A headboard with storage

Shopping list

headboard box unit – pine veneer chipboard (for double-bed size):

• two 2 500 x 950mm pieces, edged all round (front and back panels)
• two 2 500 x 300mm pieces, edged along width (top and bottom panels)
• two 300 x 80mm pieces, edged along length (plinths)
• one 918 x 300mm piece (centre support)

floating shelves – pine:

• four 450 x 220mm pieces

storage drawers – pine veneer chipboard:

• four 800 x 258mm pieces, edged all round (drawer uprights)
• four 568 x 258mm pieces, edged along length (drawer bottoms and shelves)
• two 800 x 600mm pieces, edged all round (drawer backs)
• two 870 x 330mm pieces, edged all round (drawer fronts)

• 75mm chipboard screws
• 40mm chipboard screws
• 32mm chipboard screws
• 16mm chipboard screws
• 600mm drawer runners (two sets)
• wood glue
• two handles

Equipment

• tape measure
• pencil
• electric drill and 3mm drill bit
• cordless screwdriver
• steel ruler
• orbital sander

Tip: For queen- and kingsize headboards allow the lengths of the front and back, top and bottom panels to remain 2 750mm (standard panel size) and adjust the positioning of floating shelves on either side accordingly.

Get started

1 Headboard box unit: Mark the positions of floating shelves on either side of the front panel. The shelf positions can be at your discretion. We placed ours as follows: Measure 50mm from the edges and 100mm from the bottom for the bottom shelf. Measure 50mm from the edges and 400mm from the bottom for the top shelf.

2 Place the shelves in position and mark the outlines, using a pencil, to indicate where they should be fixed.

3 Drill four pilot holes for each shelf position through the front panel.

4 Spread wood glue along the edge of each shelf and fix each one in place (from the back) using 75mm chipboard screws.

5 Attach the top and bottom panels to the back panel using glue and 40mm chipboard screws.

6 Place the centre support in place in the middle of the construction. Glue and screw it into place using 40mm chipboard screws.

7 Turn the back panel with the top, bottom and support pieces on its back and place the front panel with the floating shelves in position on top of it. Fix it in place using glue and 40mm chipboard screws.

8 Fix the plinths in place on either side, as shown.

9 Storage drawers: To make one drawer, screw two 800 x 258mm drawer uprights to the bottoms and shelves (the 568 x 258mm pieces of pine veneer chipboard) using 40mm chipboard screws. Screw a drawer back (a 800 x 600mm piece of pine veneer chipboard) onto the drawer construction using 40mm chipboard screws. Use the same method to make the other drawer.

10 Fix the drawer runners to the bottom of each drawer using 16mm chipboard screws.

11 Use the steel ruler and the pencil to draw horizontal lines from the plinths on either side. Fix the drawer runners in position on this line, as shown, using 16mm chipboard screws. Slide the drawers in position onto these runners.

12 Fix the drawer fronts to the drawers as follows: Drill two holes where your handles will be placed on the drawer fronts (the two 870 x 330mm pieces of pine veneer chipboard). Hold the fronts in position and screw them onto the drawer uprights (from the front) using 40mm chipboard screws. Fix the drawer fronts firmly to the drawer uprights (from the back) using 32mm chipboard screws. Unscrew the 40mm chipboard screws on the front side and use the same holes to fix the handles in place. Fill all the screw holes with wood filler, sand the entire unit to a smooth finish and finish off the project by using wood stain and varnish (as we did) or use a wood primer and paint.