by Cindi Clarke

Created on: March 18, 2009   Last Updated: August 31, 2009

When you decide to make a new headboard for your bed, you are limited only by your imagination.

If you are looking for a creative new focal point for your master bedroom, you can use almost any material you can think of to create one. Recycle old doors, shutters, windows, or garden gates. Cut a design out of plywood, pad it with foam, and cover it with a fabric that coordinates with your bedroom decor. Build a wall box with decorative cutouts and put a light strip behind it. Hang a fabric curtain. Have your favorite pictures enlarged to poster size and framed.

Are you considering a "green" headboard? If so, consider using a decorative old door, shutters, garden gate, or windows. First you will first want to remove all the existing hardware so that it can be safely anchored to the wall. Next make sure that it is cleaned of all dirt and bug debris, especially any spider egg sacs so that you don't have any uninvited guests sharing your bed. If it is rusty, use a steel brush to loosen any particles then paint it with a rust inhibiting paint.

Looking for a shabby chic look? Consider repainting your item in layers with colors that will coordinate with your room decor. For example, if you are using an old garden gate in a Victorian garden themed room, consider painting your walls green. Then repaint the gate with layers of color, starting with a different shade of green, yellow, rose, then white. Using a sanding block after the layers have dried, rough up the paint in several areas to give it an aged appearance that will show the different colored layers. With the white paint as the top coat, it will stand out against a green wall.

For a Parisian theme room, or another exotic location, consider using old windows that you place a poster of the Eifel Tower behind to make it look like you have a "room with a view" of the tower, a tropical beach, or another favorite or dream vacation location. Repaint the frame of the window in black, white, or stain it a natural wood. If you are building a headboard for small room, consider replacing the glass with mirrors so that it will reflect light back into the room, and give the appearance of a larger room.

If you are building a sports themed headboard for a boys bedroom, you could cut a large round out of plywood and paint it to resemble a basketball or baseball. Or a large flower for a girl's bedroom, or a ladybug.

Several wall mounted tealight candle holders can also be mounted to your wall to achieve a romantic, candle-lit "headboard." Depending on the size of your bed, you could hang them three, four or five across and up to create a square on the wall.

There are no limits to the designs and ideas for creating a headboard that will compliment your bedroom decor and create a relaxing oasis for you to come home to at the end of the day.

Learn more about this author, Cindi Clarke.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.