Bohemian Headboard ... Medieval influenced
....from things you may have laying around the garage...
First you get that old door you have been saving
that didn't fit any of your doorways and it is too nice to cut up.. so there must be another use for it.. and you were sure it would come in handy sometime... well now is the time.
...this is a 5 panel.. not sure of the age ... but it is old and it has an aged hand applied grain so it is special to me cause someone already spent a lot of time on it before someone else threw it away..
It helps if it is the same size as your mattress.... or you can trim it on either end if need be.
Then you gather all your leftover thick gauge sheet steel...
we used 2 ga. which is about 1/3 " thick...
we used 2 ga. which is about 1/3 " thick...
(what? ... oh... come now, everybody has sheet steel cluttering up the place, right?) that has rusted and seen better days from lying behind the barn for years...
gather up some big old heavy nuts and bolts... and grab your drill with the oversize drill bit .
..just leave any patterns formed by neglect on the surface of the metal..
it makes it more interesting and tells a story of the life it has had and where it has been.
.. you will also need to cut the steel into shapes you find appealing.. we like this gothic arch shape..
and make sure they are spaced so the design fits all the way across the door/headboard to be...
we used an oxy-acetylene torch for cutting the steel... leaving a slightly uneven edge
then a hand-grinder to smooth and buff up the edges for contrast...
this steel had originally been black so the shine around the edges really emphasized the shape.
...maybe you also have some old angle iron (this is 3") to use for the the corner posts.. that is nice and sturdy ...
and maybe some parts off an old haycutting machine... never know what is out behind the barn..
of course some folks may think this makes the headboard look more like a torture devise
but we'll pretend they represent little decorative spindles...
I really like the combination of these diverse gathered materials.
I really like the combination of these diverse gathered materials.
... put a coat or two of varnish on the steel so the rust doesn't come off on the bedcoverings or you...
clamp on a couple lights because now there is something to lean on to comfortably read your books
and Voila...
you have a Headboard of some unusualness that will stand the test of time.. and you have cleaned up your garage and behind the barn at the same time...
...Sweet Dreams...
36 comments:
I'm glad I'm not the only one who immediately thought of medieval torture devices... my goodness, just don't fall the wrong way when jumping around on the bed having a pillow fight. Well, you do have pillow fights, right ?!? Be sure to have tetanus vaccination up to date. And don't be subject to nightmares about large sharks with steel teeth ! :-)
Hmm do you also wear an iron maiden?? I'm sure you come from another era where knights rode about on white chargers, rescuing maidens with flaming red hair, tied to stakes.
I really love what you have done. There is always so much "that could come in handy one day" lying around and you certainly have found the right formula for a good clean-up. Bravo!!
Looks like you have created a royal crown headboard for your royal selves. What fun to put together something for a special place you share. You have inspired me. I have an old door downstairs just waiting to become a headboard. Now what else can I find?
It's cool to look at and would be perfectly safe for me now but I can still remember my youth when I aspired to be a stunt man in a porno movie. I would have been cut to ribbons.
Owen.. it's ok.. got all the pointy parts established now, even in the dark.. and yes indeed I've had my inoculations!
Arija, I had to look up what an Iron Maiden was, I immediately thought of the band.... oh geez, they are deadly, that was real torture.. Luckily it is a lot more comfortable than one of those.
Hey good for you, Carol... you'll probably come across something the next time you are on a beach walk.. or perhaps your husband has some interesting parts of old machines about..
OF... you're hilarious! hahaha... quite the wild young fella weren't you... you are a man of many surprising talents; I'm sure you would have been able to safely maneuver it..
Ha ha... loving the comments and in spite of worrying about someone being sliced or impaled I do love what you have created with things lying around the yard. Recognized the hay cutting scrap immediately.
Magical, thank you Gwen.
Took a look at page of John. Impressive. What a duo!
Yours sincerely and friendly
Thanks Robyn, haha, The only problem with using up all the old things around the yard.. as soon as they're gone, we think now there is space to bring more stuff home.. hard to break ol' habits... fun tho, can't resist making something from castoffs.. I know you understand!!
Hi Just, Thanks so much. Can't waste these days.. keeps the mind active trying to figure it out.
I feel like..... sort of a creative person.... until I visit your blog....and go....oh my God! The headboard is amazing.
I wish I had a bed like this one. Beautiful and comfortable. Mine is neither.
it's a great-looking headboard made from the magic of reuse. those rich, red curtains make it show so well. here from tracy's new place.
Gwen, you are the friggin' QUEEN of CREATION!! i love this. I'm half watching Braveheart right now, so this gorgeous headboard combined with the scenery & music on TV makes me wanna live in a different era. :-)
Thanks for transporting me to a different time & place.
i love your posts... I always learn something. xoxo
Simply Blue, Thank you, you are altogether too generous. You know what they say that "Necessity is the Mother of Invention", I do believe it pushes us to do things that we wouldn't if things were more easily handed to us.. the challenge if fun and very often rewarding...
Guillaume, just close your eyes, and pull your blankets up under your chin... then imagine the sun shining down on you and the warmth sinking in as you are snuggled into a fluffy cloud...and as you are drifting off you will probably feel good allover.. Mind over Matter.. it works.
Ed, I have a hard time letting things go that are good sturdy materials...
and there is something about Red that feels very comforting, don't you think?
Pauline, you and me both, .. 100-200 years ago or even further back to the time of the Picts and Vikings.. .. we can always imagine!
Thank you for your kind words and your beautiful enthusiasm. xoxo
Oh, Gwen...this is BEAUTIFUL! Now, I was thinking Medieval, but not necessarily torture...LOL... I was thinking sweet dreams. I just love the patina of the wood, the metal and the luscious read of the curtains. This is a wonderful, creative idea. Now where's that sheet metal... Happy Day :o) Oh, and any thanks for stopping by our new art place--great to see you there!
OMG ... I have to agree with Pauline ... you are THE Queen of Creation! Ilove how you combine various elements to create something new and so you with things that most of us would never think of ... let alone have!
And ya ... make sure you have your pillow fights down at the other end of the bed ... would be a shame to ruin perfectly good pillows by impaling them on those points! Not to mention costly!
You rock my dear!
Luv & Hugs ... Marie
Hi Tracy, Thank you... Yes we had a medieval vision in our heads when we were doing designs for this. it was fun... and best of all, we could finally get our mattresses up off the floor.
Marie, hahaha... in the beginning we did a lot of salvaging of architectural cast-offs, tear-downs and anything thing else that caught our fancy and kept them in an unfinished spot in the house that we jokingly called the "Tickle-Trunk" room.... and kept a running inventory of our odds and ends..
Thanks for visiting!! xoxo
You two are amazing. I see you now, Queen Gwen, with your long flowing red locks and tapestry gowns. And satin slippers peeking from beneath your skirts.
Castle, indeed.
Ahhh, Deborah, you have a wonderful imagination... my uncle had red hair in his younger days, the only one of all his brothers and sisters... but he never looked good in a dress.
Beautiful metal, its color and shapes and so perfect with the red velvet curtains, just like a bedroom in a castle. It is lovely to be back!
roxanne
Love this, Gwen. I have been pondering making a headboard - we spent so many years without one, then finally sprung for a really nice (read "expensive") one from Pottery Barn. Not long after, we decided to switch from a queen mattress to a king - and so we gave our beautiful new bed to our daughter! Yikes. This headboard of yours really opens the horizon of possibilities. I love the combining of metal and wood - and, of course, the arches. :-)
Dear Gewn, thanks for the instructions. Next time I find an old door and some sheet metal and an acetyline torch and some angle iron and parts from a hay mower, I'm definitely gonna make one of these.
Fantastic! It does have a rather medieval look to it, which makes me like it all the more!
Hi Roxanne, so glad to have you here, too... I wish there was a way to have virtual tea.
Thank you Morna, isn't that always the way... I am sure your daughter was happy for that.. my oldest son ended up with a fabulous queen mattress from us too, for the same reason but it never had a headboard yet.
You're welcome Sharmon, hahaha... I'm sure you would come up with some even better miscellaneous resources that would turn into something amazing...
Gwen, This is what I call the ultimate in re-purposing! I don't think of torture devises, but I do think of castles, especially with the curtain behind. The hand-grained door must be over a century old because this type of graining was popular back in the 1840's . We used to hand grain all of our picture frames to replicate the look.
Well, I just love it!
Hmmm...I wonder what I could make with the parts from this ancient wheelbarrow that just "fell apart" today..
Thank you Jeri, I know you could do the transformation.. I'd love to see it.
.. and so glad you imagined a castle .. that is what we always tired to create... well, at least as far as we could bring to life, in our way with what we had at hand...
... we even wanted the cedar shingles to turn to the silvery gray so the house looked like it had been here longer than anyone would think....They were gray "au natural" in one year just from the ocean salty sea air ....
Maybe a gothic version of a dreamcatcher?
Louciao, I never thought of it that way.. sort of like a giant pinboard.. you are so smart!
Just perfect for a Medieval castle. I love the scratches and rust on the metal.
Thanks Joanna, weathered things always have so much character. it's a pleasure to find ways to use them.
Hope you are enjoying your trip.
I love so much how you and John make practical things utterly beautiful....that's perfection really. This headboard is awesome - I don't tend to use that word too often, but my jaw dropped when I saw this! :~) I especially love the piece of hay cutting implement...had some of those hanging around my dad's place when I was growing up...hmmm...wonder if they are still whole!
Happy Sunday to you and your loved ones dear Gwen ~
Hope your weekend was a happy one too, Helen. I love art to be functional.. It makes better use of space.. haha... take care xo
Fabulous! What really caught my eye was the small cushion - I have drapes, curtains and sofa throws in that fabric & pattern, and, in the film of Enid Blyton her bedroom curtains were in it too!
Sea Fringe, That is so cool.. I have Drapes made from that fabric in the Living room.... I made a throw from it too.. Hey great minds think alike oh but Fools never differ.. haha
and Oh I remember her little Noddy books.. a friend in childhood had some and I always wished I did too.
The scale of this project awes and humbles me. You sure tackle a wide variety of creative projects. How fun it would be to visit your home! Thanks for commenting on my Etegami blog. It's great to "meet" you.
Hi Debbie Thanks for visiting!! There are just so many things to try in the world aren't there? We have to grab them when we can..
How cool is that? I want one. Unfortunately I have none of the supplies, but I'll dream about sleeping in a bed like this all the same. You are insanely creative.
It is fun to be crazy!
Post a Comment