Parisian headboard

The headboard is finally complete!

I think the fabric is super cute close up -



But every time I walk into the room, I'm taken aback by how small the pattern looks from far away -

Well, the benefit of doing something yourself is that you know how to change it.  Maybe it will grow on me.  But I'm not committing to making curtains until I feel better about it. 

The most difficult part about the project was moving the pieces of plywood around.  If you are making a headboard for anything bigger than a twin bed, you probably need two people.  I bought the 3/8 inch plywood at Home Depot, and they were very nice to cut it to my measurements. 

I bought 1 inch foam at Hancock Fabrics.  (This is not the cheapest place to buy it, but it was convenient.  Years ago I bought it much cheaper from an upholsterer, but I had to order it.)  I spent a few frustrating hours trying to get the foam to stick to the wood.

I tried spray adhesive, but the foam kept falling off.  In the end, I resorted to old fashioned Elmer's glue, which held the foam on long enough for me to turn the board over.  I spread the batting down on the floor and layed the board (foam side down) on top of it.  Starting from the middle of the top and bottom, I stapled (with a staple gun) the batting to the board.  Then, I did the same with the fabric.  (Tip: It is much easier if your fabric does not have discernible lines that you have to keep straight.)

My daughter lightened the mood while I was getting frustrated with the foam.  She said, "Mom, there are a lot of things that are harder to do than foam.  Like trying to make perfume from flower petals" -

My final tip is that if you don't need to lean against your headboard, you can use a canvas, which is much lighter than plywood.  A few years ago, we painted a canvas for my older daughter's room -

Now, I am finished with the headboards and off to the park to just hang out.