Making Head & Footboards for Children's Beds

Children's likes and dislikes change as often as some adults change their socks. As your son or daughter grows, the wonderful bedroom theme you designed a year ago is suddenly passe. When it is time to redo your child's room, instead of spending an arm and leg on a new headboard and footboard, make your own using plywood. Creating a custom-made headboard requires few carpentry skills. You can even let your child help design the shape of the finished product.

Plywood, ¾-by-41-by-48-inch
Plywood, ¾-by-41-by 32-inch
Pencil
Jigsaw
Medium-grit sandpaper
Wall paint
Paintbrush
Acrylic sealant
Drill
Drill bit, ½-inch
Bolts, ½-by-2-inch
Washers, ½-inch
Nuts, ½-inch
Wrench

Instructions

- 1
  Draw the shape of the headboard on a piece of ¾-by-41-by-48-inch plywood. Choose a traditional rectangle or scroll shape or choose something that matches the room's theme, such as a butterfly or dinosaur. Use as much of the plywood as possible when drawing the shape.
- 2
  Draw the shape of the footboard on a piece of ¾-by-41-by 32-inch plywood. Choose the same shape as you used on the headboard or a different shape that complements. For example, if you made the headboard a butterfly shape, make the footboard a flower shape.
- 3
  Cut out the two pieces of plywood using a jigsaw. Sand the cut edges using medium-grit sandpaper to remove the rough edges.
- 4
  Paint the headboard and footboard using wall paint. Apply one to two coats of base coat to achieve full coverage. Then, add details to the painted shape. For example, if you made a dinosaur, add spots and a face to it. Let the paint dry three to five hours between coats. For the footboard paint both sides. For the headboard, only paint one side if the headboard will be against the wall.
- 5
  Spray the surface of the headboard and footboard with an acrylic sealant. The sealant protects the paint from scratches during daily use. Follow the manufacturer's instructions. Let the sealant dry overnight.
- 6
  Hold the headboard up to the bed frame. Center it so 1-inch of the plywood headboard protrudes on either side of the bed frame and the bottom edge of the headboard rests on the ground. Use a pencil to mark where the holes for attaching the headboard. Use a drill to drill ½-inch holes on each of the marks. Repeat the process with the footboard.
- 7
  Hold the headboard up to the bed frame again. Insert one ½-by-2-inch bolt through each of the pre-drilled holes in the headboard. Pass the bolts through the back of the headboard and through the holes in the bedframe. Place a washer and nut on each of the bolts. Tighten the nuts with a wrench to secure the headboard.
- 8
  Repeat step 7 with the footboard and more bolts. Put the bolts through the side of the footboard that faces away from the mattress.
- 9
  Place your mattress on the bed and set it up as desired.

DIY Princess Fort Bed

How to Build Platform Storage Beds With Cubbyholes

Beds