This handwoven headboard is on sale right now at West Elm, but we think you could make it for less than $60 and an afternoons worth of time. Curious? Click through the jump for diagrams and step by step directions!
Make This Headboard For Less Than $60!
Here's what you'll need to get started:
This is basic diagram for the headboard, starting with a sheet of plywood or mdf.
We would love to give you exact measurements on this, but without knowing what material you will be wrapping/weaving, then we can give you the basics, but you'll have to do a little measuring on your end.
Instructions:
Step 1 - Cut in the sides by the depth of your rope. This will allow your rope to lay flat and not slide when woven. If you don't want to bother with this step, it isn't the end of the world, but your final product won't be 100% flat across the edges. If that doesn't bother you, think of it as saving yourself 15 minutes!
Step 2 - Using a yard stick as a straight edge create the dotted lines as shown above on your board. First draw a line running horizontally across the middle of the board. Next, mark a dot on the horizontal line, 2 ft in from each side. Then using your yard stick, make a straight line running from each corner to the dot on the corresponding side. (The left hand corners will run to the left dot, exc)
Step 3 - Drill a pilot hole in two places on the horizontal line to allow the saw or router to be inserted. You may make additional holes as needed.
Step 4 - Cut it out. Please wear eye protection and make sure your fingers are out of the way! The width of your cuts will be dependent upon the size of your rope. Thicker rope will require a fatter hole while thinner jute will require something small.
Step 5 - Cut your twine/rope/jute into 8 sections. Staple as indicated on the graphic above.
Step 6 - You will do one wrap for each piece of twine/jute/rope working in a clockwise manner. Starting in the upper left, wrap the first rope you come to once, and then move to the next one in line. Working in this manner will create the twine to "weave or braid" into itself as you work around. If you were to do all of one rope first, it would look fine, just different than the picture above. If your rope runs short, simply staple it off on the backside and continue on with your next wrap and a new piece.
Step 7 - Attach your Z clip to the back or bolt to the wall. It's as easy as that!
Comments (11)
Daily Email
Top Tours
- Maggie's Delightful Digs
- Lisa and Clay's Artsy and Calm Collaboration
- Denis and Heather's Scandinavian Treasure
- APAK's Creative Cottage
- Kelly Rae's Colorful Seattle Farmhouse
Top Posts
Today in Marketplace
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
I'd like to see this actually done with the instructions provided... thinking if it does work, it would be a cool way to recycle old colorful t-shirts. just cut them into long strips starting at the hem and circling all the way up the body. ue them instead of rope.
view teeze's profile
I'm extremely handy-- I've refinished countless pieces of furniture, can do complicated upholstery, rewiring, even simple plumbing.
This headboard project daunts me. Especially to save only $150.
Division of labor is a good thing.
view shirley-temple-of-doom's profile
i like the t-shirt idea. would also be cute in kids bedroom if you used different pick ribbons for girls and greens or blues for boys. there is a lot you could use with this idea!
view ccc1979's profile
Looks a little like a Weetabix to me.
view Forestdweller's profile
I saw something vaguely similar once on a British decorating show. It took them hours and hours and hours to wrap rope around a similarly sized frame. What with the weaving involved here, I'd say you're looking at more like a weekend or two rather than just one afternoon.
This is the exact same process as is used for caning a chair seat. Now that might be doable in an afternoon. If you're dying to make the headboard, try it out on a scavenged chair first.
view parhelia's profile
How do you keep this thing clean?
view Comicgeek's profile
All that work to create a new scratching post for the cat?
We're in the market for a new headboard and it's amazing how much gets ruled out because of the cat - most fabrics, anything that could be jumped up onto (and thus down from), shelves...
view feathers's profile
Looks too much like a cat scratch post to survive in my house. Pretty tho...
view Hollie's profile
100 feet of twine would not be enough to cane a small chair. You meant 1000 feet, perhaps?
I prefer the instructions at Popular Mechanics for weaving a rush seat around a simple frame, which one could scale up to headboard size like the West Elm one above.
I _really_ don't think you need a sheet of plywood or mdf inside. At all. Twine around a strong frame would be lighter.
The lovely part comes from working a diagonal figure-eight weave from the corners in, and a sideways figure-eight to fill in the middle.
The tip on the Z clips is nice, though. On my headboard (not woven) I improvised a long hanging cleat from a 2x2 ripped lengthwise at an angle.
Perhaps I am wrong, and someone can photograph how this would work.
view Splomo's profile
On second thought, 100 feet is probably enough to do a chair, but a headboard? No way. No way!
view Splomo's profile
You lost me at "router or hand held jigsaw."
view rosenatti's profile