This slat accent wall + headboard is super affordable and an easy DIY project done in just a few hours.

Instructions:

1. Find the studs you’re going to attach the eight-foot vertical boards to. The studs were four feet apart which means there will be a foot of the horizontal board hangover on each side. Our bedroom ceilings are nine feet tall so I had to cut two, one-foot pieces from the third board. Use wood screws to attach the vertical boards that go from floor to ceiling.
2. Start at the ceiling with the five-inch header board. Attach the header board with the brad nail gun. Make sure to measure a foot of hang-off on each side of the vertical board. All your other boards will line up with this one.
3. Use a 1.5” board on it’s side as the spacer board between each horizontal board. There is .75” of space in between each board – it’s aesthetically pleasing and easy to do by using a board you already have. I used a ruler to line up the ends of the horizontal boards.
4. The pattern I followed was: small - small - big - small – big. Once you get going and in a groove, it goes really quick. Before you start, line up your boards in the pattern you choose. Also be sure to look over each board and make sure the best side of the board is the one showing when you install it. Avoid buying bowed boards.
5. Once I got to the bottom, I decided to use a three-inch board because it covered the end of my vertical boards best and it worked as a cap to finish the accent wall. It overlaps my baseboard a bit, but I like the finished look it creates.
6. If you don’t want the brad nail marks to show, you can use wood filler. I personally like the look of the nail marks. You can also run a bead of white caulk to finish the connection between the header board and ceiling. I decided not to, but it is an option.

Tools:

3 – 1.5” x 8’ pine boards (these are the vertical boards)

1 – 5” x 6’ pine board (this is the header board at the ceiling)

1- 3” x 6’ pine board (this is the bottom board that overlaps the baseboard)

22 – 1.5” x 6’ pine boards (referenced as small boards)

15 – 2.5” x 6’ pine boards (referenced as big boards)

brad nail gun and 2” nails

electric screw driver/drill and wood screws

stud finder

level

ladder