Turning a headboard into a bench is one of the most popular ways to repurpose an old headboard. I had this one sitting in my shed for years and when a friend asked if I could make her a hat rack I thought this one would be perfect.

Step 1: Find an Old Headboard

This headboard was not very heavy because the panels in the centre were a thin plywood and the legs would be removed. I was going to cut them off but I found that they were already loose so a few taps with a hammer and the legs popped off.

Step 2: Sand the Middle Panels

Because I needed to sand the inside panels to get rid of all the old varnish I found it was easier to take the whole headboard apart. It was all just slotted together so It would be easy enough to put back together.

Step 3: Distress Wood to Hide Damage

I sanded down all the wood and notice that it had quite a few dents in the wood, to hide the dents I distress the wood further to blend in the dents. It was at this stage I thought the headboard might still be a bit big.

Step 4: Shorten Headboard

Because it was all ready apart it was easy to cut about 10cm of each of the panels as well as the frame.

Step 5: Prime Ready for Painting

I had planed all along to make the middle panels chalkboards that you could write messages on. Once they were all sanded down I added a coat a white primer and left it to dry. I used chalkboard spray paint and added 2 coats as per instructions on the can.

Step 6: Protect Wood From Overspray

The wood was stain a dark mahogany and given 2 coats of clear polyurethane. I glued the headboard back together and used ratchet straps to hold it all tight while the glue dried. I wanted to add a bit of detail to the wood. I covered all the boards to protect them from any overspray.

Step 7: Stencil Detail

I used a stencil and some copper spray paint to add a design to the top. This took a while because it was a single stencil and I had to wait for the one to dry before I started the next.

Step 8: Add Hooks and Name Tags

I added some hat and coat hooks to the board and some copper name tag holders for added decoration. And cut a small piece of wood to add to the middle for the chalk to rest on.