Recycled Cabinet Doors Turned Headboard
July 9, 2009
With the tightening of the economic belt, I find that I am forced to get really creative with stuff I have just sitting around the house.
You too?
As you know, I have been recycling some cabinet doors from the kitchen we had before the remodel of 2005. With those old doors, my first project was to turn two of them into memo boards – those turned out really well. The second attempt was to make wall art. That project resulted in mixed reviews, most of the negativity coming from me.
Project number three was to turn the six doors I had left into a headboard. I’ve made a fabric covered headboard before that I really love – that headboard sits in my master bedroom. This one, on the other hand, was a lot trickier. It’s really easy to make a fabric covered headboard with a solid piece of plywood. It’s another thing to attempt it with a patterned fabric and six different pieces of wood.
Here are the leftover cabinet doors before I attacked them with my staple gun:
And here is my headboard from those same doors:
We built a small “granny unit” or guest house above our garage when we added on to our house in 2005. Currently, Mom and Pop are staying with us while their fancy shmancy house is staged and on the market. [Should I show you pictures of their Wine Country chateau on a lake, surrounded by vineyard ? It’s drop dead gorgeous.]
But in our guest house, there was this blank wall. And blank walls drive me crazy. So I decided to make a temporary headboard for that blank wall.
Step One: I removed all the hinges and leftover hardware.
Step Two: I aligned my batting and fabric on each piece, then stapled it to each individual cabinet door. This was the hardest part of the whole project – trying to get all that fabric to match up.
Step Three: I labeled each door with its position on the wall.
Step Four: I located the wall studs, then matched up my D ring hanging brackets with the wall studs.
Step Five: I used a level to make sure the headboard’s pieces all hung straight.
Step Six: I also added some ribbon detail with a hot glue gun. I’m like a decorating McGyver with a hot glue gun and a staple gun. I can decorate just about anything with those two tools in my hands. I know some of you share that same talent.
Don’t forget the nail head trim ! You know I have a thing for upholstery tacks.
So here it sits, above the bed in the guest house, my headboard made out of old cabinet doors. I think when the folks eventually move out, once their house is sold, I’ll create something else for that space. But for now, this was a fun solution for a very blank wall.
It’s a bit unconventional, but I think those doors are much happier covered in fabric, and not sitting in some junk yard.
VERY creative!! and YES! I would LOVE to see pics of your parents little chateau-what fun!
I think it's fantastic!!!
I LOVE that it's unconventional – that's what makes it so awesome! Major kudos on the project. Very creative and inexpensive too!
love the FABRIC, AND HOW CREATIVE!
Super creative, as always!
This is absolutely incredible! The headboard looks great!
Awesome job! I think all your cabinet recycling projects have been fantastic, but this one is my favorite … unless you've got something else up your sleeve!
I really like it. How very resourceful. The fabric is great. What an idea!
Wow, that looks amazing! I love the fabric and how it ties all the colors in the room together.
I really appreciate how you include detailed directions for your projects.
Jane
Very creative and great recycling!
I am officially blown away by your creativity! love it!
I'm curious…how long did the project take?
I love all your detailed instructions on how you do each one of your amazing projects, but I'd also love to know how much time the project takes. Just sayin'.
:)
I might have been tempted to just line up 4 or 5 tall doors in a row (vertically), painted and then shabbied them up and then hung them behind the bed. Sort of like the way people use old full size doors as headboards. Do you think that would have worked?
I like how you made a pyramid instead of trying to go all square.
My step daughter texted me today asking how to make a headboard and rather than try to text back, step by step, I sent her the link to your first headboard project. A while later, I got a text that said, "Cool, I can do that! You're helping right?" So thank you.
1. I love the fabric you chose. So pretty!
2. I would NEVER have thought to make a headboard out of cabinets–too cool. :)
3. If you DON'T show us pictures of your parents' "Wine Country chateau on a lake, surrounded by a vineyard" then we will all be sorely disappointed!
That is very cool! Yes, show us pics of mom and dad's home. You never know, one of us might want to buy it! ;-)
Nancy
Love it! Turned out great and I love the recycled appeal too! :-)
I really like this idea but I don't think I'm loving the ribbon for some reason but that's just personal preference. I love the inspiration.
Oh my goodness, you are so clever!! That is a fabulous idea!!! You have the best projects.
Wow girlfriend! You are getting your mileage out of those old cabinet doors! So creative :).
Awesome! Very creative!
I love your unconventional headboard. I would label it as simply mar-ve-lous!!! :D
Oh I think you are just so clever , it boggles me .
Chris
Fabu-less!!!!
m ^..^
Ooh, I especially like the ribbon trim! I want to see the fancy schmancy house, too! =)
Great solution!! Love the idea!
oooh, the creativity just oozes out of you!
As always, resourceful and beautiful!! Love it! :)
I'm so impressed you got the fabric to match up, and all the pieces to hang nicely together. (I can't even get 2 picture frames right!). Looks like a lovely space.
And can I sign the petition to please see pics of your parents' place? Would love a peek. :)
Girl! I try not to swear but this is freakin' awesome. Seriously. You, my friend, are the creative project queen.
I dub thee, Queen Centsational Girl.
Kimba
Beautiful! I love the trim and I really love that you weren't afraid of heights! I think it's the height of this headboard that makes such a statement–love it!