The place of slumber, dreams, and retreat...the bedroom. In most of these restful places, the bed takes center stage. It can be a simple mattress atop a box spring, a futon, or a plush king sized oasis, either way, the bed is the purpose of the entire room. What is it without the fluffy pillows and artful headboard? It can be a wonderful art piece with just a little elbow grease and the creative inquisitiveness of a child.
One of the first steps is to decide if this is going to be a solid wood artful sleigh-type headboard or a simple structure to keep one's head off the wall when nighttime calls for a stack of books and steaming herbal tea. If it is to be something artful and simple, the supplies can be minimal.
A simple trip to one of the construction supply stores or even to an arts-and-crafts store can yield lots of possibilities. Lowe's has a vast array of plywood, solid wood, and pegboards that care great pieces. These are already cut in various sizes or can be cut-to-size on site. If the headboard is for a full, queen, or king bed, be sure to bring a flatbed truck or other larger vehicle to transport. For purposes of this article, let's assume the headboard is for a twin bed in a children's room.
Pegboard in 4ft by 6ft size is the best way to go for a simple, sturdy base. These have evenly placed holes that will accompany any nail to the wall. If the pegboard is to also hold hooks for a teenagers hat collection or a scarf collection, it is recommended that it first be nailed to a 2x2 piece of wood at each corner, then nailed into the stud. This will give some dimension.
Step 1. Decide if the headboard is to be attached to the wall or to the bed, that will determine the size of the board.
Step 2. Examine the bed to determine if it is on a frame, platform, or simply mattress and box-spring on the floor, these will help determine the placement of the board.
Step 3. Once the above two are determined, purchase the correct size pegboard, for purposes of this article, it is a simple twin bed with the mattress sitting on the box-spring, the box-spring sitting on a fluffy rug in an organic, feng sui style.
Step 4. Determine the artistic nature of the pegboard, which come in white or dark stain. Either one can stand alone,but if it is to be decorated, be sure to gather the supplies first such as paint, brushes, paper or drop cloth big enough to sit the board on flat.
Step 5. Once the board is either painted or fabric stapled (3 yard of any fabric along with a bag of twin sized quilt batting, a staple gun, and a friend is enough to make the head board padded. Ribbons or buttons can be added in criss cross fashion to make it like a French message board) gather the nail, hammer, and rule for proper placement.
Step 6. It is best for this type of headboard to be flush to the wall, therefore pushing the bed on the desired wall should help determine placement. Use a yard stick for even measurement. The board should be about 1-2 inches below the mattress so the finished product will give the illusion of being attached to the bed.
Step 7. This is when it is good to have a partner. Measure nail space for four nails, the holes in the pegboard should be a guide. The nails should be at least size 15GA. x 1-5/8". This will give the headboard enough anchor and support in the wall.
Step 8. Have a friend hold the board in place as the top right is nailed. Follow suit with the top left, bottom right, and bottom left.
Voila! A beautiful handmade headboard for a lot less than purchasing one.
Cost of materials for a fabric twin headboard mentioned in this article = $32.50
Source of materials for a fabric twin headboard mentioned in this article = Lowe's and Wal*Mart