This starry night headboard will provide a warm glow in your child's room. Have the children help you make and design the headboard. They can create the shapes, help wrap the lights, and add self-adhesive stars.
drill with large bit
brush or roller
level
jigsaw or circular
scissors
glue gun
Laminated plywood sheet for furniture.
semi-gloss paint
12 to 14 screws
string of clear Christmas lights (rice lights, which can usually be found at thrift stores in the off-season)
glow in the dark star pack
Large paper bag or paper to make templates.
Cut the piece of plywood to the size of the bed. The lumberyard or store you buy it from will often cut it down to its exact dimensions.
Paint the plywood the color of your choice. We use rich blue paint to represent a night sky. Let the first coat dry completely, then apply a second coat if needed.
Create the moon template on paper. A large paper bag works well because it's thick and sturdy.
Lay the template on the wood and insert the screws around the template. Keep the entire pattern in the top half of the board, leaving room at the bottom for the pillow to rest against.
Insert the screws halfway through the plywood; Make sure they don't peek out the back. If you have a hard time not going all the way through the wood. Wrap some masking tape around each screw at the point where you want the drill to stop. It will prevent you from drilling too much into the wood.
The drill hole is large enough for the lights to pass near the bottom of the moon where it can be hidden.
Use paint to touch up the holes and paint the tops of the screw heads.
String the lights through the hole leaving the plug on the back of the plywood.
Wrap the lights around the screws in a variety of directions, creating a moon shape, tucking in the ghosting.
Use hot glue to adhere the glow-in-the-dark stars around the moon. Save at least four large stars to cover the screws that will be used to attach the board to the wall.
Place protective foam floor pads (typically used for chairs) on the back of the board to keep it slightly away from the wall, allowing the plug to come out the back.
Put the headboard in position on the wall behind the bed. Make sure it is level and screw in the wall studs. Drive four screws near the top third of the board. Cover the screws with the stars..
Joanne Palmisano is the author of Salvage Secrets (W.W. Norton, September 2011). Visit her blog, also called Salvage Secrets..
Susan Teare
