Rustic Headboard for 35 dollars.

The bed was made using the Reclaimed wood plans in queen size.  When I went to the lumber yard I asked for the cheapest wood they had. The total cost for the wood was $35!!   Amazing!  I like getting my wood from a lumber yard because I find it much easier than a big store.  I just go in and tell them what I’m making and give them my wood list.  They can give you advice and help you choose the best wood for your project.  Then you pay and drive around back and they pick the boards and load it up in the car. No hauling wood through a huge store with toddlers!

I thought I wanted the headboard white so I painted it. Then I hated it but wasn’t really sure why so I just left that room alone for a few months and ignored it. Then one day I found a really old trunk at Goodwill for $20 and decided to use that for inspiration for the room and distress the headboard.

So I used citistrip and stripped a few layers of paint off the newly painted headboard. I also had to put up with much teasing from my husband that I was redoing a piece of furniture that I had just painted. I didn’t take all the paint off because I thought a little paint left would give it a cool distressed look.  Then I made the same vinegar/steel wool mixture I used on the farmhouse desk in his room.  You make the mix by putting a few steel wool pads in a mason jar and then covering the pads with vinegar.  Then leave the jar in the garage for a few days so the steel wool can dissolve a little into the vinegar.

I brewed 8 bags of tea and wiped it onto the headboard with a washcloth and let it dry overnight.

Then I applied the vinegar/steel wool mix with a paintbrush. I did two applications of it and then rinsed the residue off with a clean wash cloth and clear water. I did it on the lawn because I think this stuff will stain other stuff.

I finished it off with a coat of Annie Sloan clear wax. Love that stuff. It is about $30 a can but it goes super far. So far I have used it on a desk, 2 headboards and a bookshelf and I still have about 1/3 of the can left.

Love how there is still paint left so glad I didn’t strip it all off. I think it gives it a cool texture.

Now I just need some pillows and accessories. Would you put anything else above the bed? I can’t quite decide.

Have you ever painted something and regretted it soon after?