For Christmas, Emma and I decided that we were going to put a spending limit on each other, and see what happens! It’s our first Christmas married, and we couldn’t have been more excited. With our spending limit, I think we both knew we’d have to get creative! And we both did!
Emma started off strong with a pair of shoes she knew I wanted but knew I’d never buy for myself! I didn’t know, though, that she was doing a second gift! Emma printed up a canvas print from Taylor Lord’s photos of our wedding. It ended up being the PERFECT size (see the pictures below) and I absolutely love it!!!
For my present, in all honesty, I was at a loss. I am a terrible gift buyer, and an even worse secret keeper. Somehow, late at night, I thought, “Hey, I know she’d love a headboard. The one we registered for was super expensive though…what if I made one?” I’ve never constructed anything outside of a drama set in my life.
Long story short, I made one! I had several people on a “…oh….no…what do I do” text list. And really, Emma knew. She started talking about, “let’s just make a headboard out of pallets,” and I didn’t play that so cool it turns out.
Oh well.
Today after work, I came home after lunch (we work half days this week) and put the canvas picture up! Next, I moved the mattress, box springs and bed frame out of the way, got the headboard set, and then put the bed back together!! I love how it turned out, the look of our room, and we’ll see about its sturdiness.
If you want details on how I built it, I made some notes that you’ll find below the pictures!
DETAILS OF HEADBOARD:
Wood type: PINE
Stain: MINWAX DARK WALNUT
Seal: MINWAX FAST-DRYING POLYURETHANE SUPERIOR CLEAR SATIN
Plans: LINK HERE
Time: 5-6 hours (not including staining/sealing)
PROCESS:
I made some bad cuts, but luckily I knew Emma would want a “rustic look” for our head board. All the cuts were first, and then I did the actual construction.
Once it was together, I used a screwdriver, hammer (both sides), and butane torch to distress the front, sides, and top of the headboard. I had some trouble attaching the top trim to the headboard, so it’s still not the sturdiest. As a result though, there are several nails sticking out of the top that were bent and nailed into the wood. I like to think, “I’m not lazy, it’s just rustic.”
Next, I sanded the whole thing down, wiped it off with cheese cloth, and then one more quick sanding and wiping.
I applied the stain with a foam brush, one board at a time. As soon as I was done with a slat or section, I wiped the stain off with an old cotton t-shirt so it only had a few seconds to set in. Some of the distressed portions got more stain sitting in them, which just made it look darker.
I let the stain dry for a day, and then started on the poly seal. The back half of the headboard got two coats, the front part got four. I used a high-quality paint brush, and let it dry 4-6 hours in between each coat.
It was a really fun project, I’m really pleased with the results, and Emma already has the next project lined up for me.
Also…in other news…if anyone wants to sell a miter saw….let me know…
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