Patchwork Headboard

MATERIALS

  • 4 to 8 old shirts (from your closet clean out)
  • ½ plywood (twin head board cut to 40" x 40")
  • ¾" Roofing nails
  • Upholstery tacks
  • Rope
  • 2 to 3 jars decoupage
  • Measuring tape or ruler
  • Pencil or permanent marker
  • Scissors

DIRECTIONS

  1. Using your measuring tape, create a grid pattern on your head board. This will determine the size patches you cut.

  2. Apply one layer of decoupage to seal the wood and let it dry while you are cutting your patches.

  3. Cut 16 10 ¼" square patches. The extra ¼" give a little room for overlap.

  4. I used 4 shirts and cut 4 patches from each shirt, but you can use as many shirts or patterns as you like.

  5. Before attaching the patches, lay them out on the board.

  6. When you are satisfied with the design, begin applying the patches, one by one. Brush on a layer of decoupage under the patch. Smooth on the patch and cover with another generous layer. Continue for all 16 patches.

  7. When dry, do one final coat over the entire headboard. Let dry.

  8. Trim fabric around edges if necessary.

  9. Hammer upholstery tacks in the corners of the squares.

  10. To attach the rope around the edge, every 10 inches drive a nail through the rope into the edge of the board.

FOR THE FLOWERS

  • For the first one, just cut off a sleeve and gather together and pierce the center with a upholstery tack.
  • For the second, a daisy-like flower, choose two fabrics and cut about 10 petals, 5 of each. The petals should be about 3 inches long. With a sharp pair of scissors you should be able to cut about 3 at a time.
  • Pierce the center with the upholstery tack you will use to attach them.
  • The 3rd flower is created with two small rectangles of fabric laid over each other like an "X". They should be about 1 x 3 inches each.
  • Pierce through both layers of fabric, rotate the flower ¼ of a turn and pierce again. Rotate ¼ of turn in the other direction and pierce again.
  • Now you are ready to arrange your flowers and hammer them in.