Of all the rooms inside the typical home, we spend the greatest amount of time in the bedroom. In fact, the average person requires between seven and eight hours of basal sleep in order to function optimally, but that’s an elusive pipe dream for 60 million U.S. citizens annually. Among the top reasons given for chronic insomnia, experts say that personal and work-related stress, poor diet, depression, stimulants and even an unconducive sleep environment can, in varying ways, contribute to the problem. Did your eyeballs zero in on that last sleep deprivation factor? What a great reason to rethink the way that you decorate your bedroom. Rather than being a tech-heavy, exercise, work and entertainment depot, your sleeping quarters should ideally be absent of all gadgets so you can instead create an entirely serene yet welcoming vibe. One way to accomplish that is to install a homemade headboard. Nine out of 10 enthusiastic planetary stewards even insist that the quality of your zzzs will increase by leaps and bounds when you take the time to craft one with recycled materials. Hmm, let’s see. It’s not so much of a stretch to suggest that creating a Zen-like headboard is good for your body (welcome to snoozeville), your wallet (no cash, check or credit necessary) and the planet (bring on the dumpster diving). Need a bit more convincing? Then do it for the rush of crafty-creative endorphins you will experience when you turn something drab into something positively eco-fab!

Transform a footboard into a bed-worthy frontrunner with a quick touch of paint. Cover any unsightly imperfections on your old headboard with a hand-knitted woolen cozy. Granny squares of the world, unite! String zigzag lengths of colorful rope inside a bare wooden frame. Make a record album headboard to showcase the soundtrack that best inspires your life. An old mattress frame can be given a dazzling headboard makeover just by enhancing it with paint and fabric flower rosettes. Mismatched tiles — whether of the clay, glass or pressed tin variety — can really shake up the look of a once uninspired headboard. A cozy blanket in a dynamic design can become the focal point of a DIY headboard in minutes flat. Turn an old curtain into a pseudo headboard. Scrapbook paper can become the backdrop for a beautifully decorative albeit faux headboard. Laminate samples are a 100% fun, 100% free option. Window shutters are a perennial favorite, but for an even more dramatic look, create a crown-molding framework! A yardstick-trimmed chalkboard can become a scholarly headboard for lifetime learners. Salvaged wood such as old fence boards can take a bed from snoozeville to heck yeah! Pave an old plank of wood with polished river rocks. Antique glass windows accented with a diverse array of patterned fabric or paper panels will really wake up your bedroom décor. Fill a large collection of picture frames with décor-enhancing fabric swatches or wallpaper. Wooden baseball bats and hockey sticks offer a sporty reminder of favorite pastimes. Bibliophiles might think it’s sacrilegious to strip texts of their hard covers, but the final DIY headboard is a well worth a thousand words. Since an old door works quite well as a headboard backdrop (French doors and bi-fold doors, too), it stands to reason that a salvaged garage door should also fit the bill. Burlap coffee bean sacks can expertly swath an old headboard in textural, eco-style. Whichever type of recreational board you favor — skateboard or surfboard — they can be easily upcycled into an unforgettable headboard that will live on long after your hardcore sporting days are over. Salvaged fireplace mantels (here is a simple tutorial) and other types of architectural elements such as church altars are ripe for headboard repurposing. Make a chevron-patterned headboard with recycled lathe. The next time you stumble upon a vintage store sign or other large-scale signage, remember that it will offer a dynamic backdrop to an otherwise simple bed. Gnarled tree roots make a dramatic headboard statement, as does a solid slab of straight-from-the-source hardwood.