One Room Challenge | Week 5 | Toddler Girl’s Bedroom

ORC Fall 2020: DIY Boho Headboard

Wrapping up week five of One Room Challenge and finally getting back in the groove! This week, I got to work on the DIY boho headboard using wood beads for a Jenny Lind-inspired look. Pop back to last week for a peek at the inspiration.

Start with Plywood & Wood Ball Halves

I began with a 4’x8’ piece of thin, sanded plywood for my backing. I chose thin because I planned to paint it to blend in with the wall.

Then cut the arch out using the tried-and-true method of cutting a string half the width of the desired headboard, affixing one end to the bottom-center of the board, tying the other end to a pencil, then pulling the string tight and tracing the arc. You can see video steps in my Instagram story highlights!

Choosing a Layout

I did a quick dry fit of the wood ball halves to determine a layout. I polled my Instagram friends but ultimately asked the two-year-old which she preferred. She, like the majority of voters, picked the top option with four lines of beads. Though, I may still explore an option that uses three and split the difference!

Painting

Once I saw how lovely the beads looked in their raw wood glory, I debated leaving them that way and skipping the paint. I asked for votes in Instagram once again and this poll was pretty close but green won out. My husband and son also picked green, so I got to work painting! I finished a first coat on all 160+ of them, and hope to get a second coat in early this week.

Later this week I’ll be experimenting with using natural reed or willow to add texture and warmth to the spaces between the beads. Stay tuned and follow on Instagram for progress!

Follow along on the @onesmithstory Instagram for progress stories. If you’re an ORC participant be sure to comment there and let me know so I can follow your project!