Barn wood barn door headboard

I  still remember the words from those around me when I went to gather up some barn wood lately from a local barn that was coming down. 

View how we scavenged the barn wood in this post HERE

“What will you do with the barn wood?”

“I have NO idea! But you can bet if it’s sitting in my way, I’ll think of something…”

And it’s true. Ya gotta stock it in order to create with it.

Because what came next was truly beautiful and unique!

Here’s what I made:

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Barn wood barn door headboard

 

How to prep barnwood

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Read how I gathered the barn wood story HERE.

After I got the wood home, the nails were first removed.


Next up, a good clean right away before storing makes it just that much more fun to use when the time comes.

Generally, the first thing I grab for cleaning reclaimed wood is the pressure washer.

But this paint was weird. If you touched it, it came right off. It was as if it was powder!

Knowing that, I gently hosed both sides off JUST to knock of any cobwebs or dirt.

Learn more about the best way to clean reclaimed wood HERE

Then the wood was leaned against the back of the house to air dry.

And then it rained. And rained. And rained again. Good grief.

I was about to bring it under my covered deck when the sun came out! Yes! But that’s when I noted how gorgeous the tones were while wet.

Right then, I KNEW what it had to become.

The old horse gate headboard was about to be retired. Cuz I was gonna build me a barn wood barn door headboard! With a fun twist… 

With just wood and no real barn door hardware. Intrigued? Here we go!

.Above left – untreated / above right – treated

How To Protect Chippy Paint On Wood

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1. Ensure wood is completely dry, then lightly sand.

2. Apply Fusion Mineral Paint’s Tough Coat with a brush following the wood grain.

3. Allow to dry, then lightly sand on a low speed.

(this is why I love a variable speed palm sander) – Amazon affiliate link
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Generally, I rarely protect reclaimed wood. But being that this was painted and was flaking off and located in a bedroom, I wanted to play it extra safe and coat the wood to cover any possible toxic leaks.

So I pulled out Fusion Mineral Paint’s Tough Coat.

Not being completely sure of how it would turn out, I tested a small area first. And goodness… I fell in LOVE!

Shop for Fusion Mineral Paint’s Tough Coat HERE and get 10% off!

The Tough Coat not only appeared to hydrate the wood, it coated the chipped paint with a level of a matte – satin finish protection that was perfection!

It was like working with an entirely different piece of wood. It drew out the warmth of the wood beautifully and naturally, not adding any added colour.

Bonus – Fusion Mineral Paint’s products don’t smell. They are environmentally friendly. This stuff had a nice faint candy like odour. And I can’t say that for any other stinky clear coat product I’ve used in the past!

Lightly sand

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Once the clear coat was dry (to the touch within minutes!) a light sanding was done to make the wood smooth to the touch.

I used my Bosch variable speed sander, turned down to about #2.

 

Creating Faux Barn Door Hardware

 

I didn’t have actual barn door hardware, so after gathering some rusty junk pieces, this is how I created faux hardware!

casters – 2

large hinges – 2

rusty junk things – 2

1. Enhance rust with a coat of hemp oil, applied with a small artist’s paint brush. Wipe off the surplus, and allow to air cure.

Next up was trying to figure out how to make faux barn door hanging hardware.

Looking at some pictures on the net for reference, I came up with 2 antique coasters, 2 metal… things, and 2 hinges.

Find Hemp Oil on Amazon HERE

Shop for Hemp Oil at Fusion Mineral Paint HERE and get 10% off!

First I used a coat of Hemp Oil to change the hardware from orange to a rich rust. Gorgeous!

Applying the hemp oil with a small artists’ paint brush worked out perfectly.

HERE is a previous good read on how to protect metal.

Installing the faux barn door

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1. Cut slats of wood the width of your bed, and install to your wall, attaching to wall studs if desired.

For added stability, the slats were installed closer together where I knew I would lean against them. Make sure you run one near the floor moulding as well.

2. Cut barn wood to desired length, then screw the boards into place, one at a time. Ensure you leave enough room for the added hardware to come on top.

The boards are sitting about 1″ off the floor so they can be swept under.

3. Run a strip of wood along the top of the barn door if desired, to trim it out evenly.

4. Mount the faux barn door hardware as shown below.

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Hanging the faux barn door hardware

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1. A 2×4 was coated out in black, to create the faux rail.

2. The two metal hook things were installed, then the 2×4 slipped in.

3. A caster was placed on top of the 2×4, then threaded through the hinge. Two screws hold the post intact.

4. The hinge was then screwed onto the barn door. 

How great is that cheat?! And this is why one needs to visit rusty junk bins to collect this stuff!

Rusty hardware was added to resemble the door being authentic.

For extra quirk, 2 handles were used, since the door was pretty big.

The reveal
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And a little bit of bed fluffing later, I had me a barn wood barn door headboard!

Isn’t that wood absolutely stunning?!

Find Bed & Breakfast stencil HERE

Bed & Breakfast pillow

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The pillow was a fun take for the bedroom! Bed & Breakfast was stenciled onto an Ikea pillow case, chiming in perfectly with the black, white and wood colour scheme.

Paint used: Fusion Mineral Paint’s Coal Black – website link

Learn how to stencil on a pillow HERE

Served Daily is from the LUNCH stencil HERE

Find Farmhouse stencil HERE

Remember the Farmhouse Reclaimed Wood Clock project? The sign landed above the window for a dash of farmhouse charm.

The ladder side table stayed, because it just worked!

And I may make a few changes here and there along the way, but for now…

I can’t wait to get deep into a farmhouse styled sleep tonight!

Don’t you agree?

How I made a matching Antique mirror HERE

Read the barn wood shopping story HERE.