DIY Madness--Faux Headboard!

It's been a somewhat turbulent week here at eatmywords. The job hunt has thrown me some very strange curve balls and I haven't quite figured out how to field them yet. Not to be overly cryptic about it, but I'll explain once things begin to settle down once again, which is bound to happen by the end of the week.

With all this madness in the air, I'm so happy to have a super-comfy bed to come home to. There's nothing like throwing yourself in bed at the end of the day and letting all the other issues just melt away. But until this weekend, there was something missing. Figured it out yet? Right! The headboard!



And, for a quick comparison to the inspiration image:



Not bad, huh?


How to Make A Faux Headboard In Six Simple Steps

1. Select a shape for your headboard and lightly freehand the shape onto the wall, using a level and tape measure to ensure that your lines are straight and symmetric. If you want trim inside the headboard, draw this as well.

2. Choose the prettier half of your freehand drawing, and trace it onto some tracing paper. Flip over the paper and trace the flipped image. This will create two halves to your headboard that are completely symmetrical. Again, if you want a second line of trim, this should appear here as well.

3. Use the fully traced drawing to cut out a stencil for your headboard. Tape it in place on the wall by taping along the top side of the shape. Make sure that you tape liberally, as you'll now use an exacto knife or razor blade to gently cut away the stencil. This will leave you with a taped-off outline of your headboard. Make sure the stencil stays intact, as you'll still need it later.

4. Paint inside your taped off area and allow the paint to dry. Peel off the tape, and the shape of your headboard will be cleanly defined on your wall!

5. Now for the trim. Trace your stencil onto nice quality posterboard or wrapping paper and cut out a 1-inch strip in that shape, basically freehanding the bottom line. If you're using wrapping paper, you'll want to mount it onto posterboard or something with some weight to it before applying it to the wall.

6. Stick the trim onto the wall with lots of sticky tack. You're done!