conclusion: IKEA Hack headboard
In the end, this DIY project has given our bedroom a makeover that perfectly balances form and function. The total cost of this project came out to $0 because we used tools and materials we already had!
I hope this post has inspired you to get creative with your bedroom design. With a little imagination and some elbow grease, you can create a custom piece that’s perfectly tailored to your needs and style. Happy DIYing! Tap here to see a quick video of this project.
