How Do I Attach a Headboard to a Metal Frame?

Attach a headboard to a metal frame by lining up the holes on the headboard to the holes on the frame. Ask a friend to hold the frame steady while inserting nuts, bolts and washers to connect the two.

  1. Place the headboard behind the frame

    Place the headboard, with the padded decorative side facing the frame, up against the wall behind the frame. Line up the holes in the headboard and frame, and ask a another person to hold the entire frame steady in the exact position needed to keep the holes lined up.

  2. Attach the hardware

    Place a washer onto a bolt, and slide the bolt through the back of one of the top holes on the headboard, then through the corresponding top hole of the frame. Place another washer on the bolt, and screw a nut onto the end of the bolt. Repeat this step for the bottom hole.

  3. Tighten the bolts

    Grab two wrenches, and hold one in each hand. Hold one end of the top bolt in place, and turn the other wrench until the nut is tight. Be careful not to tighten too much, so you don’t strip the bolt. Repeat this on the bottom bolt.

  4. Repeat steps on the other side

    Following the above steps, secure the headboard to the other side of the frame.