This is the EASIEST DIY rustic queen size headboard. I bought at total of 13 1x4x6 pine boards at Lowes which meant no saw was needed and the lumber was easy to load in the Jeep.  The longest part of entire project was trying to find 13 straight boards!

I simply laid them out on a drop cloth with the “prettier” sides face down. If they had stamps or any damage I kept that face up which will be the back of the headboard. I found some some scrap wood to support/anchor the boards and used my drill to screw down each board on the left and right side. Easy so far, right?

Flipped it over and propped the headboard-to-be up on saw horses with the drop cloth underneath.  I sanded it well using a palm sander. Once it was smooth I painted it with plain water to dilute the stain.

I painted one coat of stain over the slightly wet boards. I wanted the stain to absorb unevenly for a rustic and worn effect. Stain smells so strong to me that I wear a respirator and typically keep stained items out in the garage for 24 hours to let the smell dissipate.  The waiting kills me but a migraine is worse!

I wanted to mount a rustic farmhouse style light to the top of the headboard with a remote controlled light for uber laziness.  I’ll give you the scoop on the headboard lighting tomorrow morning!