Secret Garden $35 DIY Headboard

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A couple months ago, I picked up these garden thingys from Hobby Lobby.  They looked perfect for something in my “Secret Garden” themed guest room…but what I would do with them I wasn’t quite sure.  Some kind of headboard came to mind.
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I set them aside until a good idea could come to mind (plus I was really busy with work for a few months)… and then all of a sudden
I knew what I would do attempt to do!
This picture was my inspiration:
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And this is the “before” of the room:
 
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Disclaimer:  I’ve never built anything.  I’ve never taken a woodworking class.  I’m a chick.  Loud tools kind of scare me.  If I can do this project…..and I did…..you can too!
First, I headed to Home Depot to find some newel posts (the big, thick posts at the bottom and corners of railings).  When I got there, I found out newel posts are VERY expensive.  The one I wanted was $38 (and I needed two! eek)
 
So I grabbed a 4×4 instead.  It was about $8.  I had the “Big Saw” (at the store) cut it in half for me.
 
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I also picked up a cedar fence plank (I was going for a 1×6, but the cedar plank caught my eye and it’s about the right size, plus it smells good)  and two 1x2s, all of which I had cut to size for me by the Big Saw.
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Oh, I also picked up some “cap” MDF molding to trim the top of the 4x4s.
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First thing I did to the lumber was prime it.
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Then I got creative with drilling/carving/mucking out four square holes for the 1x2s to fit into. 
This took some time, but it wasn’t too hard.  I started by marking my rectangles with a pencil.  Then I used my dad’s old  Dremel tool to carve out the rectangles. (Thanks Mom for donating it to the project cause!)  It was my first time using a Dremel tool and it was pretty neat.  I spent some time with the directions and used the only wood carving attachment in the case already.
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My sophisticated project area.  Don’t worry – that carpet is an old dirty piece that is on the basement floor.  The goggles are a must for a Dremel tool. There was sawdust flying “ever-where!”
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The holes were certainly not pretty on the inside and you can see in the picture above where the Dremel tool jumped out  and carved a little arc in the wood where I didn’t want it.  But hey, it’s my first time using this thing, and my first time “carving” anything….and I can fix it with wood filler and paint 🙂 (Or maybe just paint, depending how lazy I am.)
I ended up using a large drill bit to make several holes (as many as I could) in each rectangle.  The drill removed a good amount of material, which made it easier for the Dremel tool to then shape the peg hole.
 
When I finally got the “peg holes” deep enough, I inserted the 1x2s and drilled a wood screw through the back of the 4x4s to hold the ends in place.
My screws weren’t quite long enough, so I used this funny little tool in my toolbox to drill a big hole so the screw could go farther into the wood:
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I used wood filler to fill all the gaps:
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Then I painted it the same color as the guest room walls (Valspar Coastal Villa)
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I added trim around the top using Liquid Nails and brads from my (manual) staple gun.  I had a bit of a learning curve cutting the cap pieces since they all need to be at the same angle in order for the cuts to match up, and when you’re holding the trim by hand, it’s easy for the piece to roll a little forward or back as you’re cutting.
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Then I weathered the posts and white trim with sandpaper and this stuff:
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A Home Depot employee was very helpful finding something to “weather” my wood and she highly recommended the above “Restor-A-Finish.”  She teaches faux painting classes and had a lot of examples of her own projects where she used various treatments.  One thing she said she never uses is glaze.  She said you can get the same effect by diluting a paint, using stain, or using other products (like above).  She thought it was a waste of money.  Just thought y’all would like to hear that too, since there are a lot of painting projects out there in blogland.
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I added the cedar plank for extra support (unprimed so it will still smell good!), and just screwed it to the backs of the 4x4s.  I probably won’t bolt the headboard to the bed frame, and instead I’ll just stand it up between the bed and the wall.  
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Next I used the Dremel tool to trim the panels to size, which just required a few cuts and some patience.  There were a lot of sparks, so I went pretty slow. (The tool came with special “cutting disks” which are designed for metal.)
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I used a grinding stone to smooth the rough edges after I cut through the metal pieces. (Also came in the Dremel kit – I would’ve bought a hack saw had my mom not brought the Dremel tool over when she did because frankly, I would never have known a Dremel tool could be so useful!)
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Then I stapled them to the 1x2s using half-inch staples and my staple gun… and it was done!
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Before:
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After:

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What do you think?  For $20 (metal things) + $15 (lumber) = $35, I think it’s a winner 🙂

 

I should also mention I had to buy a fresh quart of the Coastal Villa paint ($11) and the Restore-A-Finish was $8.  So you could add those in and the total comes to $54 (but I’ll use those for lots of other projects, so the cost will be spread out.)

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The shot above uses a flash, which shows my iridescent stenciling (prior project).

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Thanks for stopping by!  I’m off to think about my next project….. 🙂
I’m linking up to:

toolsareforwomentoo and Thrifty Decor Chick’s Before and After PartyandMotivate Me Monday andMake it Yours Day at My Backyard EdenandTransformation Thursday at the Shabby Chic CottageandTime Travel Thursday at the Brambleberry CottageandUnder $100 Linky Party at Beyond the Picket FenceandFrugal Friday at the Shabby Nestand 

Please stop by some of these blogs and check out all the awesome projects – and be sure to leave some comment love for your favorites 🙂

30 comments

  3. What a novel headboard! You did an excellent job in putting it together and the color is fabulous! Yeah for you! Following you now thru Motivate Me Monday. Pam @ Sallygoodin

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  6. Katie, you did an incredible job with your DIY headboard. I would love for you to link this post to my Tips & Tricks linky party.As a matter of fact, I would like you to join me for all three of my parties:ASK THE YANKEE – MONDAYSTIPS & TRICKS TUESDAY TIME TRAVEL THURSDAYYou can get the details here:http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/2010/06/brambleberry-cottage-linky-party.htmlEach party runs for six days, so come on by!Hope to see ya there!Liz @ the Brambleberry Cottagehttp://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/

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  19. Beautiful job!!Hi..I’m Barb….I am from Thurs. Trans…. I am your newest follower. I hope you will get a chance to visit my blog @ santasgiftshoppe.blogspot.com& get inspired by something for your family/home. I hope you will follow me as well. Nice to meet ya new friend!!!

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  23. Hi Katie,Thank you for entering your headboard project in Modern Craftswoman Monday. I was really impressed by it and have made you my Great Craftswoman Of The Week. I published a feature article about you this morning. Also, as part of this honor, I have given your picture and A Chirp In The Forest, some free advertising space this week. Congratulations. Please drop by when you can.Rory

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