Give Your Malm Bed Frame A Velvet Headboard

A plain MALM bed frame can take on a boutique hotel feel with a padded velvet headboard. It is a weekend project using a curtain, some foam and a staple gun, perfect for refreshing a bedroom without buying new furniture.

Why this update suits a malm frame

Many Maltese bedrooms are compact, and a MALM bed frame is a popular choice for maisonettes and apartments because its plain lines fit almost any scheme. That simplicity also makes it an ideal base for a padding project. All that is needed is a velvet curtain long enough to wrap the headboard, foam panels, double-stick tape, a needle and thread, and a staple gun. This particular frame measures 160 by 200 centimetres, though the method adapts to any size.

MALM chest of 4 drawers, high-gloss white, 80x100 cmMALM ottoman bed, white, 160x200 cmMALM bed storage box for high bed frame, white, 200 cm, 2 pack

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Measuring and sewing the velvet cover

Start by laying the curtain flat and folding it in half to find the centre. Measure the headboard and cut the fabric to size, leaving roughly 5 centimetres of extra fabric on each side so there is room to work with. Next, sew three sides of the folded curtain together, leaving the bottom edge open. This turns the fabric into a sleeve that will later slip over the padded headboard, much like a loose cover.

SILVERLÖNN sheer curtains, 1 pair, white/with heading tape, 145x300 cmBENGTA block-out curtain, 1 piece, beige/with heading tape, 210x300 cmSTENFRÖ sheer curtains, 1 pair, white/with heading tape, 145x300 cmVILBORG room darkening curtains, 1 pair, beige/with heading tape, 145x300 cmROSENMANDEL block-out curtains, 1 pair, grey/with heading tape, 135x300 cmKORGMOTT block-out curtains, 1 pair, white/with heading tape, 145x300 cm

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Padding the headboard with foam

Cut the foam into panels, six of equal size plus one wider piece for the centre. Edges do not need to be neat since the velvet will cover them completely. Attach each panel to the headboard using double-stick tape, lining them up carefully with the top and side edges of the frame. This step gives the headboard its cushioned shape and is what creates that soft, hotel-style silhouette once the fabric goes over it.

Fitting the cover and shaping the panels

Open the sewn sleeve and slide it over the foam-covered headboard so the fabric sits smoothly across the front. To define each panel, staple a length of thread into the groove at the front bottom edge, pull it up and over the headboard, then staple it to the back. Repeat this for every panel until the whole headboard has that rounded, tufted look. The result is a bedroom centrepiece that costs little beyond the materials and an afternoon of effort.

IKEA PS 2026 pre-cut fabric, white/multicolour large pattern, 150x300 cmDITTE pre-cut fabric, grey, 150x300 cmTAGGLUSERN pre-cut fabric, black/white, 150x300 cmVINTERFINT pre-cut fabric, flower pattern multicolour, 150x300 cmARBETSTÅG pre-cut fabric, off-white/beige dog pattern, 150x300 cmDAGGBJÖRNBÄR pre-cut fabric, 150x300 cm

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For bedroom updates like this one, Maltashopper brings MALM furniture and other essentials to homes across Malta and Gozo, ready for your next project.

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