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Project Difficulty:
Moderate
Estimated
Project Time: 1 day
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Wooden headboard
Latex satin paint in green
Acrylic craft paint in coffee, green, and butterscotch
Floral wallpaper
Decoupage medium
Metallic gold wax
Sandpaper
Steel wool
Tack cloth
Heavy-duty primer
Flat paintbrushes: foam or bristle
Fine artist's paintbrushes: #4 liner, medium pointed
One natural sponge for each paint color
Chalk pencil
Painter's tape
Craft knife
Paper towels
Soft, lint-free cloths
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Pencil
Ruler or straightedge
Sharp-pointed scissors
Sealer
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In 1648, the term "bed of roses" was coined to mean "a place of agreeable ease." Certainly, any bed crowned with this pretty floral headboard is sure to be just that.
If you'd rather not rest wreathed in roses, choose another theme for your headboard--perhaps seashells on shore sands, gilded clouds in a twilight sky, or soft sheep shapes (too numerous to count) grazing in a decoupaged meadow. Dream of the possibilities; your headboard can become whatever you wish it to be.
The backdrop for your creativity can be a new headboard or one discovered at a flea market--the one pictured here was found in a junk shop (Fig. 1). If your find has been finished in a dark stain, avoid the mess of stripping it; instead, sand it down and apply a heavy-duty, all-purpose primer. Once you've done that, you've already finished step one. Now, get ready to create....
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1.
Prepare the Headboard
Sand it smooth; then apply two coats of heavy-duty primer. Let the primer dry.
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2.
Apply the Base Coat
Apply two coats of the satin green base coat.
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3.
Sponge
Mask the frame of the headboard to protect it from stray sponge marks.
Prepare a separate paint palette and sponge for the taffy, coffee, and green paints. Lightly dip the natural sponge into the first color, and then dab it gingerly around the center of the headboard (Fig. 2). Change the direction of the sponge often to avoid a repetitious pattern.
Apply additional colors one at a time (Fig. 3). For a more open and airy effect, don't apply dense layers of paint, but feel free to overlap and blend the colors.
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4.
Prepare and Apply the Motifs
With small, sharp scissors, cut differently sized motifs from your wallpaper. It can be tedious to cut out intricate images, but if you invest the time to do this carefully, you'll be permanently pleased with the results.
Spray adhesive on the backs of the motifs to temporarily hold them in place as you experiment with arranging them on the headboard's center panel. Feel free to overlap motifs or place them over molding.
Once you've achieved a pleasing arrangement, mark each motif's placement lightly with a pencil.
Coat and apply just one motif at a time, even when overlapping them. Using a foam brush, spread decoupage medium on the back of the first motif. Carefully position it on the headboard following the placement marks. Smooth it down with your fingertips, working out any air bubbles, and burnish the edges with your fingernail to secure it.
When the design's complete, coat the surface with a layer of decoupage medium. Let it dry.
Remove the masking tape from the headboard's frame; then carefully mask the headboard's center panel.
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5.
Paint an Ivy Border
Draw a wavy line with chalk pencil along the center of the headboard frame to simulate an ivy vine.
Dip your pointed brush into the green acrylic paint and blot excess paint on paper towels. Now, paint small leaves to flank the wavy chalk line. (Fig. 4)
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6.
Finish the Edges in Gold
Using a soft, lint-free cloth or your finger, rub gold wax onto the edges of the frame and posts. Remove the tape.
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7.
Seal Your Work
Finish the headboard with two coats of sealer.
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