D.I.Y. Upholstered Tufted Headboard

Here is a step by step guide to how I made a customized headboard. 

And when I say customized, it really is. A few months ago we upgraded from a queen bed to a new king sized mattress. And since my husband and I aren't very tall and didn't need the extra length, we ended up turning the mattress to make it even wider than a regular king size bed. 

First thing was to measure the width of the mattress and add about an inch or two to each side. Our mattress was 80" wide, so we went to Home Depot to have them cut a  piece of plywood that is 82" wide and 40" high. Some people recommend to get 1/2 thick plywood, but we decided on 1/4 inch plywood as we found it not to be too heavy on the wall, and thankfully ours also stays straight and doesn't buckle against the wall. Home Depot will make 2 cuts for you for free and I used the extra wood to create my own artwork above the bed so nothing was wasted.

Here are some supplies that I used. A ruler/tape measure, calculator and pencil (if you have decided to add the buttons to the front.) The button covers, a long upholstery needle, thick string or very strong thread, the plywood, 2" thick foam, cotton batting, fabric, staple gun and staples, spray adhesive.

I knew that I wanted that classic tufted look, so the next step was to measure out (on the back side of the board) where I wanted my buttons to go once the fabric was stapled. That was probably the most time consuming as I had messed up the measurements (a couple times) but thankfully my husband Randy came to the rescue and fixed it for me.  I planned for 3 rows of buttons, leaving nearly half of the bottom area blank as I knew I would have pillows and bedding covering up half the head board. Why waste your time adding extra buttons when you know you they won't be showing? The pattern that I decided to do has 5 holes on the top, then 6 for the middle and 5 for the lower row. 

Once the holes were marked, we(well Randy) drilled a hole in each mark for the buttons.
Then, on the opposite or front side, I applied my 2" thick squares of foam padding that I bought at Joanne's. For my 82" wide headboard, I needed to buy 8 squares, luckily I found them on sale for 50% off. First, I laid it out on top of the board and cut it to size and then used spray adhesive to glue them to the board. This is so the foam won't shift around when flipping it over and attaching the fabric.

After that step, I covered the foam with a layer of cotton batting. This gives the head board a smooth look underneath the fabric.

Here is the cotton spread out on the ground. The next step is to lay the board with the foam face down onto the cotton and then staple the cotton to the board. 

Here is the board with the cotton already stapled in place, ready for the black vinyl to be stapled.
TIP: Make sure you remember to iron your fabric before stapling and if you use a vinyl, iron the fuzzy back side, NOT the front.

Then it was time to staple the fabric to the board. The fabric that I chose was a black vinyl that cost $6 a yard. (It took about 3 yards of fabric for my headboard.) When stapling, be sure to pull the fabric super tight and on a slight diagonal, starting in the center and working out towards. Keeping checking the front to make sure it looks OK, especially when you get to the corners as they can be challenging. I won't look very nice from the back but that doesn't matter anyway.

Once the fabric is on and stapled tight, you can end here and mount it to the wall, or continue on and add the buttons to create the tufted look.

Here is the headboard without buttons

You need to get a long upholstery needle, button covers and some strong string or thicker thread. Once you have the buttons covered in the fabric,(this took me a lot of time as my fabric was thick and didn't want to stay on. I eventually had to hand sew the fabric to my button covers.) now you are ready to attach them to the front of the head board.

A picture of a button that I sewed by hand as my fabric was too thick.

Here's the back side of the button. The fabric is stitched onto the button cover.Now it was time to attach the buttons to the head board. I poked the upholstery needle through the hole and fabric and was very careful to push the needle through as straight as possible so I didn't mess up the mark that we measured out.

Then we pulled the string as tight as possible and tied it around a nail to keep it from shifting. (That was Randy's clever idea, most people staple their thread to the board so it's up to you how you would like to secure the string.) This method worked very well for us. TIP: keep checking the front to make sure all your buttons are pushed in at the same distance so it looks uniform. It helps to cut all your string the same length so that they are all even.

We used this picture hanger to hang the board on the wall and it works really well for us.

Here is the front of the headboard mounted to the wall, yippee...it's done!

All decorated and ready for a good nights sleep. I made the artwork above the bed with the leftover wood.

For less than $100, we now have a classy headboard that is perfect for our new room.

www.BeStagedOrlando.com

$10 Chair Make Over

This chair went from this...

To this....

This was my first attempt at re-upholstering anything in my life, but I was up to the challenge and I'm glad I tried it. 

This chair has been in our bedroom for as long as I have know my husband.  Since I was making over our master bedroom and I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a new chair, I decided that I would just change the fabric on it for a low-cost alternative. Luckily I found some cool, shimmery, silvery white fabric that only cost $2 a yard and I didn't make any mistakes with sewing or cutting the fabric (thank goodness!) so it  only took about 4 yards.  I also re-stained the wooden legs to match our new night stands.

My little helper removing some of the staples for me

Here I am carefully removing all the pieces of fabric from the chair. I marked each piece of fabric with a number so I would know what order to put it back on. I also took pictures through out the whole process which greatly helped when putting the new fabric back on.

Laying out all the old pieces on top of the new fabric and cutting out the new pattern

Here is a sneak peak at how the new chair looks accessorized with a pillow and fuzzy throw blanket in our new bedroom.

...all it took was $10, some effort, determination and a little patience to finish the project.

Stay tuned for my next blog to see how I made my own head board and the complete before and after bedroom makeover pictures.

Pumpkin Cheesecake(Gluten Free)

I just thought I'd share with you a recipe that got a lot of mileage this past holiday season. I must have made it 5 times. It was definitely a hit amongst my friends and family. It's really easy to make, just make sure you remember to allow 6 hours to chill in the fridge and the good thing about it is that it is Gluten free! I like mine with a sprinkling of shredded dark chocolate and whipped cream. Here's the yummy recipe...
  

Ingredients:

Servings:

  12   12

12

Units: US | Metric

CRUST

• 1 1/2 cups gingersnap crumbs , from Midel brand gluten free gingersnaps
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
• 1 tablespoon sugar

FILLING

• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese , room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (not imitation vanilla)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• pecan halves , for garnishing

Directions:

1. 1
   FOR CRUST: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap outside of a 9-inch diameter springform pan with foil to catch drips. Place Midel brand gingershaps into a 1-gallon plastic freezer bag and crush with a rolling pin. Measure out the 1 1/2 cups and combine them with the butter and sugar in a bowl. Press mixture into bottom and about 2 inches up the sides of the springorm pan. Bake crust about 5 minutes until slightly darkened. Set aside. Maintain oven temperature.
2. 2
   FOR FILLING: Blend the room temperature cream cheese and sugar in a food pocessor or heavy duty mixer until smooth. Add pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, and spices. Mix or Process until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl for a nice homogenous mixture. Pour the filling into the crust.
3. 3
   Bake cheesecake until the center is set (doesn't slosh around AT ALL in the middle when the pan is wiggled) and edges begin to crack, about 1 hour and 5 minutes. Cool in the springormpan on a rack. Chill uncovered until cold, at least 6 hours. (Can be made a day ahead, cover and keep it chilled, but don't make it any more than a day in advance.).
4. 4
   Run a knife around between the crust and side pan sides; remove sides. Arrange pecans decoratively on cake.
5. 5
   Great served plain or with a dollop of real whipped cream spiked with whiskey.

www.BeStagedOrlando.com

Merry Christmas To All!

As I am writing this post, it is a week before Christmas and I strangely feel quite calm and prepared for the events of the upcoming week. The shopping and wrapping is all pretty much done and I am surrounding by festive decorations and the beauty of tiny, sparkling white lights nestled inside our Christmas tree.


Today I planned my Christmas dinner from right out of the pages of Clean Eating's Nov/Dec issue. On the menu we will be feasting on Turkey with Fig, Apple and Sage Stuffing, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Souffled Sweet Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Beet and Green Bean Salad and for desert, the ever so yummy Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake. Thank you Clean Eating Magazine!!!


Here are some pictures of the holiday decorations around my house. I have my village set high up on a plant shelf all along the whole back side of our living room wall. It looks pretty at night when it's dark and all the lights are on.




 My dining table centerpiece is different this year. I usually have a floral arrangement but instead I used my large nutcracker and two candles for a change.


Below is my outdoor floral display that I have on each side of my front door. I sincerely hope you are able to relax and take in all that this season has to offer. Enjoy the decorations!

From My Family to Yours... 

Merry Christmas To All and To All A Good Night!

www.BeStagedOrlando.com

ALOHA From BE STAGED!!!

Today my home staging company Be Staged participated in the annual Saint Cloud Holiday Parade. The theme of the parade was the "50 US States" and we represented the beautiful state of Hawaii. 

We decorated the car in a grass skirt and had a palm tree sitting on top of the van surrounded by a bunch of wrapped presents. Thankfully I had a crew of helpers to help drive my van and hand out candy, marketing flyers and goodies attached to my business card. It was a fun morning and the weather was perfect!

Me and my awesome friend Carrie preparing the marketing handouts the night before.

The palm tree and presents on top of the van.

The whole gang prior to the start of the parade. Thanks for all your help!

Mele Kalikimaka everyone!

WWW.BeStagedOrlando.com

Before and After...Wine Bar

 This is my latest project. I was tired of always having a messy desk in our kitchen that always seemed to collect piles of things. So my husband and I converted it into a wine/beverage bar. We ordered a custom mirror sized just right to fit our wall and once installed, it opened up the whole area dramatically. We added glass holders underneath the cabinets and I have it staged appropriately.

 From Cluttered and Drab.... to Classy and Fab! 

Cheers Everyone!!!

 Selling your house? Need Decorating Advice? How's your curb appeal?

 I can help get you from For Sale to SOLD. 

Contact Be Staged for all your home staging needs.

www.BeStagedOrlando.com

Happy Fall!

A few weeks ago, Be Staged was a vendor at the Saint Cloud Fall Festival. It was the absolute wettest day I have every seen in Florida, but even so, me and my 6 year old son Nicky managed to bring in all my props and supplies in the soaking rain. My table was seasonally decorated for fall with apples, scarecrows, pumpkins, and my Halloween yellow rubber duckies. I also had a kids coloring activity with a special drawing for a gift basket. All in all, it ended up being a great experience to promote my Home Staging business.

The sign on the table says"Can a witches hat and some crazy witch legs help sell your house? You bet they  can!"
It's hard to see in the photo but there are some cute little witch legs sticking out from under the table.