How-To: Faux Headboards

So keeping in my theme this week, I wanted to show you how to updated, and decorate kids rooms. Today I'll show you some super cute and easy, faux headboards. 

There are tons of DIY headboards out there, but if your not to handy with a power tool, and building furniture is not your thing...I have a much simpler, and user friendly version. 

Painting a headboard, right on the wall. 

This first headboard i'm going to show you is a white tufted look. I love the look of tufts, and I have built one if these out of wood and fabric before. I helped a friend put it together. It was time consuming, and it defiantly took two people, for pulling, stapling, and buttoning. This painted version, is something you could do yourself, and in under an hour. 

This beautiful girls room was designed and put together by the ladies at Dy Lynne Decor. 

Aren't they good yall?

I just love this whole color palette, and i'm not even a purple person...?...well you know what I mean.

The vintagey gold color, mixed with all the pattern and soft color palette is the perfect blend.

When you get up close, you can see that this is just painted right on the wall, adorned with some tacks, and paint. See the how-to below.

I am in LOVE with these curtain panels.

They were custom made by their drapery company. The fun green alligator print fabric, was paired with a colorful, fringed ribbon.

How-To

To start this look, the back wall was painted in a soft plum color, try "Aged Wine" or "Berry Blush" by Sherwin Williams.

Next I marked out how big I wanted my headboard. 

A twin mattress is 39"x 75", which is the size of this bed. You want the headboard to be a bit bigger that the bed itself, always bigger, never smaller. I added an extra 2" on each side of the bed, for a total of 43" wide. 

If you are using a full size mattress, which is 54" x 75", you could add 3-4" on each side. 

With sheets, and a blanket on a bed,  the headboard will appear smaller on the wall, this is why you need the extra inches. Make sure you paint the headboard all the way to the floor as well, is gives it more of a realistic look.

Another thing to keep in mind is how tall you want the headboard. If you already have your frame and pillows, put them against the wall, and see how tall it goes. For a more grand look like this tufted headboard, you want to go extra tall. Your pillows will eat up alot of the space. 

Then I taped around the area I marked, curving the corners.

Next I used the largest, smooth tacks I could find. These are upholstery tacks, which they sell at most fabric shops. I couldn't find all the same color, which was fine since I was painting over all of them anyways. 

I made little marks where I wanted them to go, staggering the design. You don't need to go all the way down with these since the mattress will cover them up.

Then I carefully painted over the tacks with a gold paint. I used a oil-based gold leaf paint from Sheffield. Micheal's and Hobby Lobby, carry a gold leaf paint you could use as well. You need an oil based paint here, since metal is such a slick surface, latex wont stick. You could spray them ahead of time with a gold spray paint as well, just let them dry a few days before hammering them into the wall. Stick them into a piece of Styrofoam to hold them in place while spraying. You can usually just push these guys in, but the tough ones may require a light hammering.  

The next step was to add a shadow behind the white headboard, to give the appearance it isn't so flat.
I just mixed a bit of black, and grey acrylic paint in a small cup, and added some water. You want it thin, to have just a bit of color. You wont need much of this. It doesn't need to be black metallic, that just happen to be what I had on me that day. 

Then take a wide brush, and run it right along both edges of the headboard (don't do the top). Try not to go back over this area after you have painted it. You will make the area to dark, doing more than one pass. If you want it wider, use a wider brush. Again you want this to be pretty watered down, and appear to be a shadow, not a line of paint. 

Next I make the tack look tufted. I used the same paint that I already made for the shadow. 

First I painted a ring around the tack (don't worry if you get paint on the tack), then using a rag (or paper towel) I very lightly, wiped down the edge of the circle. You don't want to wipe it off, just soften the look, best if the center of the circle is darker than the outside, this will give the appearance of  dimension. 

Then, with very little paint on your brush, make 5-6 lines coming straight out from the tack. Extend the lines out, past your circle. Don't worry about making them all exactly alike, is should look like fabric pulled tight. If you put it on to heavy, just soften the line with a rag. Less is more here. 

I did give the tacks another coat of gold when I finished. 

But that is all there is to it!

All put together...

Here are some other faux headboards I have done...

I think this is one of my favorite girl rooms ever! 

I just marked out the size for both of these headboards, painted them white, and added some hand painted detailing to both. 

Little dots, and an outline in a mustard gold color, helped give shape to these. I didn't do a shadow on the wall here, but you could add that to help give it some dimension as well. 

I mimicked the colors in the bedding, and the pattern as well. Pulling out parts of the bedding, or room decor helps to make it look like a custom piece. 

If your not ready to try hand painting on the wall just yet...try mapping it out on paper first, then cut it out like a custom stencil. You could also use part of a stencil from a craft store.

Here is another faux headboard treatment you can try. The squares were painted in two colors. Just tape off you headboard shape, and measure out the squares, taping off each section.

Then add tacks to the insides, and edges of certain squares. 

I used two different styles of tacks, but in the same color. I went on the inside of some of the squares, and on the outside of others. Keep them close together for a cleaner look. Which means you may need alot of tacks, buy extra just in case. 

I hope that gave you some good ideas to try yourself. Just a little paint, and maybe some tacks, no power tools required. 

I'll be back later this week for more kids room inspiration!