Home Decor and DIY: How to Build a Wooden Bed Frame

How to Build a Wooden Bed Frame

Do you have a rickety metal bed frame? Or maybe you keep your mattress on the floor with no frame at all. Have you considered getting a wooden bed frame? It can add a wonderful appeal to your room, and it will get rid of those annoying squeaky metal parts. But keep in mind, they aren't cheap. Here's a simple plan to build your own wooden bed frame that can be modified to any size (or height!) you want.

1 Purchase all the gear you need. See the "Things You'll Need" list below for specific details. The goal is to build a frame that will fit a queen-size mattress (60" wide x 80" long). Beyond that, you'll need to visit your local home improvement warehouse to acquire three basic things:
- Bed rail hangers
- Wood
- Wood screws
2 Mount the bed rail hangers. This hardware is essential in forming a rigid connection between all the bed rails in the frame. Secure the bed rail hangers to the end of the side-rail and head post. Double check that each placement is consistent. Repeat the process for all corners.
- These hangers can sometimes be hard to find in hardware stores. If so, check online retailers.
- Bed rail hangers are usually sold 4 sets to a package.
- In the place of bed rail hangers, you can use 8 long lag bolts. When tightened, the lag bolts make the bed very solid. Lag bolts are also much easier to find than bed rail hangers.
3 Attach the support rails. Screw the support rail to each side rail. Make sure to space the screws about 12" (30.5 cm) apart. This provides maximum weight support.
4 Create the support blocks. Cut a groove into the support block and support beam, as shown. This groove should be a centered 1.5"x 3.5" slot, with the wider measurement following the wider part of the block.
5 Attach the support blocks. Attach each support block to the center of the head rail and foot rail with screws as shown in the image.
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8 Insert your plywood mattress surface. Rest the plywood on the support rails and support beam. It should fit into the inner part of the bed frame. Once this is done, the mattress can be placed in the frame.
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