Thrift store plank bed (plus a giveaway from HomeRight)

This month, HomeRight® challenged its brand ambassadors (that’s me) to do a makeover on a $20 thrift store find, showing how it’s possible to create beautiful decor on a shoestring budget. So right up my alley, right? 😉 I had the absolute perfect project to tackle for this challenge.

I’m currently smack dab in the middle of our “big-boy room” transformation and one of the most important furniture pieces I needed to find for the space was an inexpensive bed.

Bed-before

I scored this wooden headboard for $20 and the set of bed rails for $30 at my local thrift store, with the vision of transforming it into a modern-looking piece with stained wood planks.

See what I turned it into in the brief video below (or scroll through to read the project steps).

I started the project by removing the trim from the center of the headboard.

2-removing-trim

Next I coated the headboard with paint stripper, scraped off the finish as much as possible, then used a sander, sandpaper and steel wool to remove the remainder of the old varnish.

3-finish-stripper

4-sanding-off-finishThe headboard was then ready for new stain. I used my handy HomeRight Finish Max and HomeRight Spray Shelter to apply a coat of stain to the entire headboard. (Stick around for an awesome giveaway at the end of this post!) 

HomeRight-Spray-Shelter

I chose Varathane® stain (Kona color) for its one-coat coverage and soap-and-water cleanup.

HomeRight-FinishMax

While the stain dried, I went to work on the wooden planks for the center of the headboard. I chose lattice trim boards, cutting them out on my miter saw, then arranging them randomly in the headboard.

6-Miter-saw

The pattern I used is very similar to what I used when installing our hardwood flooring.

7-cutting-bed-planks

After I cut and arranged all the boards, I took them out, laid them on a dropcloth and applied stain to each piece, creating a random patchwork pattern using just about every stain color I have in my basement.

8-stained-pieces

When the pieces dried, I permanently adhered them to the headboard using Liquid Nails.

9-Liquid-Nails

Then I applied a coat of matte polyurethane to seal the planks and fill in any cracks.

10-Varathane-Matte-Poly

Finally, I attached the “new” headboard to the rails.

Plank-bed-closeup-2

Done! We’ve now got a brand new, big-boy bed.

Plank-bed-closeup

Finished-plank-bed Finished-plank-bed-2What do you think of my thrift store transformation?

Plank-bed-for-Pinterest-2

Are you feeling inspired to tackle your own transformation project? You need the HomeRight Finish Max and Spray Shelter to help you get the job done quickly and beautifully. HomeRight is giving away a Finish Max and Spray Shelter to one of you luckies! Enter below to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Affiliate links provided in this post for your convenience. 

Disclaimer: I’m thrilled to be a brand ambassador for HomeRight and, as always, all thoughts, opinions and projects are my own. 

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68 Responses

  1. Laurie says:

    Wow what an amazing headboard transformation!!!! I would have so many projects for a HomeRight sprayer but first on the list is my kitchen cabinets! Thanks for the chance.

  2. Laurie says:

    That is gorgeous!

  3. Jane says:

    Love the headboard. I would use the sprayer for lots of projects including furniture!

  4. Nancy Carr says:

    I have walls that need to be painted. I love your products.

  5. Patty Lucas says:

    I love reading about all the things you can do with this HomeRight sprayer shelter. I make a mess when I spray and this would help. Thanks for doing this.

  6. Sue Gamble says:

    I would love to own this great looking and working sprayer……….I live in Canada but , I still can dream of doing so much more for my home without asking for outside help..

  7. Margot C says:

    My Kitchen table has these angled, carved legs with sort of buttress type things that are pretty cool looking. It’s old, for the 1930s. I want to remove the legs and leave the top in the wood finish and paint the legs red. Hard with the lacy parts, but doable with a sprayer. I would get one of those neat spray tent things too.

  8. Kathie Craig says:

    I would love to use the HomeRight FinishMax to tackle my headboard and a dresser.

  9. Sally says:

    Wow another great job! I bet your son loves it, huh? I really, really need this give away. I have so many projects to paint right now. I have a whole set of bedroom furniture in my guest bedroom, I have a huge secretary that needs painted and some chairs as well. I could go on…..

    Thanks for the chance to participate.

  10. MARTHAIA says:

    I would use this for a dresser that needs some color added to it…. TY

  11. Anne says:

    Love the bed. Am in the process of refinishing a cart for a great grandchild and would love the Home Right sprayer.

  12. Joan Kubes says:

    I would repaint an old dresser.

  13. Carol Wood says:

    I love this headboard. What a beautiful, creative idea perfectly executed!

  14. I would start with dining room table, and go from there

  15. Yolanda@DelightsOfTheHeart says:

    Wow! I love, love how it turned out. And so appropriate for a big boy!

    Once again, you outdid yourself!

    Thank you so much for sharing and inspiring me!

    Blessings,

    Yolanda

  16. Kim R says:

    My daughter’s bed needs a redo and she wants a dark stain. This would be very useful to remove the old stain.

  17. Laurie says:

    I want to paint my dining room table and chairs, some bookshelves and a couple of dressers!

  18. mary ballerin says:

    Bookcases and kitchen cabinets for a start.

  19. Ann says:

    I love that headboard! I would like to copy that idea to use in the back of a nook I am putting shelves in.

  20. Tonya says:

    We are building a garage apartment and to save money, my husband and I are finishing the interior ourselves as well as painting inside and outside. Both the HomeRight Finish Max and Spray Shelter would make our job soooo much easier!!!

  21. Carol S. says:

    I am getting ready to build my dining room table. I desperately need it. I don’t want drips caused from brushes.

  22. Beverly says:

    I would love to have this! I am renovating an old historic building in New Orleans to open a BnB. I try to use as much salvaged materials as I can find which usually means some staining & painting!

  23. Jessica says:

    I would use this to tackle our kitchen cabinets.

  24. Jennifer H. says:

    I would love to refinish my table.

  25. Karen says:

    OMG that is so beautiful, you did a wonderful job on the headboard. Give yourself a big pat on the back!

  26. Jane McKissick says:

    Very pretty headboard. Love this idea! I would love a sprayer. I paint a lot of furniture and would love using a sprayer for some of my jobs.

  27. Rhonda Schlenker says:

    Love! the headboard. Beautiful Job. I want to transform my mother’s old blonde wood cedar chest. Hoping the HomeRight sprayer will make it look great

  28. This turned out so cute! Such a great imagination you have that you were able to turn something so boring into something amazing!

  29. Brandi Bryant says:

    I would use it redo my Grandpa’s old bed and dresser. Thanks for the giveaway.

  30. Cindy G says:

    I would spray my dining table!

  31. Kimberly says:

    That bed looks AMAZING. I want to copy you and do the same thing to a king sized head board in my room now. 🙂 If I won, the first project I would do is to refinish some vintage wooden doll furniture for my daughter.

  32. Sean says:

    I’d first tackle the basement. We just finished it and the walls need some paint.

  33. Alina says:

    I’m dying to paint my kitchen cabinets.

  34. Colleen B says:

    Love the headboard and all the patchwork colors, GREAT Idea. I have so many things to paint that a Homeright sprayer would come in so handy.

  35. Doreen says:

    Love your son’s new bed head board. I have a few large furniture pieces waiting for me to start and the homeright products would be so helpful.

  36. Susanne says:

    Amazing!

  37. Cheryl V says:

    Wow! The headboard turned out amazing.

    I would use it to paint my kitchen cabinets!

  38. Laura ari says:

    I would redo the dining room table.

  39. Em Mahr says:

    I have some wooden chairs that I’d love to refinish and paint white

  40. cassie says:

    we really need to repaint our garage interior

  41. Tina W says:

    I have a few bookcases that are straight outta the 80s: bleached oak finish, smoked glass doors …. if they weren’t so ugly I’d be tempted to call them ‘vintage’. I would love to bring them into this century with some paint.

  42. FIrst off, I LOVE the headboard! I may have to try that 🙂 I would use the spray gun to paint my holiday DIY projects. Thanks!

  43. gloria says:

    Gorgeous headboard! And you make it look so simple!! I could totally use the Homeright products to refinish a table/chairs set that I have in the storage.

  44. Kelly D says:

    I would like to re-stain my end table.

  45. teresa says:

    I have some outside projects this would be awesome for. The bed is awesome and so “big boy!”

  46. Vic says:

    Gosh, I have so many projects that need to be painted. The sprayer looks amazing.

  47. Michelle says:

    I would use this on outdoor furniture, dining room chairs, a dresser and so much more. I might even attempt my kitchen cabinets that need some serious love.

  48. Brittany Koelmel says:

    My beautiful table recently got stained. I would use this to re finish it!

  49. Sarah says:

    I have a table i desperately meed to redo! And next, the walls!

  50. Esther says:

    I’d love to try one of these sprayers! I have a bunch of bead board that needs to be painted so I can finish my bathroom reno.

  51. Jennie says:

    Not what I’d expected, but quite nice!

  52. Cindy says:

    That is just cute! I had been planning on getting the Home Right sprayer, and then my husband lost his job. As soon as he goes back to work, though, it’s mine. This Nana is getting ready to refinish baby furniture.

  53. shawna says:

    Love the idea of the headboard interesting to look at but not too funky that or would be quickly outdatex.

  54. Mary says:

    Your headboard is so cute! i love how you mixed the different stained pieces. I would never have though of that. I bet you son loves his new big boy bed!

  55. Beverly M says:

    Wow! What a great idea. Looks amazing. I’ve have so many ideas for painting a vintage secretary desk and tons of other furniture. I wasn’t sure what to do until I discovered Home Right products!

  56. Cindy Bechinski says:

    Love the headboard and I thought your name craft was actually metal! Looks great. Now I have a desk I need to tackle!

  57. theresa j says:

    I have about 20 chairs that need to be painted

  58. I have a dining room hutch in serious need of a makeover – I’d paint that in a heartbeat!

  59. amy tolley says:

    i have an entertainment stand that i would love to redo…

  60. Rachel C. says:

    What a fantastic transformation. I have never thought to use my sprayer with stain. Will have to try that! I’m sure it saves a lot of time. So many projects, so little time.

  61. Maria says:

    Wow! It looks amazing. I need one of those sprayers in my life.

  62. Glo. says:

    A work of love! In my home, I would start by spray painting all our louver closet doors.

  63. Chuck young says:

    I like the bed after. Have some shutters I’m making that will need to be painted soon this would be great for thst.

  64. Sara Mayo says:

    I would use it to paint a table and chair I’ve been putting off! I would just start painting everything!

  1. September 28, 2015

    […] the thrift store headboard has been transformed into a plank bed! Be sure to check out the details of that project […]

  2. October 9, 2015

    […] The thrift store headboard I bought has been transformed into a plank bed. (Be sure to check out the details of that project here.) […]

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