I can't believe how many homes I go in where I see no headboard on the bed. Headboards have a solid purpose and that's not only to anchor the bed in the room visually, but to allow pillows to have a resting surface. They can be simple or ornate, the choice is yours but here's an easy way to create one.
Metal Frame Headboards
Use a door! A door you say? Yes! Choose a closet sized door rather than a standard wall door. Plain or fancy, either will work but I prefer solid doors with recessed panels to give more architectural detail to the piece I'm about to create. You will find that closet doors also tend to be less expensive allowing for more quality in the piece for the same money.
Metal Frame Headboards
1. Get measurements for the legs by measuring from the floor to the top of where you want your headboard to come up to on the wall, minus 2 inches. (This is so that the leg rails do not show above the head board).
2. Measure the distance between the rails on your bed frame.
3. Divide the measurement of your bed rail frame distance by two.
4. Find the center on the top of your door/headboard and mark it with a pencil.
5. Measure outward from that center mark, the 1/2 distance measurement you just took for the rails and place a mark. This will be the exact place the center of your legs will attach.
6. Cut legs out of 2x4's. Attach to the back side of the head board with wood screws to secure. Use a carpenter's level to make sure they are attached squarely.
7. Prime and paint the door and legs a neutral color and allow to dry completely.
Now the creative brain can kick in and really have some fun! Try these fun and easy ways to decorate your new head board.
Stenciling:
Border the outside edges of the door with a vine border then add floral designs to the recesses. I especially love doing this to a headboard that is painted deep brown or black as the design shows up so beautifully and it set off by the rich background.
Faux Finishing:
Paint the door then create granite or marble effects in the recesses. Even blended sponge painting can be gorgeous, and then paint the outside edge a contrasting color.
Raised Plaster Stenciling:
Add a border design to the outside edges, then a raised plaster central stencil design with joint compound to the insets. Let the joint compound dry for 48 hours before applying paint over the surface so that you do not to loose any of that beautiful raised detail.
Using the same color paint as you used for the door surface, paint over the design and allow it to dry to seal it completely. Apply a color wash of translucent wall glaze mixed with a darker, coordinating color over the design and wipe away the excess to reveal a much more detailed version of the design.
Cast Ornamental Plaster from a mold:
Any mold designs can create the most elegant and unique headboard. Molds are easy to use. Simply lubricate the inside of the mold by brushing lightly with mineral oil then fill the mold with mixed plaster of paris. Allow the plaster to set, remove the piece from the mold and let air dry completely.
Cast and arrange your molded pieces in the pattern desired then attach to the door with joint compound as the adhesive. Let dry 48 hours then paint and color wash as described above in the raised plaster stenciling paragraph. The look of cast plaster on your head board is so beautiful and appears to be carved right in to the head board. What an expensive look!
To finish your headboard, seal your design with a clear, non-yellowing sealer.
To attach the head board to the bed frame:
1. Stand the headboard up against the bed and mark a hole for each of the holes in the bed frame mounting bracket (standard with all metal bed frames).
2. Use heavy duty metal screws and purchase matching wing nuts.
3. Drill pilot holes for each screw hole you marked the same diameter as the screw and drill all the way through the leg.
4. Attach the headboard legs to the bed frame by inserting the screws all the way through the back of the legs and the bed frame then attach a wing nut and secure tightly.
© Victoria Larsen 2009. All Rights Reserved
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