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Cheap and Easy $10 DIY Board and Batten Wall Tutorial

Bathroom· Dining Room· Kid Rooms· Living Room· Master Bedroom· Nursery

28 Mar
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A STEP BY STEP GUIDE ON ADDING BOARD AND BATTEN TO YOUR HOME FOR CHEAP. AND I MEAN, CHEAP.

CHeap and easy board and batten

One thing that I’m not a huge fan of is a blank wall. I’ve come to really enjoy a textured wall. Whether it’s shiplap, board and batten, wallpaper, build-ins. I’m a fan. I also like a very subtle, neutral color scheme, so there’s definitely a balance for me that I’m maybe even still figuring out.

Since we don’t have a headboard for our bed at the moment, the wall behind it felt so blah. I had a dream of making it some sort of focal wall, but honestly I put it off because I thought it was going to be a big deal. Let me tell you. I was wrong. It barely took me any time at all.

Painting it took longer than the actual board and batten did. And not to mention there’s just something really invigorating about using a nail gun. Especially when you hit the stud every time (…thanks to the stud finder). Gotta love that.

I’m going to walk you through this process, step by step, and show you how you can make this happen in your own house. Say goodbye to boring, blank walls.

Supplies:

  • 1/4″ MDF (2’x4′ board) cut into 2″ x 4′ wide strips
  • table saw
  • brad nailer
  • compressor
  • tape measure
  • level (optional)
  • pencil
  • paint
  • spackle
  • sand paper
  • paint brush
  • small paint roller

Find the studs

First, you’ll need to use the stud finder and level to find the studs and mark them. This makes it so much easier once you start nailing the mdf to the wall.

Once the studs are mapped out, you’ll know how many battens you’ll need.

(Optional)

One way to do this is to paint the wall and mdf before you install the battens. This can make the painting process easier. I painted it all once it was installed, but it probably would have made it easier to paint everything before I put it up.

Cut the MDF

Next, now that you know how many battens you need, you can cut the battens. I cut mine to 2″ wide (I left them 4′ tall). You can really cut them to whatever width you want. I wouldn’t go any skinnier than 2″, but wider battens would definitely look good too.

Install the battens

So now you have the studs marked on the wall, the MDF battens cut, painted (if you chose to do that ahead of time). It’s time to attach them to the wall – YAY. Go ahead and set up your nail gun and compressor.

Take 2 battens (one vertical and one horizontal). Line the vertical batten up with the first stud and put the horizontal batten above it, like a “T”. Use the nail gun to attach them both to the wall. You can use a level, at this point, to make sure the horizontal piece is level (preferably before you nail it in). Continue this process until you reach the end of the wall. It should look like the picture below, when finished.

Cheap and Easy Board and Batten

Fill the holes

This part is pretty simple, but in order for this project to look finished, you need to fill the nail holes and sand them until they are even. It doesn’t take long, but it’s worth it.

Paint (if you haven’t already)

Time to paint! I chose Benjamin Moore “White Dove”, but you can choose whatever you’d like. A dark gray would look really pretty. Even a slate blue. Even though I chose white, I’d love to try one of those someday. You know, along with all of my other project. We shall see.

Cheap and Easy Board and Batten

Add trim

I haven’t gotten to this step yet, but I’d like to someday. It’s definitely optional, but it just adds a little more character and interest. Another option is to take a 1×2 board and attach it to the top of the vertical batten, like a little shelf.

CHeap and easy board and batten

This is a relatively quick and easy project that adds so much to any space.

Cheap and Easy Board and Batten Wall

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3 Comments

About Alleigh

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Comments

  1. Angela Jackson says

    March 31, 2019 at 4:06 am

    Looks great! It looks pretty simple too!

    Reply
    • Alleigh says

      May 18, 2019 at 8:52 pm

      It was honestly so simple. Thanks, Angela!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Green Board and Batten Accent Wall – Hand Gathered Home says:
    July 7, 2020 at 6:55 am

    […] In case you’re newer here… We did this board and batten focal wall maybe a year ago? It was super simple and only like $10 total. You can find that tutorial here. […]

    Reply

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So glad you’re here!

Hi! I’m Alleigh. I’m a mom to my two sweet little boys, and wife to a very supportive husband. I’m so glad you’re here! Join me and my little family as we get our hands dirty and add life & personality to our home to create a place that we love.

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