DIY Driftwood-Inspired Headboard

Sleep in style with a DIY driftwood headboard. The rustic design with glam gold accents is sure to brighten any space.

By Katie Bandurski

Sail away to sweet dreams with a driftwood-inspired headboard. This DIY project brings a rustic-chic look to the bedroom and is surprisingly simple to make. Just stain pine boards three different shades of glaze, and nail the wood to the wall.

We opted for a black glaze for our project, but you could also use lighter tones for a whitewashed look. Our project dimensions are designed to fit a queen bed, but simply add or remove planks for other sizes.

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What You Need

Pine boards (we used thirty 6x12x1/2-inch boards to make a queen-size headboard)
Sandpaper
Black glaze (we used Wood Icing Furniture Glazing Color in Licorice)
Small plastic bowls (3)
Stain brush
Pin nails
Hammer
Level
Backer board and wood glue, optional
Gold paint
Artists paintbrush

Step 1: Sand and Stain Boards

Move bed and any other furniture out of the way. In a well-ventilated area, sand pine boards until smooth. Divide black glaze into three plastic bowls. Then use water to dilute two of the shades until you have three different hues. Evenly apply glaze to boards with a stain brush; let dry. You should have roughly the same number of boards in each color.

Editor's Tip: Buy one extra pine board to experiment on. This way you can test different watered-down shades of glaze before you commit to a color.

Step 2: Arrange Boards

Arrange boards in a basket-weave pattern on the floor, making sure to alternate colors. Play around with the boards until you get the desired look.

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Step 3: Attach Boards

Once you've finalized your layout, attach boards to the wall with pin nails and a hammer. Install the top row of boards, checking for level as you go, then move on to the second row, the third row, etc.

Editor's Tip: To simplify the hanging process, glue planks to a piece of backer board, then attach the one piece of backer board to the wall.

Step 4: Final Touches

For a touch of glam, paint the edges of the headboard gold. Use a small artists brush to evenly apply the paint. Let dry before moving the bed back into place.

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