Project Uno

It took me days. I changed my mind 100 times. But I finally decided on my headboard. This will be my first real project here at the new pad, aside from putting together that Ikea TV stand.

When I first saw this project I knew I found the perfect headboard!! It looked like an easy project and I estimated it would take me a couple of hours tops and that it would be really cheap. Well, it wasn’t as cheap as I thought. Apparently plywood doesn’t cost like ten bucks...but it was a pretty quick project to complete!

This is probably a two person job, just because the plywood is pretty big and awkward to move around to staple the back, but in the true spirit of independence, I tackled this on my own.

First step, get the batting on the plywood. Retrospectively, I probably should have used a few more layers of batting to get a more upholstered look, but oh well, can’t change the past. I used spray adhesive to glue the batting to the plywood.

Next is stapling the batting to the back of the board. This is where a friend would come in handy. Getting the plywood to flip over was a tad bit tough.

Next is laying the canvas out on the board. I stuck with the painter’s canvas mentioned in the HGTV project. I liked the rustic feel of it. Plus, getting a comparable amount of fabric would be more expensive, this piece here cost me around $5. My canvas was a bit wrinkled, but since I don’t have an iron, and because there was a giant warning label on the canvas that said “EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE,” I decided I’d let the wrinkles go away naturally.

Next is setting up the string guide. This helps to mark out where the nails will go, and to ensure they will be in a straight line.

And then I measured out how far apart I wanted the nails and marked it with a pen. Then it was on to hammering in the nails. I loved these carpet tacks, they have a great rustic look that really meshes well with the painter’s canvas.

By this time, my shoulder was already killing me with all that stapling, and hammering in 300+ nails did not help. But all in all, it only took about 2-3 hours (even counting the trip to Ace because I ran out of nails)!

Although it’s still wrinkled and I wish I had more batting on it, I love the look! It’s a bit larger than my frame, but I figure if I get a larger bed, I can still use this headboard. Once I get the perfect bedset and some nightstands, the look will be complete!

Now on to the next project!