DIY Farmhouse Headboard

 

We finished our new headboard!  Well, I should say that Chris finished our new headboard.  Aside from me helping him hold things tight during assembly, he did all the work.

It was an easy build, with plans from Ana White.  We adapted the plans to make the headboard a few inches wider, and we didn't make the whole bed with footboard and side rails.  Since we already had a bed frame, we just attached the headboard to that.

I love how it turned out.  We used a black stain instead of solid black paint.  The difference is subtle, but it adds another dimension to the piece.  After staining, we did a clear coat of polyurethane.  We only did one coat since this is more for show than actual use, but for a table or chairs, I would do at least two coats and maybe three for extra durability. 

As you can see in the photos, I've redone our letters to resemble Anthropologie's Oversized Zinc Letters.  I'll share the easy fix in another post next week.  They will eventually hang on the wall above the headboard, but right now I am working on a new central piece to replace the fencing.  Once that is done, I will be able to hang everything above the bed.

Toddler Picnic Table Build

I am loving having my husband back!  He finished his masters degree last week, and I have had him doing all sorts of projects around the house ever since.  We built this toddler picnic table yesterday morning.  Since I used online plans, I didn't take photos of all the steps.  We used Ana White's Preschool Picnic Table.  It was pretty easy.  The tools we used were a little bit different than her list.  We only ended up using a measuring tape, pencil, drill, clamps, and a miter saw.  My husband did the top and the legs, and I did the benches (with his help holding things in place for me).

I filled the holes today with my own sort of wood filler- sawdust and wood glue.  The best part about it is that the filler matches the wood perfectly.  The worst part is that the sawdust wasn't fine enough to be as putty-like as commercial wood fillers.  I haven't sanded them down yet, since they are still drying, so I don't know how well it worked yet.

We picked a beautiful blue outdoor stain for the finish.  I hope to get that done this week also.  The weather has also turned right around, so tomorrow I will finally be able to share my crackle glaze tutorial!

Feature: Ana White

 I recently discovered an awesome website that I thought might interest some of you: Ana White.  I can't believe it took me so long to find a site like this!  Ana makes homemade furniture and shares all the plans with us, for free.  She also tries to use simple tools that most of us already have.  I don't know about you, but as much as I'd love to have a wood shop, I don't have a table saw or any of the other woodworking tools I am used to building furniture with.  Even if you have never built furniture before, her plans are simple and easy to follow, with diagrams and detailed instructions.  Other builders can also make and submit plans, and there are some great ones on there!

I am so excited to make a Farmhouse bed or a Reclaimed Wood headboard for our master bedroom.  Ana's plan catalog has hundreds of plans, all for under $200, and most for under $50.  I seriously cannot get over how awesome this website is!!  The possibilities are so super endless.  I have never considered making some of these bigger furniture pieces, but after shopping around for beds recently, it seems like a better idea to build something I love rather than settle for what's cheap in the store.

Some of my other favorites are:

The Apothecary Console

The Preschool Picnic Table

Salsa Buffet

Simple Outdoor Bench

I could go on.  Seriously, can you get over this awesomeness?  I submit that I cannot.  Look for some of these projects in the future!

P.S. I am in no way affiliated with or compensated by Ana White.  I truly just think she's awesome.