A Much Needed Headboard

Last Christmas the hubs and I got a king size bed that we had been saving for...don't get me wrong we like to snuggle but we both sleep much better now!  With a new bed meant we lost our queen size headboard, and if you know me, you know there is no way I'm going to drop several hundred dollars to buy a new headboard when I could make one myself.  Let the pinterest search begin!!  I had originally wanted to make an upholstered and tufted headboard...or I had considered making one from old pallets.  And, of course, I needed to do this on a budget...and sometimes I just enjoy the challenge of completing a project while spending as little as possible!!  In a way, it is kind of like a rush for me...I know, I know...I've embraced my inner geek meter!!

Here is a picture of our bed without a headboard

I actually had an old door in our house that I used as art/decor.  I got it from a yard sale for $15 and hadn't found a spot for it that was just right.  It had leaned up against a wall in the loft of our old house, then it was in our living room in our current house, and as our little one became more and more mobile we eventually moved it into the garage because we were concerned he could pull it down on himself.  And, with it being an old door it was solid wood and if it fell on him it would do some serious damage!!  So, no longer good for decor but could be perfect as a headboard!  Our bed was 77" wide and the door was an ideal 79" long...music to my ears!!  Of course, I forgot to take a before picture of the door...I promise I will work on my before and after picture taking skills!

I headed to Lowe's to get a 2x4 and some 3.5" screws.  I planned to turn the door on its side and attach a 2x4 to each side and then attach it to the bed frame.  The door needed to be painted and I wanted a vintagey-old look to it.  I started by sanding and then painting it a bluish-gray color, Kentucky Haze by Benjamin Moore, and then I dry brushed white over it.  Then came the hard part.  I got a 10' 2x4 and had Lowe's cut it in half, but one piece ended up being about 1/4" longer than the other, so I knew I would have to attach the pieces perfectly otherwise the headboard wouldn't be level.  And, a headboard that wasn't level would drive me crazy!  Seriously, can you imagine walking by it everday only to have it tilting just a bit?!?!?  So, I measured...and measured...and measured...I probably measured a dozen times before drilling holes for the screws, and thankfully, it paid off because it ended up being level!! WAHOO!!!  The only problem I had was getting the screws through the 2x4 and into the door...needless to say, some of the screws I just could not seem to get all the way into the door before they stripped.  I used wood screws and I'm guessing those were the wrong type to use or I didn't drill as deep as I thought I had, but once the screws were stripped there was nothing else I could do.  So, how did I fix it...well, I am cringing at even admitting this but I took a hammer and used it to bend the part of the screw that was sticking out so it would just lie flat.  I know, it hurts me to even think about it but after all that work I was not about to let a half an inch of a few screws keep me from finishing this headboard!  Besides, that part of the headboard is against the wall so no one can see it anyways...and if I hadn't admitted it, I would be the only one who knew, but alas, I digress.

Here are some pictures of the screws after I bent them flush against the 2x4

Those pictures probably don't do it justice...but there you go! :)

Here is a picture of the backside of the headboard

Here it is in our room

I know the pillows are just sad...they have been a work in progress and I'm hoping to use some Christmas money to finish it all up!  Would love some new, taller lamps to go with our taller bed, but we'll see!

I know what some of you are thinking..."doesn't she realize that if she had of turned the door over then we wouldn't see the door handle and probably wouldn't even be able to tell that it was a door?!"  Well, I actually did that on purpose and that's kind of my favorite part! :)

Here's the breakdown:

Old door - $15
1 10' 2x4 - $8 (approx...I forgot to keep the receipt)
Screws - $5
Sandpaper and Paint - I already had

Total: $28...not too bad!