Well before this blog was a twinkle in my eye, I was making headboards instead of buying them. DIY headboards are nothing new and I�m sure you�ve seen a ton around blogland. They are all over the �land� because they are one of the easiest and cheapest updates you can make to a bedroom � with very little time and moola you can have a custom piece for your room.
Mine are pretty basic � no cutting of wood! (I don�t count what the guys at the hardware store do for me!) The headboard for the Bub�s room is slightly different than what I did in the past:
The one above is the simplest I�ve done � just a piece of plywood cut to size, covered with batting and then fabric. That�s it! I didn�t completely staple the fabric all the way around, and just screwed the board into studs on the wall, then secured the fabric with a staple gun around the edges (while it was on the wall).
To cover the staples I used pretty trim and hot glue. Easy peasy squeeeeezays! I did the same process in our bedroom before we got our four poster bed. (I know I have a picture somewhere � I�ll try to dig it up.)
Anyhoo�normally you use foam in the process � but I had never used it because of the cost. If you haven�t noticed � foam is wicked expensive. It�s a petroleum-based product, so it fluctuates with the cost of gas � which anymore is wicked expensive. :)
So a couple years ago I found this headboard project over at Kara�s place and her idea stuck with me � use an egg crate mattress topper instead of foam! It�s only about $10 for a twin size, $15 for a full size.
For the Bub�s headboard, I got the full size, and I ended up using two pieces to make it extra cushy:
Just lay your plywood (that you had cut at the hardware store) on top, trace it out and cut it. The bonus about this egg crate stuff is it�s SO much easier to cut than regular foam. I used spray adhesive to adhere it to the plywood. (When I say �adhere� � I mean stick just enough till I can wrap fabric around it.)
I didn�t even use plywood for this headboard � I used the board that the baby mattress laid on from the Bub�s crib. I kept thinking I could do something fab with it � and I did. Score!:
Usually I use batting for the next step, but the piece I had wasn�t big enough, and I didn�t want to spend any extra cash. So I just used extra muslin from my stash. (I�m a poet and I didn�t even know it!) This stuff is as little as $1.99 a yard -- way cheaper than batting. You could also use an old sheet � basically any thin fabric.
I stapled and stapled aaaaaaand stapled:
And had a nicely wrapped headboard, waiting for the beautiful blue fabric:
I did the same with the blue fabric, then installed little hangy thingamabobs to hang it:
You can see the corners are a bit of a mess from the back � as long as the sides are presentable, who cares? Not me!
The result was a beautiful, soft headboard for under $30 (for fabric and egg crate foam):
This is the fabric I used for the drapes in this room, and I ADORE it.
I had all kinds of ideas to add a little somethin� to this headboard � I was going to tuft it with buttons, but when I got it up I realized you wouldn�t even see them when the bed was made because of the pillows. Even though we never make beds in this house, I still didn�t think it needed tufting. ;)
Then I was going to add molding around the edges, but I when I held it up, it just was too much � and I have enough molding going on in the room as it is.
I was going to add nail head trim around the sides, but Joann�s was flat out of it today (argh!) and now I�m thinking that may look a little skimpy along the side�I�m not sure.
For now, I absolutely love it as is! It�s sooooo soft and smooshy!
This whole headboard project took less than two hours to complete � I started it when Father of the Bride 2 began, and finished well before mother and daughter had their babies. (I cried. Like I always do. Even though it�s insanely cheesy � I love those movies!)
I�ll show you the whole big boy bed soon � I think I�m going to post about what I�m doing under that chair rail next. Those of you who follow me on Twitter have heard me talk about it, and if I don�t explain it soon, I think a few of you may just hunt me down. ;)
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P.S. Something about this post is making the spam comments go mad -- so I'm turning on word verification for a bit -- bear with me!
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