Easy Weekend Project - Mantel Headboard

Ok, so its not quite as easy as the chalkboard...but still very do-able in a weekend.

This mantle headboard is something I did about a year ago. At the suggestion of Heather of Pretty Petals , I've decided to make this the next weekend project.

First, find your mantel (or is it mantle ?). Mine was only 40.00 at a local flea market and was already stripped of most of its peeling paint.

After applying a fresh coat of cottage white paint we were ready to secure it to the wall. We drilled screws into the studs along the outside edge and the upper lip of the opening. It was raised off of the floor about 6 inches to a comfortable height when sitting in bed. (ours is small, but , if your mantle is large or very heavy, its best to use supports under the posts.

Next, a piece of 1/2 inch plywood was cut to fit the opening. I used a spray adhesive to attach a piece of 2" foam and covered that with a piece of muslin and batting.

Now the fun part...picking out your fabric. Mine was originally done in a cabbage rose barkcloth, but, I was ready for a change. So, I recovered it today in another lovely vintage piece from my stash.

Center your design, fold over edges (so you are stapling through a double layer of fabric) and staple to the back. (start in the center of opposite sides and work toward the corners)
To avoid having to screw through the fabric, we simply "wedged" the fabric panel into the mantel opening. We did this by partially inserting 2 screws in the top and 2 directly beneath the panel.

This also makes it much easier to change out the fabric whenever you like.