A Little Break From the Norm

Today’s post is a break from the regularly scheduled type of posts you are accustomed to reading here. I need a little lightness this week.  Is lightness a word?

I’m the serious type- contemplative and always striving to produce, to understand, and to explore.  At times it hits me that I need to take a deep breath and chill a bit.  So over the weekend, I did that.  Sort of.

I made a headboard!!!!!  Why?  Because #1 I hate spending money.  #2 it’s almost impossible for me to buy something when I look at it and say, “I think I can make that.”  #3 we had to buy a new mattress and I couldn’t stand seeing the mattress with no headboard.  However, I’m not a crafty type.  AT ALL.  I’m a terrible scrapbooker, which is why I love the digital varieties.  When I volunteer for class duties at school, I’m quick to let all know that I am not crafty.  For some strange reason, people tend to think I’m crafty.  Then they put me on a task and quickly regret the decision.

I hosted the 101 Day Dalmation party when my middle son was in kindergarten.  The beading crafts of counting 101 beads and making a necklace?  Disasterous.  Moms were scurrying to clean up beads rolling all over the floor every time a child was ready to put on the clasp.  Then we moved onto painting sun catchers.  Who brings non-washable paints to a kindergarten craft?  A non-crafty mom. (That would be me)  Paint still adorns the ceiling tiles in that classroom from my own child exploding the paint sending it straight up to the ceiling.

When I decided to make my own headboard, don’t think for a minute these images weren’t rolling around in my mind.  But I did it anyway, just to prove to myself that I could.

I consulted Pinterest, with which I have a love/hate relationship.  I love it for projects like these.  I hate it when it sucks me into its time web.

My step-dad and I went to Lowe’s and got the plywood and boards for the legs.  I took a lampshade and traced the design to cut out at the top. Then I used that cut piece to make the other side match.

My favorite 5-year-old assisted with the rest.  He and I screwed the legs on.  I wish I had pictures of what we did.  We mutilated some screws but had a blast in the process.  Next, we took foam that we cut to size.  He sprayed the adhesive; I placed the foam on.  We used an old mattress cover instead of batting, and the two of us stapled our hearts out.  When we lifted it up to check the progress, I screamed because it looked like the beginnings of a real headboard!!

This was just the boost I needed.  I finished up by wrapping it with fabric, stapling a ton, and adorning with nail heads.  All done.  Since I’m not a DIY blogger, I will spare you all the instructions.

It’s not perfect, but we did it.  And every time I look at it, I can’t help smiling because my favorite 5-year-old and I worked hard, and it feels good to be done with it. Not to mention we saved several hundred dollars!!

Here’s a few pics…

 

Padded and wrapped, awaiting fabric.  Followed by wrapping in fabric.

 

 

This cutie was snapping pics and jumping in for “in progress” pics.

 

And done….

 

And I can’t end without mentioning that my materials cost about $60.  A similar style from Pottery Barn was about $1,000.  That is my favorite part 🙂  You can check out my Pinterest page for all the tutorials I followed.

Next week we will resume with regularly scheduled posts.  Have a great week!