Learn how to make a headboard shelf

I’m going to teach you how I took this ratty old headboard that my Mom gave me and turned it into a BEAUTIFUL headboard shelf! I swear this thing looked like a pack of wild dogs were chained to it and drug through an alley! Although, my Mom didn’t say where she got it from….it speaks for itself…it had to come out of the garbage!

Old headboard my mom gave me! She had to have gotten it out of the garbage! It was GROSS!

I cleaned up with Clorox wipes but it really needed some Krud Kutter because it was disgusting! After that, I took two boards that I got from Home Depot (One 10″ board and one 4″ board) and cut them the width of the bed.

For Krud Kutter, go to: https://amzn.to/3y1Sgp2

Here are the two boards I bought from Home Depot to build our shelf. One is a 10″ wide board and the other is a 4″ wide board.

Here is me cutting the boards to length.

Next, I put the 4″ wide board on top of the 10″ board to make a shelf. I used Titebond glue and brad nails to join the boards together.

Titebond is the BEST glue for your wood projects! Here’s a link to Titebond…you can get it right off of Amazon: https://amzn.to/3kiiICJ

Here are the two pieces glued and nailed together on top of the bed frame.

After the two pieces were glued and nailed together, I attached them to the frame by using my nail gun and some more Titebond glue.

I debated on whether or not I should cut the legs down or leave them. I decided to leave them and just fill in the slat slots with some Creative Paper Clay. You can use wood dough filler or something like that, however, it was late and I couldn’t go to the store…so, I knew that Paper Clay would do the trick. I use it on all kinds of things….filling things in, sculpting, stamping, etc… I let that dry and sanded it smooth.

Here’s a link to Creative Paperclay for your creative projects: https://amzn.to/37Mc454

Here’s one of the legs that is filled in with the Creative Paper Clay.

I painted the entire piece in Gray Linen by Wise Owl paint. I love that paint but it’s so expensive! I ended up purchasing some at Motor City paint when they were clearancing it out, so I got quite a deal on all kinds of Wise Owl Paint. A total score!!!

Here’s me painting the headboard shelf in that Gray Linen paint by Wise Owl.

Here’s all the Wise Owl paint that they had on clearance. I totally scored!!!

This bedframe shelf required two coats. After it was dry, I then applied some black wax to it to give it a nice rich tone.

Wise Owl Black Wax

Here’s a close up of what it looks like with the black wax on it. (Please forgive my floor…after cleaning up this bedframe on it….there were some drops of grossness on it! HEE HEE

Black wax over the Gray Linen Wise owl paint.

I then sealed the entire bed with this Wise Owl Lavender Furniture wax. I told you I got a deal…on all kinds of Wise Owl products! We might as well try them all out! HEE HEE Can I tell you…this Wise Owl Furniture salve smelt sooooo fresh like you were in a field of lavender on a hot summer day! Just AMAZING! I loved it!!! As you know, I have a YouTube Channel and a few viewers wrote in and said that they use on drawers of old furniture pieces to freshen them up. What a GREAT idea!!!

After that, I attached these hangers to the back, that I had gotten at Ace Hardware. You can get them on Amazon, too! NOTE: If you have a really heavy headboard…you might need thicker hangers but these were fine for what I was using them for. This was a kid’s headboard after all.

Ook Hangers: https://amzn.to/3vnZP7t

Now it was time to add the hooks to the front so we could hang things from. I bought these at Hobby Lobby. You can find all kinds of hooks there! I predrilled some holes after marking them. Then, I tried screwing them in with my electric screwdriver but it was so awkward…I really needed an extension to get in there!

I use a Dewalt Drill/Screwdriver for my projects. It’s AWESOME! If you’re interested in getting one, here’s a link: https://amzn.to/38uKmcT If you do a lot of projects like me….you’re going to need one!

Here’s trying to add some hooks to the headboard. I really needed an extension on my drill, though.

All there was to do now, was to hang it! I think it came out BEAUTIFUL! You can add all your farmhouse decor to it and it just really stands out, as a statement piece! Who would have thought that something sooo gross, could turn out to be so BEAUTIFUL! It’s like a butterfly!

Bedframe Shelf by Flea Market Rescue

NOTE: Some of the links I use are affiliate links. I get a small commission on products you buy through the link so that I can keep making project posts and videos. Thank you so much for your support!!! XOXO

To see the full video on a step by step tutorial of me building this, go to: https://youtu.be/jYGV6bmjrBE