DIY - Welcome Mat "Iron" Headboard

My husband and I finally decided to upgrade to a king size bed to better fit  us, two body pillows, the dog, an occasional cat and regular guest appearances by our 7-year-old son. But it meant giving up our gorgeous hand-crafted iron bed. Since we paid a bit more to get a "green" (and really comfy) bed, we wanted to come up with a high style headboard on a low budget price.

I had seen a segment on HGTV where the designer used rubber "iron" door mats as wall stencils. Thinking I would try it, I visited my local Lowe's (too close for financial comfort) to check out their selection of mats. That's when it struck me--(ding)--the solution to my headboard blues. I could make my own "iron" headboard for under $50 the cost of four mats plus some nails in a similar color. One hour of later, we had a great looking headboard without breaking the bank.

Here's how you can make one too!

1. Choose your mats
2. Decide whether to use them vertically or horizontally. We based this partly on our design preference, but also considered which direction would match up better with the width of our bed.
3. Push your bed up against the wall where it will be. Measure the width of the bed and mark a center point on the wall behind it.
4. Hold the first mat against the wall just above the bed and and on the center line. Mark points on the wall where you can put the nails to hang your mats.
5. Do the same with the other mats, working from the center out.
6. Use a level to make sure all your nail holes will be even and start nailing.
7. Hang your mats up, push your bed into place and, Voila! One really cheap headboard.
8. Bonus note: If you ever change your decor you won't have to buy door mats for years to come!

If you want more specific directions, please sent me a comment. If you have great headboard creations of your own, please share them!

Thanks - Cristy