DIY Christmas part 1- Maddie's headboard

Don't worry dear friends and family, your christmas presents will not be revealed in this post, that's in the works for after christmas! About 90% of our christmas presents this year were handmade/DIY, I can't wait to share with you how we did it! Since MK can't read, and doesn't know how to access the blog yet, I thought I would share part of her Christmas present from Mike and I. We are starting to get her big girl bed/bedding/room together so that when she decides that it's time to switch, we are ready! I have been doing a lot of reading and research on the signs/timing of (most obviously, climbing out of the crib) of moving to a bed. I've had several friends whose babes were 18 months old when they made the big switch, and that's almost two months away!

Maddie's big girl bedding- found at TJ Maxx over the summer for $25

So, my task was to find a headboard and footboard for MK. We had a twin mattress set (mine/Mike's from college that was nasty, I talked Mike into getting a new one for MK!) and twin frame, so all we needed was a cute headboard and footboard. I found one at Divine Consign in August. I've mentioned this consignment sale on my blog before... seriously people, if you have kids or are having a kid in the near future GO! The next sale is in March. Anyway, the headboard and footboard were in great condition, the prefect shape and only $8! The only problem, they were an ugly yellowish-gold color....YUCK! Problem easily solved with a quick sanding and several coats of white paint (a quart of white paint at Lowes was about $10, I would have gotten a few tester cans for $3 each but they were out...I have 3/4 of the can left), but it was still lacking something... So, I decided to upholster the inner section of the headboard! I've never done anything like this before, but I'd seen tutorials before on HGTV and I was pretty sure I could do it. Here is how I did it:

1. I picked up a yard of 1/2" foam and a yard of fabric that coordinates to her bedding from the local fabric store. The foam was $9.99/yard and the fabric was $4.99/yard.

2. I traced the inside of the headboard using newspaper ads, they were the only thing big enough that I had lying around.

Tracing the inside of the headboard.

3.I traced the pattern onto the foam and then cut out the shape with scissors.I also cut the 90 degree edge off with the scissors to give the upholstered part a less boxy shape.

Tracing the pattern onto the foam and cutting out!

4. I set the foam inside the headboard and stretched out the fabric. I folded the fabric in half and doubled it up so that the green foam wouldn't show through my fabric and to make the green pop a little more. Be careful if do that using a pattern, because it might show through the top layer, but with my tiny polka-dots it wasn't an issue. Next, using a staple gun, staple the fabric and foam to the headboard running your staple gun along the edge of the headboard as close as you can. I spaced my staples pretty close together (a few centimeters) so that the fabric wouldn't pull and rip.

Stapling is very cathartic! 

5. Next, cut the excess fabric as close as possible, but don't rip the fabric!

No ripping!

6. Lastly, hot glue a decorative trim on the inside of the headboard to cover up your staples. This trim was $5 for 4 yards, and I have about 1/2 a yard left to make a pillow with!

Hot glue gone in hand, and ready to go!

 That's it, as easy as it sounds! Here are some final pics and some out-takes from our photo session! 

Bedding, pillow sham (green, blue,pink flowers),  curtain and headboard all together!

Someone had to get in on the action! 

You turn your attention to taking pics for one minute and it looks like a category 4 hurricane has swept through and she's putting on her dirty clothes! Oh to have eyes on the back of my head!

So, all in all we paid about $29 for the whole project, not bad for a custom upholstered headboard!

Merry Christmas Maddie Kate!

Love,
The Vogs