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How to make a kids’ cork bedhead

By Bunnings magazine /

Kids bedroom with colourful bedhead, cube storage and lots of toys.

Overview

This headboard is a great way to add some creativity into a children’s bedroom. Get the kids involved in the design process, and play around with the colour scheme for your own personalised look. Use round cork mats to make this pattern for a single bedhead. Add another, longer row along the base to make it for a wider bed.

Style tip: Create a cool artwork to match the bedhead by painting larger 300mm-wide cork mats and applying them with the same method.

Steps

1Paint the cork mats

Working on a drop cloth, apply two coats of paint to the cork mats with a paintbrush, leaving to dry thoroughly after each coat.
Green Bunnings hammer
Note: We used five different colours to paint the cork mats, and left five mats raw.
A pair of hands painting a cork mat on a drop sheet

2Plan out your pattern

Set out the pattern on the floor, decreasing the number of mats for each row and mixing up the colours.
Green Bunnings hammer
Tip: To create our design for a single bed, start with seven mats, then six, working up to one.
Painted cork circle mats in a pyramid formation

3Attach each mat to the wall

To transfer the design onto the wall behind the bed, work upwards from the base row, applying an adhesive strip to the back of each mat, to one side. Position the mats on the wall with strips along the bottom, using a ruler to check the row is straight, pressing them flat.
A person applies adhesive to a cork mat to add to a wall design

4Level and repeat

Repeat applying the strips and positioning the next rows, tucking the mats behind each row below. When the design is complete, add strips behind the top of each mat, pressing them flat.
A person checks levelling on circular wall design

5More D.I.Y. inspiration

If you’re looking for a DIY headboard for the master bedroom, our woven jute bedhead project is a great option!

 

Photo Credit: Sue Stubbs and Samantha Torrisi.

Health & Safety

Asbestos, lead-based paints and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber are health hazards you need to look out for when renovating older homes. These substances can easily be disturbed when renovating and exposure to them can cause a range of life-threatening diseases and conditions including cancer. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer or visit our Health & Safety page.

When following our advice in our D.I.Y. videos, make sure you use all equipment, including PPE, safely by following the manufacturer’s instructions. Check that the equipment is suitable for the task and that PPE fits properly. If you are unsure, hire an expert to do the job or talk to a Bunnings Team Member.