A solid old door, refinished and hung sideways, becomes a perfect -- and perfectly inexpensive -- headboard for a bed. Check yard sales and flea markets for doors, and modify the steps below if you find one with a different design. A strip of crown molding along the top edge offers a neat finish and a handy spot for a small alarm clock.
Headboard How-To
1. Trim the bottom or top of the door so the rails (the ladderlike crosspieces that separate the door's panels) are equal in width; on most old doors, the bottom rail is thicker than the others. A standard-height door will be tall enough for any size bed; trim as needed.
2. Sand, prime, and paint the door.
3. To mount the headboard, cut a 1-by-4 to the headboard's width, and then cut it lengthwise on a 45-degree angle into two equal strips. Securely screw one strip to the back of the door and attach the second to the wall, so the angles interlock to hang the headboard.
4. Keep the bottom of the headboard the same distance from the wall by screwing a 1-inch-thick strip to the back.
5. Finish the top of the headboard by nailing on a mitered crown molding.
That is indeed an ingenious idea! At first glance, I didn't know it was an old door until I read the article writeup. Not only does this idea save money because an old wooden door doesn't cost that much as compared to a new headboard, but it also enables you to customize your own headboard with different colors and patterns! A really awesome idea!
Great information, will be a great help to one of the projects at home,
We are also trim work specialists check some of our projects at http://www.expertcrownmoulding.ca
Great information, will be a great help to one of the projects at home,
We are also trim work specialists check some of our projects at www.expertcrownmoulding.ca
For more details of how to hang a door on the wall. The author was referencing a FRENCH CLEAT which can be purchased for approximately $10 - $15 and can hold up to 200 lbs.
I build headboards from old and new doors.
If you are interested in more info of how to do it yourself contact me at friscoshabbychic@gmail.com
Good luck with your project!
I made this headboard several years ago and love it! HOWEVER, I have purchased and ruined 3 pieces of crown molding trying to get it right. I must be missing something clear to everyone else, but I just can't work this out. Even if I google crown molding, the angle is very different than it would be on a ceiling. Help??
I USED ZBAR HANGER TO HANG MY DOOR HEADBOARD.THE GAP IS 1/4" AND IS EXCELLENT FOR HANGING AND SAFE.TO BUY GO TO ZBARHANGER.COM
Wish I knew the pain color of the door of the walls! I love it!
I have brand new 5 panel door by Jeldywn! It's primed in white. For sale! roxymaniac@hotmail.com
:) Amanda
I have brand new 5 panel door by Jeldywn! It's primed in white. For sale! roxymaniac@hotmail.com
:) Amanda
Hi everyone - we're experiencing a few bugs right now on the site, and are working to solve them as soon as possible! Thank you for your patience.
Hi everyone - we're experiencing a few bugs right now on the site, and are working to solve them as soon as possible! Thank you for your patience.
Hi everyone - we're experiencing a few bugs right now on the site, and are working to solve them as soon as possible! Thank you for your patience.
Hi everyone - we're experiencing a few bugs right now on the site, and are working to solve them as soon as possible! Thank you for your patience.
Hi everyone - we're experiencing a few bugs right now on the site, and are working to solve them as soon as possible! Thank you for your patience.
Hi everyone - we're experiencing a few bugs right now on the site, and are working to solve them as soon as possible! Thank you for your patience.
It doesn't seem to me that Martha's crew monitors the comments here much. If anyone wants to request to have a project alterred or added to, I would suggest to contact them dirrectly, I am pretty sure they have a 'contact us' button somewhere. Mention the particular project needing attention.
I wasn't able to find the instructions, either.
I wasn't able to find the instructions, either.
Same thing happened to me, no instructions just contributor comments available. Looks like a great project so please add link for instructions!
This site is missing the instructions to make this headboard. When you click the link on the how-to information it jumps you right to the contributors' comments. Can you please put the instructions on here? Thank you in advance.
Very nice! I really like that idea! It's a good use for any old <a href=http://nicksbuilding.com/> wood doors </a> lying around that were replaced by other ones.
part2: And viola! The result is beautiful, almost exactly like the picture shown by Martha Stewart - maybe even nicer! We have a California King Size Bed and the door I found was 33" (W). To fit our mattress size I cut it from 77" to 75" (L).
I love this idea, so simple yet so very cute!
What size bed will it fit? We have a king.........I am thinking that would be too big for a standard size door.
I tried this and it turned out really well! Definitely can't beat the price of this headboard. Check out the results on my blog: http://ourhillhole.wordpress.com/2009/07/08/dreamy-door/
i did this a few years ago with an old door from a resale shop after seeing this picture on the site. people almost never notice right away that it is a door, but when they look closer they always comment about how cool it is! i love it!
I love this idea since my husband came up with it 18 years ago. He works at a door company and has been making doors since he began working there. He always teased me that "Martha has nothing on me". Now I get the pleasure of saying "Martha has nothing on him also".
I made my headboard using a four panel door with crown molding at top and molding on each side. It looks great.
I had a man make a bed similar to this one that I saw in the Living magazine a few years ago. He took 2 doors from an old court house and cut about a 1/4 off the bottom because they were very tall. Then he had enough to make a matching footboard. He added crown molding to the tops and wa-la! A beautiful custom bed.
Part 2: The one on the wall creates a "hook" of sorts that the other hangs on. And so that the top of the headboard doesn't stick out more than the bottom making it hang funny, you just attach a 1 inch strip to the bottom which will allow it hang nice and straight. I don't know if that makes any more sense than the original directions. But, here's hoping! :)
Part 1: I may be missing the mark, but I think the mounting instructions are saying take a 1x4, cut it in half lengthwise at a 45 degree angle. Mounting one strip on wall at appropriate height for headboard. Mount 2nd on headboard. Then when you lie one on top of the other, the two halves become whole again.
Part 2: The one on the wall creates a "hook" of sorts that the other hangs on. And so that the top of the headboard doesn't stick out more than the bottom making it hang funny, you just attach a 1 inch strip to the bottom which will allow it hang nice and straight. I don't know if that makes any more sense than the original directions. But, here's hoping! :)
If you slice the piece of wood at an angle, then put one piece on the wall ,angle facing up (long side away from wall so there is a gap) then the other piece on the door angle facing down (long side away from door so there is a gap), then when you lift the door and place it on the wood on the wall, it will fit together like a wedge. It will fit together as a whole as it was before you cut it.
I'm with rose. Mounting directions make no sense.
Love the idea! A little alarm clock on the top looks dorky and could fall on someone's head, however.
I am mechanically challenged ; I don't understand the mounting instructions. 45 degrees, interlocking??? Help!!
Great idea! Habitat for Humanity ReStore is a great source for doors of all types.
Step 3 would is a great way for me to hang some other large heavy artwork.
/ / / /
/ / / /
/ / / /
|____________|/
This is my illustration of seeing the end of the 1 x 4 cut lengthwise with a 45 degree angle down the length of the board so they n n n n n n nestn n n n n n together. One on the door with the angle pointing down and one on the wall with the angle pointing up and away from the wall.
I imagine the hardware would be a cute addition if you left it on and the hardware was real or even reproduction.
As for how to fill in the spaces if you take off the hardware: if you are going to refinish and stain, you can use any sawdust you have from cutting that door (or any other sawdyst in a pinch) and mix the sawdust with the finishing poly coat and a dollop of stain to match the door and fill in the cracks with it. Once it dries you can sand and touch up as needed with the finish coat. If painting, fill it in with whatever you have on hand, wood putty, wall spacklen n n n n n whatever sticks and can be painted.
you can buy a solid wood door at lowes. they do not have the holes or hardware. if you get a used, old door you can fill the [filtered word] w/ wood putty themn paint it. i still do not get step three. i need more direction as i can't picture it at all.
Tangle - the 1x4 is the length of the door. It is ripped at an 45-deg angle with one half being attached to the door and the other half mounted to the wall. Google "french cleat" and you'll get an idea. :)
I would think you would remove the hardware. We don't see the doorknob [filtered word] in the picture but maybe they put that side underneath??
It's really hard to picture steps 3
Silly question....Would you remove the old hardware from the door? Or leave it?
How do you cover the holes that are left?
This would be especially pretty if, after the door was base-coated, it was coated with crackle medium
CDBrooks: In step 3 you are making a cleat to hold the headboard up. It means to cut the 1x4 lengthwise at a 45 degree angle so that you have 2 long strips. The you attach one strip to the wall so that the angle faces up and to the outside. Attach the other strip to the headboard so that the angle faces downward and to the outside. It will make more sense when you look at it. The strip on the headboard catches on the lip formed by the strip on the wall and the whole thing stays put.
CDBrooks: In step 3 you are making a cleat to hold the headboard up. It means to cut the 1x4 lengthwise at a 45 degree angle so that you have 2 long strips. The you attach one strip to the wall so that the angle faces up and to the outside. Attach the other strip to the headboard so that the angle faces downward and to the outside. It will make more sense when you look at it. The strip on the headboard catches on the lip formed by the strip on the wall and the whole thing stays put.
the directions in #3 need clarification, please :)