Building a Curtained Headboard
Creating a Curtained Headboard with Sconces
To dress up your bedroom with a more elegant touch, you can create a curtained headboard with sconces for some intimate lighting.
What You’ll Need:
framing squarefabric penscissorsstraight pinssewing machineneedlepencildrill with Phillips head bitfabric (ours was a cotton fabric)treadfour rod bracketstwo drapery rodstwo J-boxes (metal boxes to house electric wiring, also called pancake boxes)two electric sconcestwo electric cords with switches
How to:
1. Measure and mark your fabric:- Three lengths of fabric to the desired height of your headboard. Include an extra four to six inches to allow for a pocket rod at the top and bottom of your panels. This allowance will vary depending on the diameter of the rods.- The width of each panel should be double the finished width to create a gathered/shirred effect. Also, the center panel should be wider than the two end panels. The width of the end panels should match the placement of the sconces.
2. Cut the fabric adding a 1/2-inch to each side to allow for the seams. Fold the fabric over at the top and bottom creating a pocket for the rod to slide through.
3. Pin all the pieces together with straight pins in a vertical fashion so the machine can sew over the pins.
4. With a sewing machine, stitch all the pieces together along the backside of the fabric. Remove all pins once seems and rod pockets have been stitched.
5. Measure and mount a set of brackets to the top and bottom of the wall being covered. The top brackets should face upward and the bottom brackets downward. Mount them in opposite directions to create the tension needed so that the fabric is pulled taut.
6. Slide the three panels onto the rods and hang rods on the secured brackets.
7. Fan the fabric out, then pull the inside of the end panels back enough so that you can mark the wall where the sconces will hang. Once the wall is marked, affix a metal light box on each side.
8. Wire your sconces into the light box openings. Finish by plugging-in their cords.
This is a perfect do-it-yourself project when you have a weekend to renovate. With just a few hours, some tools, materials, and fabrics, you can give your room a completely new look with an intimate and elegant feel.
