How to Make a Soundproof Headboard

We all know that creating a peaceful and quiet environment in your bedroom is important for getting good quality sleep.

Furthermore, there is no better way to get started soundproofing your bedroom than to install a noise muffling headboard. 

Unfortunately, however, despite the fact that that are numerous types of headboards you can buy, you would be hard-pressed to find one specifically made to muffle noise. Luckily, it isn’t very difficult to just make one yourself. 

Here you can discover how to make a soundproof headboard. Not only can you make an aesthetically pleasing headboard but you can do so for less money than what many headboards cost.

In no time, you can be set up with an incredibly practical headboard, and get more peaceful sleep as a result.

Step 1: Get your supplies

First, you will need to gather all the needed supplies to construct your headboard. Most of these supplies can either be purchased at a hardware store or Amazon.com as well.

• 1.) 1/2 inch thick sheet of plywood (and additional wood boards for decorative effect)- This sheet of plywood will be the body of the headboard. It should be at least as long as your bed is wide or a bit longer if you want your headboard to be wider than your bed. For reference, queen beds are around 60 inches long¹. The headboard should be two feet (24 inches) tall or more. You can decide the exact height depending on how you want your headboard to look. You likely will have to buy a sheet of plywood and cut it to your desired dimensions. Some hardware stores also offer to cut your wood as a service. Additionally, to make your headboard more aesthetically pleasing, you can also adhere additional boards to the perimeter of the main sheet of plywood. Doing this is not necessary but it does help to make the headboard look better. More instructions on how to go about this step will follow.
• 2.) 10 by 12-inch acoustic soundproof tiles- You can choose to buy 8-12 soundproof tiles depending on the style of headboard you want to create. This post outlines how to use 10 tiles to make your headboard but if you want your headboard to be taller or wider than the one I constructed, more soundproof tiles might be needed.
• 3.) Wood glue- Wood glue can be used for joining additional pieces of wood to your headboard for decorative effect.
• 4.) Wood stain/finish and a rag- If you are interested in putting a finish on your plywood for a more stylish look, you can certainly do so. However, doing so is completely optional.
• 5.) Heavy-duty picture hanging cleat- This cleat will be used to mount your headboard to your wall.
• 6.) Superglue- You may use super glue or another type of industrial-grade clear adhesive to glue the soundproof tiles to the plywood. Using a hot glue gun can work but for the best adhesion, superglue might be better.

Tools needed 

• 1.) Straight edge level
• 2.) Tape measurer
• 3.) Stud finder
• 4.) Drill 
• 5.) Pencil
• 6.) Sandpaper (optional)

Step 2: Customizing headboard frame for aesthetic appeal

Ultimately, you can simply adhere your soundproof panels to your blank piece of plywood, mount it over your bed, and call it a day. However, in my opinion, this approach doesn’t look very aesthetically pleasing.

Instead, you may be interested in adhering additional boards around the perimeter of your headboard for a nice decorative touch. This can make the soundproof panels look like they are embedded in the headboard, giving off a stylish and professional look. Be sure to lay down your boards first to make sure that the design is desireable before permanently gluing them in.

Once you find that the boards all fit the right way, you can go about gluing them in with wood glue. For an extra-strong adhesion you can use wood clamps to secure your boards to the headboard.

Step 2: Sand n’ Stain

Sometimes plywood can be just a bit rough on the edges. If you so wish, you can sand the edges of your plywood with some sandpaper. You can sand as much as you really want but I would recommend sanding until the edges just aren’t rough to the touch. Additionally, if there are any spots on the face of the board that are a bit rough you can sand those parts down as well.

After you sand your board down you can then stain it if you so wish. There are dozens of different oils based wood finishes that you can use that range from chestnut to driftwood colors. Simply pour a dash of wood finish on your plywood and then use a rag to spread it all over your board.

From here, give your wood at least three hours or so for the finish to dry before doing anything else with it.

Step 3: Glue in your panels

Here’s where you can get really creative with your headboard. When gluing in your acoustic panels you can configure them however you think looks best. Additionally, if your soundproof panels are different colors, you can mix and match the color pattern in any way you want. 

You can choose to configure them like this in the photo above which I personally think looks best. The alternating maroon and grey panel design just speaks to me more than any other design for some reason. 

Alternative, you can also configure your soundproof panels like these pictures.

Really there is no right or wrong way to go about configuring your panels since its up to your personal opinion to decide what looks best. Regardless, it is important that you lay your panels out in the configuration that you want prior to gluing them down. Gluing them down without the big picture in mind can leave you with a permanent configuration that you might not be too happy with.

Once you have your configuration in place, pick one panel up and apply glue to the one side. Apply glue around the edges of the panel and then lightly fill in the middle as well. Once your first panel is glued up, press it into its spot on your plywood. Firmly press it down for a few seconds to make sure that it really adheres to your plywood.

Pick up the next tile and follow the same process. Repeat this process until each tile is glued into place.

Step 4: Attach your cleat

The final step is to attach your cleat to the wall behind your bed and to the back of your headboard.

Draw your tape measurer across the width of your bed. For reference, you can lightly mark a spot on your wall with a pencil where the halfway mark is. For instance, if you have a 60-inch wide queen-sized bed, you should mark your wall about 30 inches from the sides of your bed. 

Using your first pencil mark as a reference, you can make a second light marking about halfway up where your headboard will be positioned against the wall as well. For instance, if your headboard is two feet tall, this marking should be about one foot above the top of your bed.

Once you have marked this spot, run your stud finder horizontally from side to side until you find wall studs. Make two clear markings at each at of these wall studs. 

From here, drill the first piece of your heavy-duty picture hanging cleat into the wall with the one-inch roofing nails at the two points where you have clearly marked the wall studs. Without drilling specifically into the sturdy wall studs you run the risk of ripping a good chunk of your wall out once you mount your headboard. 

Next, locate the halfway point on your headboard from side to side and top to bottom. Mark this point down with a pencil. Take your half-inch roofing nails and drill your other complementary piece of your picture hanging cleat to the back of your headboard.

At this point, you should be ready to mount your headboard.

There you have it! A stylish, yet practical headboard you built yourself!

Final words

Having a soundproof headboard is an excellent way to deaden sound in your room. However, although this soundproofing approach is effective and looks pretty cool as well, there are a few other soundproofing approaches that you can take to effectively muffle sound from the outside world.

Given that most sleep-disrupting noise comes from people or traffic outside, it can be incredibly effective to soundproof your windows. From installing window inserts to putting up soundproof curtains, there are a host of different ways to prevent sound from coming in through your windows.

Additionally, you can also focus on preventing sound from coming through the bottom of your door if there is a good amount of noise and commotion happening in other areas of your house. A soundproof door sweep can do just the trick.

For an in-depth approach to eliminating noise in your room, check out this ultimate guide to soundproofing your bedroom.

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1. “Mattress sizes dimensions.” www.mattressfirm.com, https://www.mattressfirm.com/mattress-sizes-dimensions.html