Instant Decorating Upgrades With Old Linens

Upholster a Headboard With an Old Quilt

What you need: A quilt, a piece of ¾-inch plywood four feet tall and as wide as your bed (twin, 39 inches; full, 54 inches; queen, 60 inches; king, 76 inches), two 2-by-3-by-40-inch pieces of wood, scissors, a staple gun, ¼-inch staples, a drill, and four two-inch screws.
 
What you do: 
1. Spread the quilt right-side down on the floor, first noting damaged areas you don't want to show later. Place the plywood on top, avoiding those areas. Cut the fabric, leaving a four-inch border around the panel.
2. Attach the fabric to the plywood with staples about three inches apart. Do one side, then (pulling the fabric taut) the opposite side, then the remaining sides.
3. For each two-by-three, on the wide side drill two ½-inch-deep holes, 4 and 10 inches, respectively, from one end.
4. Position the two-by-threes about six inches in from each short edge of the plywood and extending about 24 inches beyond the bottom of the headboard. Secure the pieces with the screws in the drilled holes.
5. Prop the headboard against the wall and push the bed against it.
 
Also works with: Matelassé coverlets and thick blankets.