Headboards and keeping belongings out from under the bed

After making one full size headboard, I realized that I had more 1/4 inch plywood enough to make my grandson a queen size headboard.

I used a similar design as the girls only put three strips down the center without the beveled piece along the top. Otherwise, I notched out the 2 X 4's like before. I used wood putty to fill holes and gaps. It sanded down nicely. You want to be picky about what wood you pick. It can be filled but not straightened very easily. Lowe's and Home Depot can show you how to test for straightness.

It was screwed together the same way with wood screws and Elmer's wood glue. Staining and varnishing was actually easier than painting, varnishing, and glazing.

Now the challenge was to keep belongings from finding a home under the bed. I used 2 X 6's on all three sides. The girls got white guards while my grandson got stained wood to match his headboard. The queen beds were 6 inches high, but the twin and full beds were only 3-4 inches off the floor. All children agreed that 6 inches was ideal so the smaller beds are actually held up higher on the 2 X 6's.

In order to screw the 2 X 6's to the headboard, I had to put a spacer in to fill the gap. I wanted a toe kick space so I set the pieces inside the wheel on the metal frame rather than on the outside where it could stub any bare toes that came too close.

After screwing it all together with 3 inch wood screws, it was very sturdy. It even passed my son-in-law's "jumping on the bed test". The 2 X 6's aren't going anywhere fast. In order to move the bed, they will have to take off the mattress and box springs. From there, the bed can be moved relatively easily.