Crib to Upholstered Headboard DIY

Oh, how I would love to take credit for this awesome idea but I cannot. I found  how to Change your Crib for Cheap by Brooke of All Things Thrifty, months ago. I knew Jude would be growing out of his crib soon, so there would be no need for the transformation immediately.  So I filed the idea away in my head because I own the exact same crib. I figured I could use the idea for his big boy room. And so I did.

Here is a quick peek at my final result.  I suggest, if you want to give it a try, that you read Brooke’s instructions on how to Change your Crib for Cheap and then come back here for some additional tips on how I turned mine into a functional headboard.

As you can see, Brooke and I have the same shaped headboard and you will see in some future pictures it is the same crib. I honestly believe that you can do this same project with other cribs as long as you have enough space to inset a piece of thin wood.

Now that you have read Brooke’s tutorial here’s a list of changes I made…

• the dark wood did not work with Jude’s room therefore I used Zinnser primmer, white paint and a clear coat sealer for a shiny finish
• obviously I left off the buttons and went for a patterned fabric
• I used plywood instead of MDF
• as shown in my previous post  Nailhead Trim Upholstered Headboard, I used 4 layers of cotton batting for padding instead of foam and nothing else
• the headboard is mounted to the wall

So that you can get a visual of  the changes I made here are some additional photos and some tips.

After the headboard was all painted and put together I was thrilled to get it upstairs and onto the bed. Knowing how short the crib was and how super tall the mattress and box spring were I knew we were in for an interesting combo. And here you have the vanishing headboard. Cute huh? So what do you do next? Because this very well could happen to you.

And if it does….

It is all too easy of a fix. If you haven’t heard me or another DIY blogger rave about these wonderful devices you are about to get an earful today. In fact this little device should be the most pinned item on the universe. Why? Because it’s that awesome. Ok, ok, so here it is the
Hangman Products HM-18D Heavy-Duty Mirror and Picture Hanger with Walldog Anchorless Screws, Aluminum, 18-Inch

Ok go ahead and pin it to your Awesome and Amazing products board. You won’t regret it, I promise!!!

If I haven’t told you lately, I am so bad at hanging things. I make my walls look like swiss cheese. I hang them unevenly, I mis-mark them, you name it I tend to mess it up. But with this awesome wall hanger I have yet to make a mistake. And the best thing of all, you can hang really heavy objects, like headboards. They also come in smaller and larger versions. I love these bad boys.

In order to have a flat surface to install the french cleat, use a piece of your left over plywood and screw it into the back slats of the crib.

Follow the instructions on the package of the French cleat. Make sure to hang this part straight.

The wall piece has a nifty little level so to insure that you hang it straight. Gosh it makes hanging things so easy.

Ahhh, much better. Now you can see the headboard. And the hangman does it’s job again. I hope you enjoyed this little transformation.  We’ve tackled the Customized Wall Stencil and The Crib to Upholstered Headboard project. Soon, I’ll be back again with more updates from Jude’s room including an easy light fixture for cheap and a 5 dollar night stand.

Oh, I almost forgot, my total cost for this project was almost next to nothing. I had everything but the fabric, wood and french cleat. So for this headboard I paid about $35. Remember to be thrifty. Use coupons for the batting, re-use old paint and shop for discounted fabrics. Good luck and have fun.

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