how to build a tufted (kinda) headboard for $53

There is something about a tufted headboard that makes a room feel more luxurios-don’t you think?

I instantly fell in love when I stumbled upon the Lorraine Tufted Headboard from Pottery Barn…

I mean doesn’t it look like a big extension of the bed?  It makes me want to curl up with a good book.

 

I could not call this blog “Paid with Pennies” if I slapped my credit card down on the counter and snatched up Ms. Lorraine for the cool $875 that she costs, so I headed over to Walmart and then to Home Depot with $60 and a very vague idea on how I was gonna pull this project off. I knew I needed some type of fabric and foam, and a piece of wood no smaller than 65” x 65”- here is what I ended up buying:

Shower Curtain from Walmart- fabric- check.

Full size foam mattress pad) Walmart- foam- check.

1 piece of 1/4 plywood cut to 65 inches from Home Depot- wood- check

1 package of D brackets from Home Depot

1 package of decorative tacks from Home Depot

…$53 and 3 hours later I had this monstrosity hanging on my wall…

Steps:

1)      Carry the massive piece of plywood up 3 flights of stairs to the tree house (the hardest part of the entire project)

2)      Lay the mattress pad on the ground, center the wood on top of the foam. Pull the edges of the foam, fold over the wood, and staple in place with a staple gun..make sure the foam is pulled super tight so that you have a smooth surface.

3)      Repeat step 2 with the fabric (I know it sounds obvious, but make sure you make the foam-covered side of the wood kiss the back side of the fabric)...pull tight and staple.

***Note: I didn't think about how annoying lining up a pattern on a giant piece of wood could be....in this case, the fabric (shower curtain) I used was striped (all the same color but different textures)...it’s tough to see in the photo, but I had to make sure the stripes were perfectly vertical. If I did this project again, I would pick a fabric that was easier to line up (or one that didn't need to be!)***

4)      Hang it up! This step is a beast.   I definitely recommend two sets of hands…I was just too impatient to wait for someone to help me. Make sure you measure, use a level, and drill into studs...no studs? Use mollies! This thing is heavy!

5)      Fake the tufts-This step should probably be step four, but I wasn't sure if I wanted the tufted look until it was hanging on my wall. I measured and marked with a pen where I wanted indents, used my staple gun to staple where I marked and then hammered decorative tacks over the ugly staple.

Voila! My Lorraine cost $822 less than PB's Lorraine!







all Lorraine photos from Potterybarn.com