The headboard is FINISHED! Bamboo shades and silk lampshades are up! Let me start this off by saying I could not be more pleased with what $100 and a little sweat can get you. I also want to mention that I did most of this project well before I even thought about blogging so I will try to be as clear as I can. I wanted to make mine as professional looking as possible {and I use that term loosely because up close it does look a little homemade, but you have to be UP close} but there are easier ways to go about it and I will try and interject shortcuts.
welt cord makes it look finished
Bamboo shades UP!
Lux silk lampshade + Target lamp = happy Jessica
fabric covered legs attached to the frame
*Pillow my Mom made with a Schumacher printed velvet! Knife edge with zipper closure- thanks Mom*
To start off I knew I wanted a THICK headboard. I think this keeps mine for looking too DIY.
Supplies:
½ inch plywood cut at your home improvement store
Jigsaw
Staple gun & staples
Poster board to make your template if you are doing a shape
Sharpie
2x4's (quantity depends on your shape)
Tape measure
Bread knife
2 inch thick foam {This goes on sale all the time at Hancock Fabrics and you can you use the smaller sizes and pieces them together if it cuts down on cost.}
Batting
Fabric
Wood glue
Spray adhesive
Beer
Steps:
Decide how you are going to attach it. Will it be hung on the wall? Or to the bed frame? I selected bed frame.
Decide on your design. I cannot stress to you how much easier a rectangular shape will be!!!! If you decide to have curves {you will need lots of beer} then make your template with poster board. If not, have your home improvement store cut the plywood to your specifications. {I have to say that we strapped this to the TOP of Matt’s Accord, rolled down the windows and held on – such rednecks.}
We traced the stencil onto the plywood with a sharpie {flipped the stencil over so both sides were exactly the same so it mirrored} and then cut it out with a jigsaw. Matt’s first time using a jigsaw. He felt manly - I am certain of this.
Next, we attached the legs - so one 2x4 to the left and one to the right with wood glue & staples. And then one to the top and one to the bottom to give it support and that thickness I wanted. If you decide on a rectangular shape you are ready to attach foam. If curves, then keep attaching 2x4’s horizontally until your curves are covered. {See photo} Then once the wood glue is dried, jigsaw around the curves.
Trace the stencil on the foam and cut it out with a bread knife. Attach the foam with spray adhesive & then cover with batting which you attach by using the staple gun. You really can piece this together and the you will not see the seams.
Fabric time! I cut out all my pieces and sewed together with a welt cord I made. This was tedious but welt cord is something you can’t skimp on with a headboard. Some curves didn’t look as good once I placed in on the headboard, so I used fabric glue to kind of fake it. I attached the finished shell with a staple gun. I covered the legs separately by just folding the batting and fabric around the legs. Matt just drilled through the fabric to attach the headboard.
Everything minus the sewing only took a couple of hours. This really is only a two weekend project.
Boomshakalaka!!