DIY: How to Create a Painted Faux Lace Headboard

Decorative headboards are a gorgeous way to pull together your sleeping area, and <a href="http://inhabitat.com/diy-awesome-country-sofas-made-from-used-shipping-pallets/" target="_blank">making your own</a> is an easy way to dress up your room without using up a lot of materials at all. If you're looking to spruce up your bed but don't have a lot of cash to spend, read on to check out our simple <a href="http://inhabitat.com/how-to-make-a-recycled-mustache-mirror/" target="_blank">DIY</a> trompe l’oeil lace headboard tutorial!

<h3>MATERIALS:</h3> <br> - One yard of lace in your favorite pattern - One can <a href="http://inhabitat.com/sherwin-williams-paint-made-from-recycled-pet-bottles-wins-epa-award/" target="_blank">low-VOC spray paint</a> in your favorite color (don’t be afraid to be bold!) - Blue painters tape - Pencil and measuring tape - Old magazine or newspaper, and drop cloths to protect your floor!

<h3>STEP 1:</h3> <br> First thing is first- where do you want this headboard, and how big do you want it to be? Using the pencil, take a tick mark in the center of the bed, and then about 4 inches on either side of the end of the bed. After you’ve measured, its time to decide what shape you’d like the headboard to be. If you’re very particular, you may want to sketch out the shape on the wall in pencil first. If you’re more forgiving, take the blue tape and start taping off edges from the central tick mark.

<h3>STEP 2:</h3> <br> Now that you’ve chosen your shape, rip up an <a href="http://inhabitat.com/organelle-designs-dowel-chair-is-suited-for-storage-and-a-seating-in-one/" target="_blank">old newspaper or magazine</a> and tape it around your outline to protect your wall from stray paint splatters.

<h3>STEP 3:</h3> Now, tape the panel of lace to the wall, making sure it is as flat and taut as possible. Also make sure that the pattern is facing up, or the way you desire.

<h3>STEP 4:</h3> <br> Now you’re ready to paint! Start spraying with gentle strokes, being conscious of where you’re stopping, because you’ll need to overlap. Don’t worry about not having a consistent spray, the lacey pattern looks better with different thicknesses of paint.

Move the lace over and repeat painting until you’ve covered the entire headboard outline stencil. Again, this process is forgiving, so don’t worry if you’ve overlapped too much.

<h3>STEP 5:</h3> Remove the lace and take a step back- you did it! Now remove all the tape and newspapers.

<h3>STEP 6:</h3> Make your bed up with all your cozy <a href="http://inhabitat.com/patch-luxuriously-large-pillows-made-from-reclaimed-leather-scraps/" target="_blank">pillows</a> and blankets and enjoy! You can also opt to add a painted outline, or hang a picture in the middle of the headboard. Either way, your sleeping space just got a whole lot fancier! Don’t forget to air out the room before you catch some Z’s.