How to Make an Antique Door Headboard

An antique door can make a statement as the headboard for your bed.

Adding a unique and personal touch to your bedroom is easy with this project. Using an old or antique door as a headboard for your bed not only can create a focus for the room, it also helps the environment by repurposing or recycling something that would otherwise be destroyed.

Things You'll Need

• Antique door
• Cleaning materials
• Wood filler
• 1 x 4-inch piece of wood, cut to size
• 1 x 2-inch piece of wood, cut to size
• Crown molding if desired or appropriate wood
• Saw
• Hammer
• Screwdrivers
• Nails
• Paint or stain

Instructions

1. Find a door. They are available from flea markets, antique shops, yard sales or construction sites. Watch for one with interesting designs that draw your eye. It doesn't matter if its solid or has windows, as long as you enjoy looking at it and it is in reasonably good shape.

2. Once you have it home, remove all the hardware. Repair any small holes you find with wood filler, making sure the patches are smooth. Don't try and repair everything, as some blemishes give the door character. If you want one that's completely without flaw, you could purchase a new, un-hung door. It will come with no hardware and would just need painting or staining. Measure the top and bottom sections. Generally, doors have a larger bottom section so it may be necessary to trim part of the bottom of the door to make it look symmetrical.

3. Clean the antique door well, using a good wood cleaner. Once dry, lightly sand it to remove any possible splinters, then wipe it once more with a soft cloth to remove any residue. Paint or stain the door according to your taste. For a distressed look, paint the door white, then once dry, use the sandpaper to remove some of the paint to show the wood below it. You could also paint the panels different colors, or use a stencil to give it a pattern. There are no rules to how you want this to look. It's all up to you.

4. 

   Lay the door down on its side. To mount the headboard to the wall, cut a 1 x 4-inch piece of wood to match the length of the door, then rip it down the center, on a 45-degree angle (similar to a "French cleat" see picture). Attach the one where the angle is up and to the outside to the wall, making sure to anchor to the studs. Attach the second to the door. When you place the door on the wall, the two wood pieces should interlock back together again. A 1 x 2-inch cut to the length of the door, should be placed on the bottom of the door to keep it level on the wall. To finish the top, cut a piece of wood or crown molding to match the space from the wall to the outside edge of the door and attach to make a small shelf..

Tips & Warnings

• Add a pretty crown molding to the top and sides of the door for a more elegant look.