Modern Miniature Chevron Dollhouse Headboard

I follow a lot of woodworking sites to get ideas for projects that I can make in miniature. A big trend I’ve been seeing lately are chevron and herringbone headboards since they’re relatively easy to make and mostly require a bunch of 45-degree angles. So I knew that I had to make one for my rustic, tiny home project since the style matches perfectly.

Side note: When researching designs, I saw a bunch of ones labeled both “chevron” and “herringbone,” but there is a difference. According to Ambience Hardwood Flooring: 

The key difference between the two styles of flooring is the following:

•  The ends of chevron planks are cut at a 45 degree angle.
• Herringbone planks are cut at a 90 degree angle.
• Chevron flooring creates a zigzag style pattern, coming to a point at the top of each zigzag.
• Herringbone flooring still has a zigzag pattern but you will find it is more of a staggered effect.

There you go. I learned something new today.

For my project, I wanted to make a chevron design because it reminds me of mountains, and I LOVE using my miter scissors.

First I measured some balsa wood to what would work for my bed that’s already built, which came out to about 6”W x 2.5”H.

I knew that I wanted to use alternating colors for the planks, but wasn’t sure how I wanted to lay them out, so I tried two different styles.

I decided to go with this pattern since it looked slightly less busy. All I did for the planks was cut the ends of popsicle sticks into 45degree angles. I stained one set and left the other natural to give it that color contrast.

After placing the planks, I trimmed the edges that were hanging off the base although I would recommend trimming as you go since it provided a smoother edge. I added a frame and a thin strip to go inside the frame to add more depth.

Here are some pictures of what the headboard will look like in my house:

This was one of those projects that came together really well, and I absolutely love the result! Good luck with your project, and please send me any pictures if you use this technique!