10.31.2012

DIY: Nailhead Trim Headboard

The fun productions have continued and this time it's an addition to the master bedroom! We have a platform bed with drawers on the side... in our previous house we needed lots of storage so this was a great bed, plus it was a good deal! Now, I feel like it's a bed we have grown out of and since I wasn't ready to commit to a whole new bed I wanted to a headboard to dress it up. There are a ton of options out there, I fell in love with this one from West Elm... buuuuut I didn't fall in love with the price! Yikes. $500 for a headboard. Well, luckily there are other, DIY options.

And a DIY headboard looks just as nice with a great feeling of accomplishment. :)


So here's the list of supplies and how we did it.

Supplies:
- 3/4" Plywood (I believe that it was an 8' x 4' piece which is plenty big for a king headboard)
- High Loft Batting - high loft is thicker and stiffer whereas low loft is softer and more flimsy for molding to different projects. High loft is good for this project. I bought it big enough to fold it so it was doubled and created a cushier look!
- Nailhead trim kit... I used the cheater method and you should too if you want to do this project!
- Fabric
- A couple screws to use to hang the headboard
- Heavy Duty Stapler - I used an electric one though you can use a manual, hand stapler it is just more difficult!

Step 1: Preparation
First step is to measure.... Measure from one end of the bed to the other so that you get a perfect fit. Once you have the measurements, let's say it's 72" wide, then you cut the plywood the exact length and then the height you want. We cut the height to be in line with the size the batting was but allowed an extra 3 inches on all sides so we could wrap the plywood. Next I cut the fabric to also be about 3" bigger on all sides... meaning 6" taller an wider than the plywood.



Step 2: Stapling :)
First lay the fabric the good side down. Next lay the batting on top of the fabric. Then lay the plywood down on the top. My husband helped with the stapling and I would recommend a partner because he would pull it tight and I would staple. We make a good team. :) We stapled a lot to make sure it was on there good... about every 2".

 
Step 3: Nailhead Trim
Since I was using the nailhead trim kit this part was a breeze and didn't take very long - two very good reasons to use the cheater method instead of nailing a ton of nails individually. The kit works well because it is a strip of nailheads without the actual nails and about every 5-6 there is a hole where you insert a nail to hold it in place. So you only have to nail a fifth of the actual nails for the project. Easy! And you can't tell!


Step 4: Hang the Headboard
Using the scrap plywood my husband cut a long strip in half and then cut the meeting edges at 45 degrees. This allows a ledge for the headboad to hang on. He screwed the top piece to the headboard (45 degree angled in) and then used a stud finder to screw the bottom piece (45 degree angled out) to the wall. After that we simply hung the headboard on the mounted piece of plywood and centered it on the bed! Whew... that was easy and cheap! :)


And what a difference a headboard makes!

 
Here's the budget breakdown:
- Plywood: $25
- Fabric: Remnant for $5... yes... a steal!
- Batting: $15 because I used a 50% off coupon at the craft store!
- Nailhead Trim Kit: $12 because I used a 40% off coupon at another craft store... love coupons!
- Stapler.... borrowed it from the in-laws
TOTAL: $57 for a king size nailheadtrim headboard!


Are you interested in upgrading your bed with a new headboard? Any ideas on how to do it differently? I would love to hear your ideas!

Thanks for stopping by!! Happy Halloween. :)

<- Kassy ->

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