Building an Inexpensive and Unique Headboard

Does your bed look bare and empty? And you’ve been wondering, what’s missing. Here’s a thought, maybe you need a headboard. Or, say if you already have one, maybe you need a new one just to shake it up a bit. Then, you go to the store and find out that buying a new headboard is just too expensive. Don’t get discourage, how about building one. It isn’t so hard and better still, you might end up with a unique and cool custom made headboard. Here are some ideas that you could take into consideration. Who knows, after reading this, it might trigger your creative sense and come up with your own idea.

You can create a headboard by placing a section of picket fence at the top of the bed. This will be bringing a garden theme effect to your room. You can use a distressed, found piece of fence that you have cleaned up, or purchase a brand new plastic length of fence from the hardware store. Have it cut to the width of the bed or have it cover the entire wall so you can put both the bed and side tables in front of it.

Use a wedding or garden gazebo as a canopy headboard. The piece will arch over the top part of the bed and you can hang fabric from it to form the headboard and canopy drape. Adorn it with flowers and place a picket fence bench at the foot of the bed to complete the look.

A hockey goal is the perfect size and shape to use in the place of a headboard in a boys room. Just place it as-is at the top of the bed. With it facing inward, it will gently curve around the top of the bed. With it facing the wall, it will give you a somewhat sturdy headboard on which you can lean your pillows. You can add buttons with hockey sayings onto the netting to finish the look, or your child can borrow it to take outside and play and then put back in place when finished. Using hockey sticks for curtain rods would complete the look.

Bi-fold doors and standing screens also make excellent headboards. You can upholster them with fabric and batting or if they are see-through, you can staple (or glue of the item is metal) fabric to the backside. You can attach it to the wall with a couple of screws at the top.

A cork wall would double as a great place to hang posters and notes as well as a neat headboard for a teen’s room. Just purchase cork squares or rolls and install according to the manufacturers instructions. You can then paint, stamp, or leave the cork wall in its natural state. Add special decorative pushpins in floral or sports shapes to finish off the look. You can also cut the corkboard into shapes before installing on the wall.

Shutters are also a great substitute for a headboard. You can transform it with a distressed paint finish and mount them on the wall. You will need two shutters for a twin bed, and four for a king sized bed.

A fireplace mantel either found in the attic or purchased new, also makes a great headboard. Just attach fabric-covered plywood to the opening and place behind the head of the bed.

For a quick headboard for a king sized bed, turn a door on its side and mount on the wall. Alternatively, you can choose to build a frame for it with legs so you can stand it on the floor. The door can be plain, painted, carved, or upholstered.

There, wasn’t that hard isn’t it? All you have to do is scour around the house and find what piece of junk that you have laying around that you could use. With a little paint or a little scrub, it’ll be ready to transform your bed into something new. Try it!

Useful Tips on How to Buy New Furniture

Just like those clothes you wear, your home furniture represents who you are and your style. Whether you’re the modern contemporary kind of girl, or the English country folk…Your furniture is like your fashion statement. It tells your guests about your preferences.

Like buying an outfit, you do not want to end up buying a piece of furniture that you don’t need or doesn’t suit your room. It will become a waste if not something that will look rather awkward in that home of yours. Therefore, here I would like to share with you some useful tips on how to buy furniture.

First of all you’re going to take note of how big the space that you’ll be furnishing. All the details such as how many windows, how high the ceiling is and the wall are among the important factors that could help you choosing the right furniture. You can either purchase a piece of software that will help you design a cozy room or grab a pencil and paper and start sketching. If you have any original pieces you are keeping, then make sure to work them into your room plan.

Once you’ve decided what kind of piece you would want, and how large of furniture you can purchase, you could start to set your budget. Figure out how much you’re willing to spend for your furniture.

By knowing how much you’re willing to spend you’ll be able to decide on the type of furniture. For instance, are you buying furniture for a family room or a living room? If you’re buying for a family room you’re going to want to look for furniture that is tougher and built for heavy use, something that could hold up a lot of stuff and convenient. If you’re buying furniture for your living room, and it’s more of a show room then you could opt for something less functional but fancy to look at.

When deciding on the type of furniture, you may also take your lifestyle into consideration; do you own any pets that are going to claw or chew? How about small children? Is your home air conditioned? Leather is a cool piece of furniture, but can be downright uncomfortable in the hot weather, unless your house is air-conditioned. Besides, you might feel like you want to kill somebody when your pet started to scratch or on your leather couch.

After narrowing down what you’re in the market for, make a list itemizing each piece you’re looking for including the sizes that will be suitable for your chosen room, what color do you prefer, and all other fine details. This way you won’t get side track and miss anything once you walk into the furniture shop. It’s easy to get distracted because of all the choices. But with list in hand you’ll be prepared.

Choose a furniture that will last for years. Try not to choose trendy furniture that you’ll be tired of in six months. Furniture is a big investment, so keep your taste in check and choose furniture that will look and feel good for years to come. You can add some trendy small ticket items such as vases or wall décor. Keep your furniture colors easy to work with. That way it will be easier for you if one day you decided to do a room face lift without having to change the entire look.

If a piece of furniture caught your eyes, don’t forget to check the construction of it, watch out for low quality assembly. If you’re buying a couch or bed, sit on it, move around on it, and see if it fits your body well. Check to see if you can feel springs, if the buttons are attached well, if the seams are finished properly. Don’t take any piece of furniture just by looking at it, get underneath and check the piece inside out.

Now that you’ve found your dream furniture, all you need to do next is to pay and wait for delivery. If you have old furniture in the room, it is better to get rid if it first before the new furniture arrives. Prep the room, so that when the delivery guys arrive they can place the furniture where it belongs.

There, wasn’t so hard getting a new furniture, isn’t it? All you need is a proper and detail planning. Who knows, perhaps you might be able to find a piece that will last for generations!

A Few Tips on How to Care For Your Furniture

Through experience and bunch of research… well, not really research, but more to enquiries from experts, I have gathered bunch of useful tips to share with all on how to care for your furniture, in this case the ones that got fabric on it. The thing is, we all buy new furniture and then for the first few months if not all the time we live in fear, worry that we might damage or dirty the fabric. But worry not, because if you follow these tips I’m about to share, your furniture will be safe and last longer.


Upholstered Furniture

• Since this kind has a wide variety of fabrics and fiber combinations, there is no guarantee that these methods will work totally. Therefore I suggest for you to contact professional upholstery cleaner in some cases. However, these simple solutions will keep your new upholstery crisp and clean for years!


• Vacuum at least once a week in order to get rid of the grit that can cause abrasion. Also, don’t forget to dust vacuum the top surfaces as often as possible. Professional cleaning is the best way to make a slightly soiled sofa look new again, but weekly vacuuming could help you from having to retain their services too often. Keep in mind to never brush any fabric with a stiff fiber or metal brush, since they’re destructive to the fibers. Instead, use your vacuum attachments like the upholstery brush or the attachment for dusting draperies and furniture. The latter brush has longer bristles and is less abrasive to your upholstery fabric. It may be your best option if your fabric deserves a softer brushing.


• Reverse the cushions each week after vacuuming. Rearrange the furniture occasionally to ensure even wear of the cushions and other areas.


• Cushions and pillows filled with down or similar cushioning material should be hand-fluffed and reversed regularly to retain their original softness and resiliency.


• Sun is not really your fabric’s best friend. You should not place your fabric in direct sunlight because the ultraviolet light will cause the fibers to degenerate and colors to fade. Occasionally dyes can fade from impurities in the air as well, though protection from the sun is a good way to prevent premature loss of color.


• If you own any pets, keep them away from the furniture. Pet urine and pet body oil can be a pain to remove.


• Use proper care with structural weave fabrics (where the design is created by the weave) to protect against snags. These fabrics may be cleaned by sprinkling dry powder cleaner over the fabric, spreading it uniformly and letting it stand for the recommended period before vacuuming with gentle suction. (However, I do recommend professional cleaning with stains on a woven fabric.)


• Caution those wearing clothing with transferable dyes, such as blue jeans, that the dye could transfer onto light-colored furniture.
  

Fabric Cleaning Guide

Today’s new fabric treatments improve the chances of your fabric’s survival. Fabric protection products are usually applied by the retail store for an additional cost. Most of the various brands work the same way by causing spills and soil to sit on the surface of the fiber instead of migrating to the fiber’s interior.

Fiber protection products are free of ozone damaging chemicals now a day, and most are hypoallergenic and invisible to the eye. Some even provide additional UV protection from color fading caused by intense light. One of the greatest benefits of fabric protection products is that they come with specific written warranties that provide peace of mind.

Whether your new upholstery has been fabric protected or not, you should follow the same basic guidelines in cleaning liquid spills or surface soil that can’t be brushed off (such as newspaper ink).

Fabric Cleaning Codes

Hold it! Do not try to just wing it and try to clean your furniture without identifying identifying the fabric and the correct cleaning method recommended by the manufacturer. This information is represented by a cleaning code (W, S, WS, or X) often found under a cushion, on the bottom of the furniture or on the manufacturer’s tag. If you cannot find this information, contact your salesperson at the furniture store where the item was purchased.

W – Spot clean only with water-based shampoo or foam upholstery cleaner.

S – Spot clean only with water-free cleaning solvent. Do not overwet. DO NOT USE WATER.

WS – Spot clean with upholstery shampoo, foam from a mild detergent, or a mild dry cleaning solvent. Do not overwet.

X – Clean only by vacuuming or light brushing with a non-metallic brush. DO NOT USE WATER OR DRY CLEANING SOLVENTS. Do not use a foam or liquid cleaner of any type.

Never apply cleaning solutions to visible areas of your upholstery fabric without first testing on areas that are not visible. It is important to pretest for color loss and fabric compatibility.

Cleaning Instructions

As a general rule, when a spill occurs, it is important to clean the fabric immediately. The longer a spot remains, the harder it is to remove. It may even become permanent.

Always blot, never rub. If the spill is new, simply use a clean, dry and very absorbent 100% cotton cloth. If paper towels are the only material available at the moment, make sure the paper towel or the cloth for that matter is white, as colors in the towel may, when applied to a wet surface, fade onto the upholstery. Color from one fabric can rub off onto another fabric, even when the fabric is dry, which is a process known in the industry as “crocking”.

If blotting with a dry cloth doesn’t quite finish the job and you have cleaning directions from the furniture manufacturer, follow those. If none are available, use the instructions provided here.

There. Isn’t so hard, isn’t it? It may take a little work but hey, it’s way better than living in fear from damaging your own furniture, right? What good will it be if you can’t even enjoy your own beautiful piece of furniture in your own home? Have a nice day!