We took our fence panels home and within a couple of hours; they were on my bed and looking beautiful. First off, the panel was the exact width for a king size bed and the correct height for my headboard preference. You may want to change that for your particular needs. To do that, simply figure out how much you need to take off and split that in half. You want to cut half off each end, so it will look balanced when you are finished. Next, decide if the height is satisfactory. If you would like it to be shorter, simply cut that amount off the bottom.
The next step is to take a piece of coarse sandpaper and just take the roughest part off. I left mine (fairly) rough, because I liked that look. Then I washed mine in hunter green. All that is necessary to do that is to mix 1 part latex paint to about 10 parts water. Paint it on, an wait for it to dry. If the paint appears too thick, wipe over it while it is wet, for that "washed" look. By using the wash, the grain shows through, for an interesting look. You could also stain or paint, whatever your choice.
Now, do all the same steps for the footboard, with the exception of the height. Naturally, the footboard needs to be shorter. To give you a ball park figure, I cut mine 30 inches high. Of course, you can certainly use your own discretion.
They are dry now, and it is time to mount them to your bed. The headboard (if you are mounting to a Hollywood frame) is very simple. Just line the headboard up against the frame, mark two holes on each side, using the built in brackets on the frame. Move it drill them out, put it back and secure them with two nuts and bolts on each side. The footboard is a little more complicated, yet simple enough. You will need two pieces of board about 12 inches long (preferrably 2x2). Mark 4 inches from one end on each board. Now, attach the boards to the wood frame part of the box springs on the sides, leaving the 4 inches you marked sticking out past the end of the bed. Now, put the footboard against the boards and secure them with screws to the ends of the boards. The 4 inches leaves room for your spread to hang freely. This also gives you room to make the bed. You do not have to worry; either the dust ruffle or the spread will cover the boards. Your new bed is finished!
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