DIY Barn Door Headboard

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Last week, I revealed some big updates we made to the master bedroom. It’s a whole new direction and I’m loving it! I can’t wait to finish the entire space. In the meantime, I’m going to share some of the tutorial for pieces found in the space. Today, I’m starting with my super easy DIY Barn Door Headboard.

Soooo, technically it’s more of a wall piece than a true headboard but that’s what I’m calling it today. Cool?

Supplies:

– 6 pieces of 5 1/2 X 6″ Red Cedar Fencing Bard ( I used this because it’s so cheap, only $2.25 per board!)

– Minwax English Chestnut Stain (and applicator i.e. rag or brush)

– Minwax High Gloss Finish 

– 120 Grit Sand Paper

– (2) 30″ Nickel Hinge

– Valspar Flat Black Spray Paint

– (2) 30″ X 2″ pieces of wood

– 12 1″ screws

Estimated Cost: $50

I wanted the piece to be relatively the same length as my current queen sized headboard, so I ended up cutting 8″ off each board to make the entire thing 64″.

Then I sanded and sanded. The wood wasn’t finished, which is what I wanted, so I didn’t sand until it was smooth but just enough to clean it up.

Once the wood was prepped, I gave it one coat of Minwax English Chestnut stain. FYI this type of wood is really porous and the stain came out a little darker than it would on finished wood. Because I lost some of the variations in the wood due to how dark the stain took, I ended up distressing the wood again by sanding. This helped lighten up some of the area.

Meanwhile, I spray painted the hinges black. Finding true black iron fencing can be really expensive so this was an easy fix!

Now, before you secure the pieces together I have a little piece of advice. Because the piece is so heavy, you’ll want to make sure the screws are going straight into the studs. AND since the wood that holds the boards together will stick out a little bit from the wall, you’ll need the brackets to be screwed onto the wood pieces. Which means…. you’ll need to go measure where the studs are on the wall and then place the wood pieces on your door accordingly. I really hope that makes sense!

Finish it off by installing the hinges (these are just for decoration and really won’t support the boards) and given the entire piece a coat of clear finish.

And this is just the beginning. More tutorials on the bedroom coming soon!

About Taryn Whiteaker

Taryn Whiteaker is the voice of style behind TarynWhiteaker.com (formerly Design, Dining and Diapers) ! Taryn is a previous PR/Marketing professional who got back to her creative roots after becoming a mom and now shares her passion for home decor and design for the world to see. Taryn lives in the greater Seattle area with her husband and three kids and loves coffee, the outdoors, and exploring with her family.