The headboard should be one of your first considerations when designing a bed, as it is often the focal point. There are different styles to consider when designing the headboard, depending on your personal preferance, and the overall look you are trying to achieve.
Post beds have a large variety of headboard designs that can be incorporated. Often round pieces are used to create different designs, either straight, vertical and horizontal designs. Irregular shaped pieces can also add to a unique look.
The headboard can also be created by using planks which are inserted into the headboard by using joinery to insert them into the round post and other round stock of the log bed. these planks can then be sanded to a smooth finish, textured with a chiesel or carved.
These planks, if they do not take up the entire headboard, should be centered in the headboard to give balance to the overall bed. If a carving is to be placed in the plank than it to should be centered to maintain balance.
Whenever placing a plank into a headboard it slould be created using quarter sawed, kelm dried wood to prevent it from shifting in the completed which will result in cracks. You can find more information on preparing and drying wood in my articales Prepareing Wood and Drying wood in the articale section of this site.
If you descide on a carving in the plank, than you must first descide on what the carving will be, it may be choisen to fit the theme of a room or it may be a personal choise. It can be created from a picture you like or simply drawn from your own emagation.
Wonce you have descided on the carving than a selection of the type of wood the type of wood to be used in the carving is very important. If there is a great deal of detail required I would suggest using a hardwood, if not than a softwood is beter since it will be easier to carve and cheaper if you have to pay someonelse to do the the carving.
Pencil in the carving design before attemting the carving, this will insure tjhat the carving is centered in the headboard and balanced in the design. It is very inportant to pencil in the carving to insure you are satisfied with the overal look of the bed.
If your artistic skills in sketching or carving are week it is best to bring this work to a professional. A bad carving or even a bad sketch before you began will cause a poor result in the final look of your bed.
After completing the carving in the plank the headboard can then be constructed. The entire bed should be constructed at the same time after a trail run is made, without gluing, to insure everything is fitting properly.
If you are satisfied with the final outcome, the completed bed should be stained at this point to ensure that the finish of the bed is in uniform. I would suggest staining the carving with a clear coat even if the bed itself is stained a different color.
I would like to invite you to look through my site to see several examples of unique beds as well as other rustic creations.

www.unique-rustic-creations.com