How to build a platform bed
A few months ago Heather and I had finally had enough of our old, lumpy bed. I was waking up with back pain so bad I had trouble getting into my car and we both were getting lousy sleep. I got out the measuring tape and found my side of the bed dipped 2 inches from the foot to the middle and Heather’s side was worse. After talking it over we decided if we were getting a new mattress we might as well upgrade to a king size.
King size is pricey and we didn’t want to spend the money on a bed frame that wasn’t going to match our dressers so we looked into platform beds. I found a few plans online, but the basic design was so simple that I decided to just wing it and make my own plans using standard construction lumber. We made the trip to our local furniture store and fell in love with a foam mattress. We placed our order, took some measurements and after Thanksgiving I built our new bed in a busy afternoon. Here’s how I did it.
First the materials
- 2 x 4 x 96 – 10 pieces ($2.11 ea)
- 2 x 10 x 8 – 6 pieces ($7.99 ea)
- 3/4 x 49 x 97 MDF – 2 pieces ($22.99)
- deck screws
- wood glue (optional)
The tools
- miter saw
- circular saw
- power drill/driver
My basic idea was to build 2 frames and stack them on top of each other. The framing is much like framing a wall. The bottom is smaller so you don’t stub your toes (like kitchen cabinets) and taller (so the bed fits over our radiator and flush to the wall – no headboard!). I topped it all off with the MDF. Here’s the step by step photos.
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| For my base I used 2×10s. This gave me enough height to get my second tier over the radiator and allow us to push the bed flush to the wall so we didn’t need a headboard. In retrospect, 2×8s would have been better. The foam mattress was thicker than we expected and our bed is slightly taller than our old standard height bed.To determine the dimensions I added 1 inch to the height and width of the mattress we purchased. I then subtracted 12 inches from each dimension to give us the inset to protect our toes and enough space for the radiator to do its thing.For example a standard King size mattress is 80 x 76. The bottom frame would be 69 x 65. There is a lot of room for adjustment her since you never see this layer. The important thing is that your frame is level.All lumber was screwed together using some old 2 1/2″ deck screws. I drilled pilot holes to prevent splitting and used a little wood glue to create a strong bond. |
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| Next I used my scrap pieces of 2×10 to create blocking. This prevents my frame from twisting over time as the wood dries. This is the same technique used in floor joists.Make sure to offset them like I did so you are able to screw in from both sides. No exact science here, just make sure they fit tightly in the spaces. This might have been overkill, but I figured it was better to overbuild with an extra $20 of lumber than take the bed apart later and fix it. |
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| For the top layer I used 2×4s. I followed the same strategy, but this layer will be slightly larger than the mattress. Once again I screwed and glued everything taking care to keep everything square and level. This layer is very visible so take the time to do it right. |
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| Next I placed the top layer on top of the bottom and centered it. I toenailed the top layer into the bottom at all intersections with the deck screws (remember to drill those pilot holes first).When I was done I was surprised just how solid the hole thing was. Ethan immediately declared it was a pirate ship and start climbing all over. |
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| The last step was attaching the mdf to the top. I had these pre-cut at Lowes. Their sheet cutter is more accurate than I can be with a circular saw and it saves me time. I attached these with 2 inch deck screws about every 12-16 inches. Overkill again.The end result isn’t very glamorous, but I plan on using the scrap MDF to side the upper tier of the bed and create a lip to keep the bed in place. This is why I made the platform slightly larger – to give us room to put the sheets on when the lip is in place.There you have it. The sturdiest bed you’ve ever seen for about $100 and an afternoon. I was worried it might tilt when you sat on a corner, but it does not budge at all. It is HEAVY and will need to be taken apart if it every needs to leave the room. |
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| Jamie also loved playing in the framing. There is plenty of room for adding storage, but we decided against it. We were more interested in having a bed where toys, tissues, dog hair, dishes, etc could NOT get lost underneath. |
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| There was one frantic step I did not photograph. Notice the open framing in this picture. If I left it this way it would be possible for someone to reach into the framing from below and deposit something INTO the bed frame. To prevent this I used some scrap MDF and plywood to block all the spaces between the outer edges of the top and bottom frames.In a couple places, however, I screwed the plywood over the bottom frame, but left an opening. This created a hidden shelf. I have one on my side of the bed where I keep a book and my book light. One at the bottom of the bed is used by kids as a cave where their toy frogs live. |
We’ve been very happy with the end result. The bed frame is incredibly solid and our new mattress is wonderful! My back aches are completely gone and we are sleeping so much better. Feel free to post any questions on the bed and I’ll help where I can. I also plan to post an update after I get the sideboards on and the whole thing painted.
*Here is a post about the twin beds I made for the boys.
UPDATE from the wife on 3/11/10!: Well its over 2 years since this post was written and the bed is still the same as the 5th picture (except there is a mattress on it). John and I both have a problem with completely finishing any project! I always get him started on something new and I think he gets bored once its functionally finished. This post is probably our most viewed of all time but if you are at our blog anyway you should click on the home and see what contests we may have going on right now (we typically have 1 or 2 great giveaways)!
Related posts:
- The boys new loft bed (better DIY post on this coming soon)! John got this built so much faster than I thought...
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I just wanted to say thanks for all that have published/posted something to do with building a platform bed, instructions or otherwise…I want my hubby to build one since we’re thinking about getting a new bed anyway and this would be a much cheaper solution than buying a brand new bed set for an arm and a leg or another mortgage on the house!
But especially thanks to “John” for his pics and info on building a p-bed, yours was the first site I came into and now, thanks to your instructions, maybe I’ll build the bed myself…ha..take that hubby!! LOL..thanks John!!
Thank u so much John 4 your plans and pictures.Just 1month ago with a few modifications I and my husband was able to build this bed and we do love it lol. Thank u again Tarsha and Steve
I agree with the others…I am so using these plans to start my new bed project!!! THANKS
Some pictures of the finished product would be uber sweet!
I wouldn like to build this myself, would it be worth it having the wood pre-cut so that all I have to do is drill pilot holes and screw the peices together?
I am a single mom and live in an apartment so i’ll most likely be doing this myself and don’t own circular saw or miter saw.
help?? lol
Thank you for all the helpful instructions and pictures. This is wonderful. I was shopping for a new bed when I noticed how many platform beds there are being offered. Then I noticed how expensive the ones were that I liked. Now, I can just make it exactly how I want it without straining my budget at all and sleep better in the bargain! WOW! You deserve a prize!
John, I am planing on building a full size frame this weekend and I would like to know why did you need a miter saw. I didn’t see in your pictures any miter cuts. Of course, I may have missed them. Thanks for posting the directions.
Sorry for the slow reply. I used a miter saw…because I own one
Gotta use those tools! I actually just built a loft bed in our boys room and did it all with the circular saw.
THANK YOU!!!
THANK YOU!!! so much for this post. I have had my memory foam bed on the floor for the past six months. (which makes it very hard to get out of bed in the am) Due to the economy I havent been able to purchace a platform bed, also havent had any luck on craigslist (and even if I did I wasn’t sure how I was gong to get it home, no truck). Today I got a wild hair and thought maybe I can can build my own bed. I found this add, and was able to make my own little blue prints with all the measurements. I went to home depot and was able to tell them exactally what I needed, they even made all my cuts for me. (My bill, $101 and change) Everything fit in my explorer which was great (unloading all by your self… not so great) Any ways it took me about 4 hours and I now have have an awesome and very sturdy, king size platform bed. I cant believe I did it all on my own…. Im 25yr female, I live by my self, and never built a thing in my life.
That is so awesome! I am about to do the same thing!
this is so awesome…i have been pricing platforms and they are soooo expensive….did you stain this after you were done or left it as is….thanks for posting this…great job…
I’ve left it as is, but plan to paint it this year. I also just built a loft bed for my 2 boys. Spent less than $40 at Lowes, used up a bunch of leftover lumber, and it really sturdy. I’m really enjoying building with the construction grade lumber. May not be the prettiest, but it is stronger than most furniture in the stores and a heckuva lot cheaper.
A quick thought…
Next time you may want to opt to use a bunch of 1″ X 3″ slats spaced an inch or two apart rather than sheet goods for the top of the bed. There are 2 reasons for this.
First, the slats will prevent the the mattress from sliding around due to movement on the bed.
Second, the slats will allow your mattress to breathe more so it lasts longer.
Apart from that, I love your design, and hope you are happy with it too!
Good idea on the slats. We haven’t had much sliding trouble, but the bed does drift away from the wall over time.
Just a quick question–If you had a memory foam mattress and used the slats would the mattress sink in the slats? I am asking because I have heard people mention the mattress’ need to breath but I was curious about the mattress sinking in the slats and getting ruined? Or only use slats on a regular mattress and plywood for memory foam???
Help…
Thank you
Be careful with the slats, we just bought a new mattress from Sleep Country and they have the 10 year warrantys on theirs, but the slatted beds will void the manufacturers warranty. It has to be a solid piece of wood, or they won’t cover it. Just thought I’d share.
That’s interesting because virtually all places I have looked have said the opposite because the lack of air circulation around the mattress makes the bed hotter and can cause mold due to build-up of moisture. One solution I have seen is to drill holes in the sheet goods to help with air flow. Also, many platform beds with slats also have nylon strapping running lengthwise across the slats and are stapled to each slat to prevent the sinking problem with foam mattresses – it would also make it easier to remove the slats since you could just roll them up. I guess the lesson here is to make sure you check the warranty before you decide on the construction.
Thanks for the plans man, built one in a few days after work. no kidding its overbuilt but it will last as long as I need it to. and when I am done, let someone else deal with it. only complaint I have and I would be interested to know if you experience the same problem. I have taken the skin off my shins banging into the corners walking around the bed. need to put a footboard on the thing to protect yourself.
Yes, the corners are the foot of the bed are a hazard if you don’t have a lot of room to maneuver. On my todo list: use my circular saw to make a 45 degree cut to “round” the corners.
These were great plan though I felt that a few things were missing. We were able the make corrections for the things that were missing and make it all work. We sanded and painted the wood which made a heck of a difference. Very sturdy and a lot a pleasure in knowing that we created it with our own hands. We placed it on a area rug to keep it from scratching the floor. We used three inch screws for a better connect of the pieces that make up the base. L brackets to connect the top to the bottom and 2 inch screws to connect the platform pieces to the top. I suggest that if you have the store cut the piece, calculate and measure with tape measure in store along with pencil marking and not trusting the machine cutter to measure correctly. We receive many pieces we we not happy with as a result, but later it was rectified. Check the wood for quality. We also received many cracked pieces. ( All of this from LOWES) We are greatly satisfied with the results and are now in search of another project to tackle!
Just wanted to say thanks for the Picture and the info. I used your build but also added a few more inches and I’m making a California king bed frame for me and my wife total cost was around $104 in material and since I”m the laborer and the carpenter. I saved myself around $200 or so in labor and didn’t have to buy that new bed frame that the sales man was so eager for me to get along with that new 10″ mattress
Ryan from Oregon
Hi,
I really like the way this bed platform looks like. It does look pretty heavy and since I plan on using it upstairs in my house, I was wondering if you had any idea how I could safely remove some weight off of it. What’s your take on using half inch MDF instead of 3/4? Do you still think that using 2×8 instead of 2×10 for the base is OK? And finally what’s your take on using one inch boards for the inside of the base and the top layer (keeping the 2 inch boards for the edges)? Weight is my main concern but I don’t want to end up with a wobbly bed in the process! Please let me know what you think.
Thanks!
I think your ideas would work fine. I also suspect you could skip the blocking pieces I used and instead screw L-Brackets on both sides/both ends of the ‘beams’. The top MDF really holds that top platform together so you could skip the L-brackets and blocks altogether on that level.
Hi John,
I was wondering, if this bed would be difficult to move from one room to another or out of the home if one was to move…it looks kinda heavy and it is all one big item, unlike a headboard, footboard, frame etc. that all comes apart?
Barbra
i was just wondering how much bigger your top frame was than your mattress i was thinking like 8 inches, my mattress is 84 in long x 72 in wide i was thinking about making my frame 92 in long x 80 in wide so i would have 4 in all the way around
DOES ANYONE know what size wood I would need to build a queen and full size bed
Hi – Has anyone found a plan for building a king sized bed frame with basket storage underneath? There’s a picture on the Pottery Barn web site of a wood bed frame that uses baskets instead of drawers. My daughter is asking her father to build this piece of furniture due to lack of room in her home. Any information you can provide is appreciated. Thanks.
Thank you so much for these instructions. Maybe now I can entice my husband to help me do a project that will get our bed off the floor. Also if anyone knows of any, I need simple instructions on how to build a stand for a TV that weighs about 400 pounds. (yes its older)??? Thanks again
Thank you for the step by step! I have a 16 mo old who refuses to sleep in her crib. She has been sleeping in bed with my husband and I because we both work full time and I just don’t have the energy to fight for 2 hours everynight with her. We have decided to just let her transition to a “big girl bed” by herself. The only problem is she can’t get into bed herself(she can climb out but it’s kind of scary to watch her dangle on the edge before she drops) I don’t want to drop a bunch of money on a bed she can’t use yet. With this option we can make it short enough that she can get in and out of bed herself and we can use the queen size mattress I already have for her! This has saved me a few hundred $’s!!
I have modified my building by useing 3/4 one sided oak plywood for the outside base and 1×10 for the inside framing since we cant to stain it. I plan on using the 2×4 for the upper part but again use 3×4 one sided oak plywood for the outside edge about 1 3/4 wider than the 2×4 so the edge holds the mattress in place. Also reduced the MDF from 3/4 to 1/2 plywood. Will make the entire upper 2″ longer and wider than the mattress size. Will let you know how it turns out. Should be alot lighter than 2×10’s but with the oak plywood the total cost increased to about $190.
John thanks for making time on providing steps and pictures for this project. This build up took me about 6 hours including picking the material and I’m not really one with the circular saw but I got it done and my bed does not squeak at all(I had a metal frame). The supplies cost me $75 bucks and a new frame metal would have been $150, awesome project.
Im confused on your measurements It seems the Top of the platform would be the same size as the bottom according to the measurement you give ca you help.
did you ever get some pics of the finished bed………GREAT PLAN THANKS
I’m going to use this as the basis for my platform bed (just got a king size memory foam mattress). Instead of using MDF for the top, I’m thinking of using 3/4″ plywood because it’s cheaper. Is there a reason you chose to use MDF? Are there any potential problems if I decide to use plywood?
Hi, My name is Haley.
I want to make a full size bed, since I have a small room I do not have enough space for a Queen or King.
I was wondering if I would need to change anything on the measurements of the bed frame or if I need the same amount and length on the lumber.
If possible to let me know, this would be a real big help to me.
Thanks!
Haley, the measurements in this tutorial are for a king size bed. The average full size bed measures 75 inches x 54 inches. So your top platform should measure 76 x 55. The bottom frame would then measure 64 x 43. You would probably require a little less wood than what is recommended here, but I’m not sure exactly how much you would need. Hope this helps.
-Eric T
Loved your idea, thanks! Would love to build a queen size bed. Any ideas as to the measurements? HELP! Thanks for any and all help!