DIY Shabby-Chic Wood Headboard
A shabby-chic bedroom can lose it's chic without an outstanding headboard. A headboard draws attention to your bed and elevates its importance in the bedroom, giving it that sense of elegance that is necessary to create a chic atmosphere. Don't rush out and purchase a brand new headboard if you're trying to put a shabby-chic room together. Make your own using something stylish. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Pad
- Pencil
- A piece of salvaged wood
- Drop cloths
- Paint scraper
- Sand paper (assorted)
- All-purpose cleaner
- Rags
- Cotton swabs
- Paint/primer combo, flat finish, in accent color
- Paint brushes
- Crackle paint medium
- Paint in main color, flat or satin finish
- Spray varnish or sealer
Instructions
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Measure the width of your bed. Your headboard will need to be at least that wide or wider based on your preference.
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Measure on the wall behind your bed from the floor to the maximum height you want your headboard to be. The height of your headboard should not exceed that measurement. Make a small mark on the wall to line up with the bottom of your mattress. Measure from the mark to that height to determine the shortest possible height for your headboard.
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Go to salvage yards or thrift shops with your measurements and your tape measure. Think outside of the box as you look for an old wood structure you can use for a headboard. Consider a French door, a row of shutters lined up, old fireplace facade or a length of wood fence. As long as you find something you like that's made of wood and falls within the right height and width range, consider it a candidate.
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Bring home your salvage piece that you chose for a headboard and set it on some drop cloths in a roomy, well-ventilated area. Put on work gloves and scrape off any old, peeling paint. Sand any dangerous splintery areas smooth with a heavy grit sand paper.
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Spray your headboard with an all-purpose cleaner and use rags and cotton swabs to clean every detail thoroughly. Let it air dry. Sand it rough areas with a medium grit sandpaper to smooth them out. Sand the whole piece a couple of times with a fine-grit sandpaper.
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Paint your piece with a base coat using a paint and primer combination product. The color of this base coat will not show much, but it will be an accent color that will have a huge effect on the overall look of the piece so choose the color carefully. For minimal, subtle contrast to keep your piece light and airy, choose a pastel or neutral shade. Use a very dark or bright shade for a strong, striking contrast.
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Let the first coat of paint dry and apply a crackle paint medium. Crackle paint mediums are found at craft stores and home improvement stores and they will give the top coat of paint that aged, cracked appearance of an antique. Use a brush to apply the crackle medium and keep all strokes going in the same direction.
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Allow the crackle medium to set as per the manufacturer's instructions and apply your top coat of paint in your main color. For shabby-chic decor, a crisp white is ideal.
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Apply the paint over the crackle medium with a brush very carefully. All your paint strokes should be in the same direction you applied the crackle medium. Apply paint in one long, clean stroke and leave it -- do not brush up back over it or try to add a second coat. Dip your brush again and move on to coat the next section. You don't have to worry about blending, as the finish is going to begin to crack and separate anyway.
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Sand over your paint job once it is completely dry. Get a package of assorted grit sand paper and change your paper as you sand different parts of the piece for varying results. Give a light sanding to fade ornate details or sand more heavily on edges and corners to make them more pronounced. Wipe the piece with a rag when you finish sanding to remove dust.
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Spray on a couple of coats of varnish or acrylic sealer to protect your paint job, allowing drying time between coats.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear a dust mask and protective eye wear when sanding.
