DIY Pvc Pipe Bedhead

Would you have guessed this bedhead isn't made from real wood? Last month I challenged myself to execute a DIY project using mostly materials I had at home, and it turned out to be one of my favourite projects to date! I started with a black IKEA MALM bedhead - that frankly was an eye sore amongst all of the white in our home - then started to brainstorm how I could up-cycle this. I was inspired by our coffee table DIY project and wanted to create a similar fluted look on a budget.

We had a substantial amount of leftover PVC pipe from installing our garden reticulation, and I have frequently walked by it over the last year wondering if we'd ever get a chance to use it. Cue probably my most outrageous idea yet, I decided to try and mimic the fluted timber look using PVC pipe and wood-look heavy duty vinyl I had leftover from another project.

Materials Used:

• IKEA Malm bedhead (old stock)

• White primed MDF lengths

• PVC pipe

• Kmart Self Adhesive Film - Oak Look

• Pine Lengths

• Sandpaper 60 grit

• Sandpaper 120 grit

• Wood putty

• Liquid nails

• Wood screws

• Nail gun

• Mitre saw

• Drill

Method:

1. Measure and cut MDF lengths using the mitre saw to create a border around the bedhead

2. Attach these cut lengths to the outside of the bedhead using liquid nails and a nail gun

3. Use wood putty to fill in holes from the nails

4. Measure the height (inside) of the MDF border and cut the PVC pipes to length using a mitre saw Tip: you want these to slip inside the frame like a glove, not too loose or tight

5. Gather all cut pipe pieces and place these inside the border in formation to ensure you have enough and they have been cut to the correct size

6. Sand the outside of the border using 120 grit sandpaper

7. Sand the face of the bedhead inside the border and rough the surface using 60 grit sandpaper

8. Remove excess dust from bedhead and framed border using a brush or cloth

9. Measure and cut the vinyl to size for the border, stick this to the frame Tip: use a hairdryer, this helps soften the vinyl and makes it easier to wrap around edges and corners

10. Measure and cut the vinyl to size for the PVC pipes, stick this to the lengths Tip: you only need to wrap this halfway around the pipe as you won't see the bottom once it's stuck down

11. Roughen the underside of each pipe using 60 grit sandpaper, this will help adhere it to the base

12. Install the vinyl-wrapped PVC pipes to the inside of the frame using liquid nails

13. Allow this to dry overnight, place something heavy on top of any lifting pipes if required

14. Measure and cut pine lengths to size for bedhead legs. This will depend on how tall you want it to sit against your wall (this could alternatively be mounted to the wall using brackets)

15. Use wood screws and a drill to attach the pine legs to the back of your bedhead
    

I am so pleased with how this turned out! It undoubtedly required a lot of patience to complete, but for $23 out of pocket I'm not complaining! Check out my Tiktok account for the full tutorial video.

With love,

AJ x

*All images used in this post are the property of AJ from @aj.athome, who owns all of the rights to these images. Do not use, modify or distribute these images without written consent*