| Fabric Headboard |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-206 |
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Q: How can I create my own fabric headboard? A: (Nate Berkus, Ask DIY Decorating & Design Expert): Here's how you make a tufted headboard: Materials: 3/8" plywood
Pencil
Yardstick or other substantial straightedge
Safety eyewear
Power drill and medium drill bit
Batting
Fabric
Staple gun and staples
Sturdy buttons
Large needle and upholstery thread
Finish nails
Mirror hangers
Level
Anchors
- Mark the center point of the plywood and use a yardstick to draw a line across the diagonal with a pencil. Then draw an intersecting diagonal and with a pencil mark the point where the two lines meet . Maintaining the diagonal pattern, mark the entire surface with spots for more buttons, 12" apart.
- Put on safety glasses. Then use a power drill with a medium bit to drill holes through all the pencil-marked spots.
- Pick a piece of upholstery-weight fabric that is 6" or so longer than the piece of plywood on all sides. Lay it on a sturdy work surface, with the side you want to show facing down.
- Cut batting a few inches longer than the piece of plywood on all sides. Place it on top of the face-down fabric. Top it with a same-size piece of thin batting foam.
- Center the drilled plywood on top of the three layers of material -- fabric, batting and batting foam.
- Pull the foam, batting and material snugly over each corner of the wood and staple it (figure A). Do the same to cover the hard edges on the sides of the board.
- Select large buttons, possibly ceramic or antique glass. Secure them to the fabric-covered board with a large needle and upholstery thread (figure B): start by threading the needle through the drilled hole on the uncovered side of the plywood.
- To get the buttons secured tightly on the plywood, lay a finish nail on its side over each of the drilled holes on the back of the plywood. Once you've finished sewing each button, tie the ends to the finish nail. If you want a tufted look, with the buttons recessed in the fabric, twist the nail several times clockwise. This will create tension in the upholstery thread that will pull the button into the cushion-backed fabric.
- Hang the headboard with mirror hangers equidistant from the center of the headboard. Use the shortest screws that come with the kit -- you don't want the headboard to tilt out from the wall and hit people on the head. Use a level and an anchor if you can't find or don't have a wall stud available.
More Questions for Nate: Q: I have two arched nooks that are the first things you see when you enter my house. What should I use to decorate these two nooks? A: You should have a pair of something, dried flowers, garden urns, something really wonderful. And paint the backs of the nooks to make them stand out even more. Q: My small spare bedroom is painted hunter green, and I want to paint it a light yellow. Will the dark color come through if I don't prime the walls first? A: You've got to prime the walls. Q: Is there anything I can do to change the look of particleboard furniture? Do they accept different finishes? I like the design of mine but not the finish. A: You can paint it; just use primer first. Or you can use adhesive paper or wallpaper. Books: Fabrications: Over 1000 Ways to Decorate Your Home With Fabric
By Katrin Cargill
ISBN: 082122037
Little Brown & Company
Time-Warner Inc.
1271 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
Phone: 212-522-8700
Web site: www.twbookmark.com Sew-It-Yourself Home Decor: Fabric Projects for the Living Room, Bedroom and Beyond
By Karen Coetzee and Rene Bergh
ISBN: 0873415752
Krause Publications
700 E. State
Iola, WI 54990
Phone: 715-445-2214
Web site: www.krause.com
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