Build a Simple Bookcase Headboard
A headboard on a bed is an important piece of furniture in the bedroom. Its main historical function was to protect the head of a sleeping person from cold coming through the wall. Today, headboards are usually purely aesthetic. Still, there is a way to return this wooden element to its functional role by building a bookcase headboard. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Measure across your bed to calculate the width of the headboard, then measure the bed's length to ensure the combined bed and headboard do not take up too much room in your bedroom. Also, measure the height of your bedframe, box springs and mattress so that your bookcase shelves will start at the proper height. Make a detailed sketch, with complete dimensions, of your headboard.
2. Cut the boards to the needed dimensions or order them precut from a home-improvement store. For a basic bookcase you will need the following: four to five 40-inch boards for the shelves and two 55- to 60-inch boards for the sides. The boards should be about 3/4 inch thick. If you are doing the cutting, use a pencil to mark the exact places to cut, then use a power saw.
3. Treat all the surfaces, especially the edges and corners, with coarse-grit and then fine-grit sandpaper. Make sure to wipe off the surfaces of the boards with a dry, clean cloth.
4. Assemble the basic shape of the bookcase by attaching two sides to the four shelves in between. First, dry fit the pieces to check how they will form the final structure and how they will fit behind the bed.
5. Mark the places for the screws on the wooden board, using a pencil. Then drill the holes for the screws, always making sure that the hole is slightly smaller that the finishing screws.
6. Attach the shelves to the two sides, using the holes you made with the drill and finishing screws. At this point you will have the basic frame of a bookcase.
7. Add a piece of plywood at the back of your bookcase. It will look better and improve the appearance of the entire bedroom.
8. Treat the wooden bookcase with standard wood primer, using a soft, natural-fiber paintbrush to apply a thin layer. Then allow the wood to dry until it is time to paint the bookcase, if desired. If you want a natural finish, simply apply a few coats of wood finishing of your choice with the paintbrush.
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