Bring the outdoors in by personalizing a child's room with picket-fence wainscoting. Figure A Figure B Figure C Figure D Figure E Figure F Figure G

For a look as fresh as the outdoors, personalize a child's room with picket-fence wainscoting. Build sections of picket fencing, add posts, and attach to the wall. Complete the look with a picket-fence headboard. Beverly DeJulio of HGTV's HomeWise explains how.

Use fenceposts to break up sections of fencing. The pickets rest on the wall molding, and the posts extend all the way to the floor. A straight-cut section, removed from one side of the post at the bottom, allows it to fit over the molding (figure A).

Cut pickets to the desired size. Beverly cut two 3' pickets from each 6' board, with the picket points in the middle. After finding the exact center of each board, she used a speed square to draw intersecting lines at the midpoint to form the picket points.

When all pickets are cut to length, place a straightedge or board across your work surface, and align the pickets with the flat end down. Place spacers between each picket at the top and bottom, and lay out as many pickets as needed to create the desired width of fencing (figure B).

Cut two backer boards to length, squeeze a dollop of wood glue on each picket, and position the backer boards over the pickets (figure C). Drive finishing nails through the backer boards at an angle to act as clamps while the glue dries. Build each section of fencing the same way, and finish with paint or stain.

Before attaching the fencing to the wall, use a level to make sure the molding is even. If not, use the level to draw a straight line at the top of the pickets.

Find the wall studs, and mark the wall slightly above the top of the fencing. Position the posts (figure D), and temporarily tack the fencing to the wall with nails. Drill pilot holes in the posts and in each picket that aligns with a stud, and screw them into place, recessing the screw heads. Fill the screw holes with spackling compound (or wood putty for a natural finish), and when dry, sand smooth and touch up with paint.

Picket-Fence Headboard

The headboard is made with a section of fencing fashioned to look like a garden gate, with pickets of graduated sizes and a crossbar. Fenceposts form the sides of the headboard.

To begin, measure the width of the bed, and add about 6" to accommodate the thickness of the bedding. Cut pickets of graduated lengths, and arrange them with the tallest in the middle and the shortest at the outer edges. Use spacers and attach backer boards as described above. For safety reasons, it's important to space the pickets no more than 4" apart (Bev's are 2 1/2" apart). After assembling the section of fencing, measure the cross brace (figure E), cut it, and attach with finishing nails and glue.

Place the gate on top of the two end posts (figure F), and drill mounting holes at the top and bottom of the fencing. Attach the gate to the posts with wood screws. Add mounting blocks if necessary, and attach the headboard to the bed frame (figure G).