Cut a piece of plywood to desired size (ours fits a queen bed). Gently clean the boards with a damp cloth, but don’t scrub or sand away the weathered character. Cut boards as needed, and nail them to cover the plywood. For the whitewash finish, we diluted 1/3 cup white paint with 1/2 cup water and brushed on the mixture. When dry, we taped off boards and created color blocks using a blue spruce hue. The soothing shade works perfectly in a bedroom, and the color blocks add a modern touch to the piece. Screw the headboard into studs in your wall, or hang it with wood cleats. Starting with the lightest tone, bunch up and dip about 30 inches of one short end of the duvet cover into the bucket about ten times. (Dipping repeatedly, rather than soaking, results in a less crisp, more organic look.) While the fabric is still wet, dip 20 inches of it about five times into the mid-tone dye. Then dip 10 inches about three times into the darkest shade. Lay the cover flat on a protected surface to dry, then repeat the process with the other end of the cover. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to set the dye.
