Size: 4 5/8” Wide x 6 ¼“ L x 6 ¼“ H

What you'll need:

Wood: 1/8 “ balsa sheet, 1/8 “ dowel, ¼“ sq balsa strip, 4 artists wooden brush handles (each 4” – 5” long and ¼” at widest circumference).

Basic Tools and supplies plus needle-nose pliers, 4 prongs (for holding rhinestones—optional), gold paint, 24 half inch straight pins, heavy thread or string, 4 round beads, 4 oval beads.

Suggested Finish: Maple satin or wood tone paint

Piece A

• Cut 1 piece from 1/8” balsa sheet w horizontal grain.

 

 

 

 

Piece B

• Cut two 1/2” x 5 3/4” pieces from 1/8” balsa sheet.

 

 

Piece C

• Cut One 1/2” x 4 1/8” piece from 1/8” thick balsa sheet.

 

 

 

Piece D

• Cut 2 pieces from 1/8” Balsa wood sheet.

 

 

Piece E

• Cut five 4 1/4 inch pieces from 1/8" balsa dowel.

 

 

Piece F

• Cut four 2 inch pieces from 1/4” square Balsa Strip.

Piece G

• Cut 3 1/8” from four artists brushes.

 

Printable Version

 

Directions:

Cutting Wood:

1. Saw wood on lengthwise grain.
2. Try to buy cheap, short artist’s brushes with unpainted handles. Remove metal from handles with nose pliers and discard brush.
3. Measure 3 1/8” from thicker, bottom ends of handles and saw.

Sanding and Staining:

1. Sand wood.
2. Turn top and bottom corners of each post. (F)
3. Sand away words from unpainted brush handles, if any. If handles are painted, you will spray them later with wood-tone paint; don’t try to remove the paint.
   Stain wood

Assembly:

1. Reinforce thicker ends of posts (G) with straight pins, and glue to posts (F)
2. Glue headboard (A) between two post assemblies from step 1 with bottom edge of (A) 1 3/8” from floor.
3. Center and glue foot rail (C) between other two post assemblies from step 1 with bottom edge of (C) 1 3/8” from floor.
4. For rope pegs, paint half-inch straight pins with wood tone paint. Insert 12 pins ½” apart into top edge of each side rail (B).
5. Center and glue foot rail (C) to posts (F) of assembly from step 2 with bottom edges of (B) 1 3/8” from floor. Dry in perpendicular position, propping if necessary. Repeat procedure for rails (B) and posts (F) of assembly from step 3.
6. Glue dowels (E) between tester sides (D) where indicated by circles in diagram 1.
7. Glue tester assembly from step 6 to top ends of posts (G).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finishing:

1. Tie one end of heavy thread to a rope peg and lace rails (B), lacing loosely so you don’t bend rails.
2. If bed has been stained, shellac; the bed is fragile, so one coat is sufficient. Use steel wool to smooth headboard only. Varnish.
3. If you are not going to stain the bed, paint with wood tone paint.
   For optional bed bolt covers, paint prongs gold and press two into each post (F) at foot of bed, where indicated by circles.
4. Make four bedpost finials with round and oval beads and paint with wood tone paint. After fabric canopy is attached, insert finials with straight pins through the ends of testers (D) to tops of posts (G).