Busy as bees

This weekend we FINALLY made our headboard. We began early Saturday morning with a trip to the Home Depot where we purchased our materials.

1. a piece of plywood cut down to 48" x 65"
2. MDF, cut into two 5" wide/ very long pieces.
3. more MDF
4. a jigsaw
5. extra screws

Up next was Hancock's Fabric where we got our batting and foam (Hancock's can be expensive but it was right next to our Home Depot, but otherwise I would suggest hitting up Wal-Mart and using a crate foam and high-loft batting)

First things first I began drawing the headboard shape (I was copying the shape from the July/August Elle Decor, article about CeCe Colhoun)

It was so much easier with all of our extra helpers! You can see the 5" wide pieces of MDF that would be come the legs of the bed. Next we broke out our new jigsaw (we were so excited) and couldn't find a blade...off to Blackhawk Hardware I went with Reacher in tow. Got home, found the blade, said "oh well" and then jigged away. Yes, jigged. I gave it a whirl but Nate was just a natural so he did most of the jigging. Might be our favorite tool so far.

After cutting out the shape in the plywood and MDF, Nate screwed it all together.

Next we cut the foam and attached it with spray adhesive. We left the edges foam free so that it would be easier to add nailheads (as soon as we order them). How about that really advanced saw horse we were using....or kitchen table, really they are interchangeable.

Whew, I am getting tired just thinking about all that work we did. Next step: lay foam side down on batting, pull taut, staple.

At this point it was well past 10 pm and we had been working on this headboard for almost 12 hours... disappointed that our little project would leak into Sunday we went to bed....NEXT DAY: pull taut and staple technique with fabric.

Ta-da! You must wait to see a picture of it in place until the bed gets its pieces of flair.

Helpful hints: have two people, if you have never done something like this then try to pick a simple outline, use high loft quilt batting, have lots of staples, do on hard wood floors. Oh, and that hip and stylish room filled with t-shirt quilting materials, sewing supplies and outdoor gear will soon be our new guest bedroom/ office!