How to Make a Bookcase Headboard

The coolest bed a kid could ever ask for as a headboard on it. Now, have you ever wanted to save money on headboards and build you own? This article will help you learn how to make a bookcase for your bed's headboard- it's hard, but it is rewarding. Read on!

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tools
• A bed
• Wood
• Screws
• Measuring tape

1. The first thing your headboard needs is...a bed! Once you have the mattress size, and preferably the frame size, you will need to measure it.

2. 
   A trusty tape measure for measuring the bed's headboard bookcase

   So, use your trusty tape measure and find out the width of the mattress/bed frame (here-after referred to only as "bed"). Try and measure twice, so that you don't have a bad error later on. Be sure to add on an inch or two so the mattresses can fit inside alright, if you choose to have some overlap.

3. Now, find how comfortable you (or your child) will be with different sizes of headboards. You should make sure that most of the headboard will be behind the actual bed; even though it might seem cool to have a cave-like covering, that isn't safe.

4. So, figure out how many feet/inches you want the bookcase to be in depth. This could also be length, but I just want to make sure you are thinking of it going back, behind the bed, not over it.

5. Once you have that length, decide how high up it will be. Most are at least 4 or 5 inches above the person's head while at rest; this should prevent things from falling or their head from hitting them.

6. 
   A bookcase headboard

   Now, put those measures together- the width, depth (length), and heighth. You now have the dimensions for your bookcase headboard.

7. Cut two identical pieces of wood for the sides. Use the heighth and depth to determine how you will cut them; remember to sand them too! Nobody likes splinters.

8. Make the base of the bookcase now. Use the depth and width measurements to determine how you will cut the piece of wood for the base. Sand!

9. 
   A really cool bookcase headboard

   If you want to, you can add multiple levels to the bookcase headboard, as shown in this picture. Next, make dividers to be able to separate items on the bookcase.

10. You should cut the dividers a little smaller than the other pieces, especially in terms of depth and width. Sand them down so they are really smooth.

11. Now, take a drill and put in at least two screws into each board, connecting them with the other boards they come into contact with. That includes the dividers- they can be a hazard if they come off and expose a screw.

12. Now that you have put the boards together, be sure to sand them again and run a varnish or wood preserver over the boards.

13. You now have a brand new bookcase headboard! Put it at the end of the bed you wish and have fun!

Tips & Warnings

• Draw the headboard you want to make before you do any cutting/putting together. Make sure things will work, and that you have enough wood.
• Be careful! Avoid hurting yourself or others.
• Use safety goggles while cutting/drilling.
• Be careful! (again)
• Don't hit your head on the headboard. It might take some getting used to...

[jull14]

on 7/6/2009 Thank you for sharing this information with me, it is very interesting, helpful for many here at ehow and the article is well written and easy to follow, thanks so much.