We love the look of headboards made from barn doors and are eager to share our favorite styles! We’ve selected the 13 ideas below to help you find the perfect DIY project for a bedroom makeover. Varying levels of detail are provided to give you inspiration and step-by-step plans to make your own barn door style headboard design.
Whether you choose to refurbish a salvaged door or build your own from scratch and add some weathering to give it a rustic look, the final effect is definitely original. While it might involve trekking to a farm to pick up old doors or buying some wood, cutting and staining it, there is surely something for all tastes.
13 Barn Door Style Headboards for Your Rustic Bedroom
As mentioned above, there are two ways to make a barn door headboard. You can find an old door or you can make DIY doors. And we have ideas and plans for both. It’s not that difficult to make this type of door. You simply build a wooden board and then you add some details to it to give it the barn style appearance. The next step would be adding an aged look if desired. You apply some white paint in random places, let it dry, and then sand it off randomly, to give it a worn-off appearance. Let’s get to building one.
1. Full-Size Bed Plan for $60
Here’s a plan by Shanty-2-Chic for beginners that’s quick to make. The lumber for this project comes in at around $60, making it not only easy to build but also super affordable for those on a budget. The comprehensive picture tutorial comes with great descriptions for each step and is designed for a full-size bed. We love how chic this barn door looks in a neutral bedroom. The dark stained wood is elegant and ties the room together. This tutorial is great because you don’t have to wait to find the ideal door to refurbish since you can DIY your own version from scratch!
2. Easy Design for 50$
This stunning design was created with love by Little Yellow Wheel Barrow as part of a complete bedroom makeover. The total cost for this DIY project was around $50 and can be built over the course of a weekend without any electrical tools. The incredibly detailed tutorial for a queen size bed includes instructions on how to make your own barn doors, and how to properly assemble them into a headboard. To make it extra clear, it comes with drawings, cut-to sizes, images and more. The distressed look adds a nice rustic touch to the decor. This is the perfect addition for a cozy country feel to your bedroom.
3. Vintage Door Headboard Idea
This eye-catching design was made by transforming a solid wood door into a wall-hung headboard. In this case, Interior Frugalista used a five-panel door she found while thrift shopping with a friend, but you can choose whatever you come across that suits your preferences.
The DIY tutorial is well documented for easy replication so you can make this project happen now. The measurements are for a queen-sized bed but you can adapt it to your bed size. The most challenging part will be attaching the door to the wall. The crown molding at the top adds an elegant finishing touch and is the perfect shelf for extra accessories and decor.
4. Front Door Headboard Idea
This playful headboard idea comes from My So Cal’d Life and was made using a front door the creative pair of bloggers found near their apartment. The tutorial for this DIY plan provides a complete overview of how they cleaned, sanded, sawed and built the legs for this funky design. We especially love that they played up the door’s features by keeping the knob exposed. The bright blue color adds a vibrant look to the overall decor but it would look equally nice painted in neutral colors for a different style.
5. Reclaimed Doors Headboard
Britt Hislop stripped and sanded these gorgeous doors that were originally covered in multiple layers of oil-based paint. The exposed wood is natural but still makes a statement against the bright white walls. We love the grand effect of the three doors, especially by placing a taller door in the center. Depending on the doors you are able to salvage for this DIY project, the look might be more uniform or mismatched. Follow her awesome style by adding a simple decorative garland to accessorize your new headboard.
6. Paint it White Headboard
This unique headboard design is the perfect focal point for this bedroom. A detailed explanation along with materials and tools required to recreate this DIY idea can be found at Bob Vila. The couple who built this rustic barn door style headboard already had some antique side doors so they chose to integrate them into the overall design. They definitely bring the whole look together and the central X amplifies the effect. If you can’t find narrow doors for the siding, you can adjust the size of the board or use more wood for the borders.
7. Repurposed Barn Door Headboard
Bob Vila shares a tutorial to make this charming double barn door headboard. We love how they made it out of two reclaimed wooden doors. The overall decor is invitingly rustic which makes us want to get cozy in this bed! A big part of the DIY project involves properly cleaning the doors before staining them. Since the doors aren’t perfectly even, a simple wooden board behind the two connects them seamlessly without leaving a gap. We’d gladly fall asleep under this headboard!
8. Rustic Design
Dreamy Whites made this headboard design out of salvaged doors for a rustic look that fits in well and contrasts nicely against the crisp white bedding. The overall look has a romantic touch and fits into a french farmhouse style. The project was inspired by the book Recycled Home which has plenty of ideas to repurpose items.
We love that the doors are kept distressed, but you could also paint them in a solid color for a more polished look. Whatever you choose, the double doors with hardware details are the perfect focal point for a simply styled bedroom.
9. Elegant Headboard DIY
Ana White walks you through an easy weekend plan to make your very own barn door style headboard. The dark finish adds an elegant and luxurious look to the bedroom while only costing around $150! If you are ready to try this idea, then set aside about 10-20 hours over the weekend and you’ll have your own in no time. The guide is simple and perfect for beginners. Whether you have a queen or king-sized bed, you can adapt the instructions to make it work for your needs. We love the dramatic effect of this dark stain but you can choose whatever fits with your bedroom design.
10. Idea with Metal Hardware
The Kurtz Corner blog shows you how to make this charming headboard with minimal effort. The couple needed something to add appeal to their master bedroom and this plan that mimics a sliding barn door certainly does the trick. The final look screams upscale farmhouse style and the hardware corners add a cool edge. The whole process only requires seven cuts which is pretty impressive when you look at the end result.
Diagrams and photos make the project easy to recreate and you can add your choice of accessories to give it a personal flair. Don’t be fooled, this piece is extremely heavy so in this case it has just been leaned against the wall. Depending on your walls and the fixtures you want to set up, you can do the same or attach it.
3 BONUS Ideas
Here are some of our favorite barn door headboard designs.
11. Double Doors with Brass Accents
This hard maple barn door headboard found on Etsy is definitely a dramatic piece to add to your bedroom. The maple wood is finished with a beeswax base coat to protect the wood and increase its durability. It can also incorporate some different color tones while keeping the natural wood visible. For extra flair, it’s worth adding some brass accents such as handles, lights, and a bar to connect the two doors. Not only do these additions make this headboard extra practical, but it’s also undeniably stylish.
12. Headboard Ideas with Lights
This barn door headboard with hanging sidelights from Etsy is definitely a masterpiece. Different levels of weathering make the headboard one-of-a-kind, and you can customize your design for the wood and finish you want. The brass corner details, door handles, and side lamps can also be personalized, and are excellent accessories for this stunning piece. If you look closely you’ll see the lamps are actually made from mason jars, talk about an original idea!
13. Simple Barn Door Headboard Idea
Check out this super practical floating hanging barn door headboard on Etsy. It takes away all the heavy lifting, leaving you with a simple lightweight headboard that can be hung like a picture frame. Just because it’s not as weighty, it doesn’t mean this won’t add a ton of appeal to your bedroom. The classic barn door design is still evident, just slightly easier and more flexible to maneuver. The colors and wood are customizable so you can create the perfect piece for your space. This is perfect if you want a statement piece without too much hard work or the need to install complicated fixtures.
