DIY Weatherboard Bed Head for Under $100

So looking at a weatherboard bed head but no idea where to start?

Wondering how to do a small room makeover for a fraction of the cost?

Have a few hours spare and basic woodworking skills?

Come and have a look and see if you can make it yourself

Total cost was under $100 AUD, $60 for the weatherboards, $8 for the timber and $15 on screws and drill bits

Step 1: Material

I've always wanted a weatherboard bedhead, there's countless examples on Pinterest that I've always liked the idea of, finally owning my own home I bit the bullet and began creating what I wanted,

Searching through gumtree( Australia), I found 7 lengths of hardwood weatherboard from a garage local to me, the bargain price of $60 couldn't be negotiated and an hour later I had them safely resting in the back of my ute, the weatherboards were painted with White House paint ( note, they are only 10 years old so no lead paint)

They had been nailed to the garage and were in lengths of 4.2 m, they were in really good condition and exactly what I was after,

Tools required

-drill

-circular saw

-belt sander

-4 x non structural 2x4's or in AUS 70x30mm ( 900long)

-level

-stud finder

-drill bits, drivers and countersink head

-screws

-lighting and switches (optional)

-cooking oil or olive oil

-scourer

Step 2: Time to Sand!

so my trusty ryobi belt sander got a great workout for this, my apologies for the photos I got carried away and forgot to take several

I unfortunately can't tell the grit but I'd say it's a course initiative sand around a 400-600 grit, I removed the depth gauge and clamped the weatherboard down to a saw horse,

I ran the sander on 3/4 speed and began at one end using slight pressure, I couldn't believe the finish it was exactly what I wanted, rough but with enough character, the belt actually exposes the milling lines when the boards were cut from the log, the white paint still fills these lines and is really striking,

Step 3: Length and Mounting to Wall

this is where I forgot to take photos,

I measured 50cm either side of my bed allowing to overhand etc,

I wanted the board to be offset from one another so no board would be flush, rustic looking I know, the first board was 2600, starting at the bottom then 20mm longer each side, i.e. 2640mm, then backwards and forwards

In total I cut six boards with plenty left over to make shelves at a later date,

To mount to the wall I used the stud finder and located four studs, I originally mounted two of the 70x30mm lengths to the wall one at either end however the boards had to much flex over their length so I mounted the two in the middle, no fancy work here just measured level and screwed straight into the stud with 100mm wood screws,

Once the stud were on I leveled the bottom board and marked for screw holes, I countersunk the screw head to have a neat flush finish and drove a square head screw into the board, no need to predrill the pine wall mount as its soft,

Step 4: Lighting

this step is totally optional,

I had several stainless steel garden spotlights left over from my yard makeover, I etch primed these and coated them with three coats of flat black spray paint,

From here I mounted the lights central to the side tables and ran 12v dual strand wire from the floor to each side, I used terminal connectors and wired in black computed switches and linked everything back to a 240v-12v 1000mah wall plug, both lights are MR16led bulbs and require very little power,

Easily completes the look of the bedhead, so easy and cheap, I had all parts on hand, however clip on side lights are available cheaply

Step 5: Oil!

Now, I've made bar tables, coasters, platters and a multitude of wood things, I love staining with olive oil, I always find the cheaper the better and if it's indoors it lasts for years, I've also stained a BBQ and it's been going strong in the Australian climate for a year now,

Grab a standard kitchen scoured and apply oil liberally with the sponge side working it into the grain, I couldn't believe the finish it came up glossy but deep rich red, looks absolutely beautiful

Step 6: Insta/Pinterest Worthy Finalé

I finished everything off, moved in some succulents to the side tables and added a $2 string light I picked up at Kmart,

Standing back it's incredible how different the room is, for a day off work and four hours, $100 and no injuries I think I nailed it! There's no oil smell or varnish smell, it's easy to clean and I love it!

Not a bag day off is say,

Stay creating, GC