Custom Headboard...on a Budget

Ok, so here I am again, to add to my usual pattern.

Topics of Blog entries:

• Lorelai
• Life
• Phoebe
• House Projects

So yes, I am now updating with a "house project" entry. :)
So as you remember, I made the "purple room" into a sage-colored guest room (later Lorelai's "big kid" room). Through a bit of craziness, we received the bed we were expecting for the room. Just one problem, we had a frame and headboard for a full size bed, but somehow, the bed we were given was a queen size. It is still surprising to me how no one measured this bed to confirm it was a full size before it was delivered to the house...but whatever.
So I had a problem. Queen bed, no queen frame; full frame, no full bed. So, after mulling it over for a couple hours, I decided it was more financially sound to keep the queen bed, store the full frame, and go buy a queen frame.
Sam's is awesome, and had an adjustable universal bed frame for $38. So that part was easy. But it is simply the frame, no headboard, and guess what? Having no headboard was urking me something awful. Every time I walked by the hall and looked in, "eh." It looked incomplete, I hate incomplete.
So, I began thinking...headboard for cheap. All the headboards I found online were at least $100 before tax (and most likely shipping and handling) and that number just wasn't working for me.
So I thought of a couple different options.

• Align metal wall art squares
• Paint rubber wrought iron door mats
• Create an upholstered, padded frame 

I decided the upholstered frame was the least expensive, and the most "familiar," seeing as the rubber mats were off the top of my head, and I wasn't quite sure how it would work...or look.

So, here is what I did for a $50 headboard at Hobby Lobby:

Materials: Cheap, framed art canvases, quilt batting, your fabric of choice, and an upholstery staple gun...with extra staples. 

For a queen size bed (60in long) I needed 3 canvases (2 packs of 2 in this case). Staple them together, front , back, top and bottom at seams.

Lay batting on floor, make sure it will completely cover the frame plus enough to fold behind the back. Place the frame face down, pull the batting over the edges (tight) and staple in place.

Cut away any excess batting. Lay down the fabric like the batting before. Place the frame on top, batting down, and fold and staple again like before.

Tada! Easy, easy! 

I did want a little extra "flair" so I tacked down the frame half  way every foot with  thread and  a little glass bead. I want buttons eventually, but all I had were the beads. You could add ribbons, lace, yarn, etc. Options are endless.

I attached it with "L" shaped screw brackets, 4 to be exact. 

I made sure the bottom of the headboard frame was tucked behind the  mattress so it wouldn't be easily knocked off the wall.

I spent about $50 on this. Honestly, you could knock it out for cheaper if you already have fabric (or find something you like on a clearance rack), if you already have a staple gun, if you somehow have extra canvases (or batting), or if you have coupons. I should have printed out Hobby Lobby's 40% off any item coupon, but I didn't think of it until later. Anyway, I love the finished look now, and I am happy I didn't spend a lot of $$$. Plus it only took an hour from start to finish to make and install.

M.LEWIS