Classic grasscloth headboard

Materials: Hemnes queen bed frame, Anno Sanela blind, pre-finished polystyrene molding, liquid nails, saw and miter box, and clamps

Description: We bought the Hemnes bedroom furniture suite but recently started feeling tired of the baby crib-like bars at the top of the headboard, especially since that's all we could see of the headboard once all of the bed pillows were in place. We wanted to maintain the classic and clean lines of footboard and nightstands without adding a lot of weight or taking apart the bedframe. We found our solution with the Anno Sanela blind at Ikea, it was light, large enough to cover the headboard, stiff enough to hold its shape without wrinkling, and had a great seagrass texture that completed our bedding.

1. We bought 2 pieces of 3" x 8' pre-finished molding that were a little fancy and 1 1" x 8' strip for to finish the bottom. The advantage with a polystyrene molding is that is very light so all you need is glue and it is prefinished to almost the same finish as the rest of the bed so you don't have to paint.

2. The molding was cut to spec with a miter saw so it fits right over the existing headboard. Tip: for each side piece cut long enough to it can rest on the horizontal for more strength.

3. Spread glue on the bedframe where the 3" wide molding will go. Make sure the glue that you use will give you time make adjustments before setting. There is no need to glue more than the edges, but you could just make sure that any glue that squeezes through the Anno Sanela can be sponged off and will dry clear.

4. The width of the Anno Sanela is perfect for this project, just make sure that the length is short enough so that only overlaps about a 1/2" of the glue (see picture). This way the molding gets the other half of the glue and finishes the edge of the Anno Sanela. Clamp everything and leave to dry. Tip: the Anno Sanela is slightly transparent so you might want to back it with some blackout material before mounting it. I realized this after the fact but it's not a big deal to me.

5. To finish the bottom, spread glue on the 1" molding and press into place. Clamps can't be used here but it is light enough that strips of painters tape is enough to hold it in place until it dries. The bottom of the molding should just kiss the top of the mattress.

6. Fill the corners where the mitered molding cuts meet with silicone caulk. I also filled the seam in the back where the top piece meets the original bed frame for strength.

This was such a simple update and we're thrilled with the results. We even used some of the leftover material to top the nightstands.

~ Felicia, Seattle, USA