DIY Rustic Headboard Tutorial

Due to the overwhelming response from my Mini Bedroom Makeover, and the wealth of questions regarding the making of the headboard, I thought it was best to write a specific post detailing how it was made and the challenges that I encountered in the process.

Step one was purchasing my wood. I chose pre-cut 6' boards from Home Depot (we have a king size bed). These are what the boards looked like once I got them home from the hardware store.

(Sorry about the photo quality -- this was a cell phone pic.)  Please note: when choosing your boards,  the "prettier" boards in my opinion (second board from the right) bow more than the others -- although I think it's totally worth it! :)  I positioned the boards in the order that I wanted them to look on the wall, then I marked the back of each board by number order. I also put an arrow pointing in the upward direction so that I would remember the placement when I went to install the headboard.

Next was the wood staining process. I moved the boards to the garage since fumes with wood stain are extremely strong. I chose Minwax in the color Jacobean and brushed the stain on in the direction of the wood grain using a cheap throwaway sponge brush. Then after each large section, I wiped with a dry rag. I just LOVE how the stain made the wood grain pop! Ideally, I would've left them in the garage for 24 hours to dry and then add a wax finish, but because of my time constraint I rushed to install them as soon as the stain was dry to the touch. I later applied the wax finish after the install and big reveal.

On each end of each board, I drilled two equally spaced holes where I wanted my drywall screws to go. I didn't bother finding studs since the boards weren't that heavy to begin with. I've hung heavier pictures on the wall using drywall screws, so I wasn't worried in the least. I measured, then positioned and leveled the bottom board first and screwed it into the wall. It's important to note that on my first try I didn't use long enough drywall screws. This required an additional trip to the hardware store, but what project doesn't? :)  At the end of the day, 2" screws worked well for me. If you look closely, you may be able to tell that a couple of the boards still stick out a little bit from the wall. I'm okay with that and actually like it when these type of things aren't "perfect." That's what makes it unique and a little more rustic rather than a perfect, manufactured look.

I'm extremely happy with the results and would do it again in a heartbeat! It really is easier than it looks. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to send me an email here or leave a comment below.


Lots of love,
Mary



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