The Herlihy Do-It-Yourself Home Spiff Up
has resumed and I have started painting
other parts of the house now...
I still hate painting,
but I dislike even more to spend thousands
for professional painters, so there we are...
Okay, if I had zillions, I'd shell out the bucks
to have it done,
but I don't,
so it's all me
or dingy walls forever...
The upside is the serious workout of painting
and the end result looks fresh and bright,
but generally, the whole thing sucks...
Our home repair list is beyond daunting,
but there are a few fun projects
I have thrown in for a my own personal sanity...
I have wanted a proper headboard
ever since we got new mattresses
a few years ago...
The ones I like in Pottery Barn,
catalogs are gorgeous
and start at around $600.00...
Purchasing one of those is so not going to happen,
so I had to make it myself...
DIY headboards are one of those
truly rewarding projects because
A, they are quick to assemble
for those who need instant gratification,
B, they are rather inexpensive to build
and C, the sense of accomplishment
and bang for your buck is BIG...
As you might remember
from a couple of my other projects of the past,
I am a big fan of the canvas drop cloths
sold at Home Depot...
They are durable, a nice natural,
wheat color and they are CHEAP!
Depending on the size of the bed,
you may need one or two pieces of MDF.
Home Depot will cut the wood
to the width and height you desire...
Menards, will NOT, we learned...
You will also need spray adhesive,
metal brackets and screws to connect the wood,
upholstery foam and batting,
the fabric of your choice,
stapler and staples
and if you want the look of brass hardware,
a roll of nail heads.
I found them at Jo Ann Fabrics...
T$ connected the two MDF boards
to make a headboard large enough
for our king sized bed...
Note: We assembled the headboard
in our bedroom since it was so big
we knew it might not fit through the door
after it was put together...
Next we sprayed the adhesive to the wood
and carefully pressed the foam down...
That spray adhesive is STICKY!
Lay out newpapers or a drop cloth
to prevent over spray hitting your carpet, furniture, etc.
If you can do this outdoors,
I would recommend it...
I cut off any overlapping foam with scissors...
Then I laid down the fabric on the floor,
with the batting on top of it...
We carefully placed the foam-covered wood on top
of the batting-topped fabric
and adjusted everything
until it was flat and smooth...
We first stapled the batting to the wood,
making sure all was snug and tight...
Next we stapled the drop cloth all around the perimeter,
making sure there were no goofy pulls or wrinkles...
This is a two-man job, Friends!
It's a great opportunity to bond with your spouse,
child, best buddy as you create a thing of beauty,
together...
One person to pull the fabric tightly,
the other to staple away...
I have made headboards solo,
but it's not as much fun...
Once the headboard was finished,
I decided to add the popular nail head look...
The awesome thing is that the nail heads
come in rolls...
One roll at Jo Ann is $21.99,
but bring your half-off coupon!
Please ignore the pasty leg and hand....
EEEEK!
Kate helped me draw the guide line in pencil.
Please do this, because, like me,
I'll bet you will get to this part
of the headboard project in the evening...
You will be crabby and dog tired.
There is nothing worse than realizing
the line is five inches wide at one end
and two inches at the other...
It will make you want to commit a felony
and no one wants that...
Not that this has happened to me or anything...
The neat thing about the roll of nail heads
is that you only have to pound in
every 5th nail head...
It goes on very quickly
and it is easier to keep straight
as you pound the brads
into the headboard...
Take your time and make sure the line
of nail heads are following your pencil line...
Note: Seven year olds are not so skilled yet
with hammers...
We killed a couple of tacks,
but oh well...
I am so happy with how the headboard turned out!
Once I get the bedroom painted,
it will look even better,
but it is gratifying to save about six hundred dollars
to get a very similar looking product...
Can't wait to start the next DIY...
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