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DIY Bed Frame and Wood Headboard

A DIY bed frame sounded so awesome and SO SCARY to me,  for a long time.

Finally, we did it! This DIY platform bed frame is inspired by some of the $1000 – $2000+ beautiful wood bed frames we love. SO, what does it take?

One weekend, $100, and a few simple tools most beginning DIY enthusiasts have!

The process of designing and building our bed is so rewarding, we learned a ton! In this detailed step by step tutorial, I will share with you our free DIY bed frame with headboard building plan,  plus everything we have learned in this project:

Part 1: Planning. How to select lumber for strength, work-ability and beauty – SUPER important!

Part 2: Step by step tutorial on how to build a wood bed frame  that can be easily disassembled when moving.

Part 3: How to adapt this DIY bed frame plan to any size bed, such as a king bed, a twin bed, with or without headboard, etc.

Part 4: Best natural finishes for your wood bed frame and headboard.

Update: our reader Eliese left a comment sharing their experience and some great tips, you can check it out in the comment section at the end. Thank you Eliese!

A little background story:  We just spent an entire year sleeping on the floor, like this-

( Some of the helpful resources are affiliate links. Full disclosure here. ) Last summer, prompted by a move, and inspired by this amazing book: The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up, we decided to embark on an epic decluttering of everything, and only surrounding ourselves with things that spark joy in us.

In a gesture of grand declaration, the first things we let go of were our huge mattresses and box-springs. Oops!

I will share more about our decluttering in a later post. It did take us a while to decide on a new bed and mattress which would spark joy in us every time we walk by or use them.

I always wanted to design and build a beautiful wood bed that is uniquely ours, and share the simple plan and tutorial with everyone.

When I shared my idea with our dream mattress company Sleep On Latex, they generously sent us some amazing gifts to support our DIY project : a heavenly mattress made of 100% natural latex foam, certified organic cotton and organic New Zealand Wool! Plus two luscious latex pillows!

OMG, now I don’t even have the option to chicken out. 😉

The lovely mattress and pillows sat in the box for another 2 months while I fine-tuned the designs, and mustered up the courage to go for it with dear hubby’s help!

Hubby is always super supportive. This time, he is not only supportive, but beyond excited about how surprisingly easy it was to build this bed and how much he, a born perfectionist, loves our new, sturdy, gorgeous bed!

Please follow good practices to build safely and smartly. Follow safety guidelines for each tool. Work on a clean level surface, free of clutter or debris. Always use straight boards. Always wear safety goggles and hearing protection. And remember to check for square after each step!

Step 1: Planning your DIY bed frame ( very important!! )

Do NOT use pressure treated lumber, there can be toxic chemicals in them!

To build a wood bed frame that is beautiful and sturdy, we need to choose wood for strength, work-ability and beauty. Select wood with structural integrity, tight grain, small knots , few  cup and twist, and no splits.

Knots are very dense, making them hard to drill and cut through. Study the plan to see where the screws are, and select boards with few knots in those areas.

We used Douglas Fir for our bed posts and rails. It is a popular structural/construction lumber on the west coast. The wood is very stiff and strong. Southern Yellow Pine / Spruce Fir is also a great choice and popular on the east coast. Other great choices are Poplar, Ash, Oak, Alder, Birch, Cherry, and Maple.

If you are using other species of lumber, make sure that the wood is good for structural use. Don’t just base on the name ‘hardwood’ or ‘softwood’. An example about hardwood vs softwood: Doug Fir is a softwood that is super strong, while Basswood, a hardwood, is super soft and has poor screw holding characteristics. Which means a rocky and squeaky bed frame!

Step 2: gather materials and tools.

When we showed our DIY bed frame plan to a nice Home Depot employee, he got so excited for us, and cut most of the wood for us with great care, which made it so much easier! Take the plans and cut list with you ! 🙂

4×4 posts: (2) 4×4 @ 1’2″ L, (2) 4×4 @ 4’6″ L, cut from (1) 4×4 @ 12′

2×6 rails: (2) 2×6 @ 4’8″, (2) 2×6 @ 6’6″, cut from (2) 2×6 @ 12′

2x4s : (2) 2×4 stringers @  6’8″, (1) 2×4 @ 4’8 for top of headboard, cut from (1) 2×4 @ 8′, and (1) 2×4 @ 12′

1x4s : (10) 1×4 @ 4’8″, (3) 1×4 @ 2’11.5″, cut from (6) 1×4 @ 10′

Plywood slats and spacers: (14) 3″ wide x 5′ long.  We used PureBond 1/2″ thick plywood which is a great quality, formaldehyde-free plywood. The sheet is 4’x8′. Home Depot cut it to 4’x5′ first, then to 3″x5′ slats  for us. We cut one of them into smaller spacers later.

Slat supports: (2) 2×2 @ 6’3, cut from (2) 2×2 @ 8′, save the extra to use for stringer supports

Tools needed:

IMPORTANT: after all the wood is cut, check the pieces together which have the same length: this will ensure our DIY bed frame is square and all the pieces fit nicely. Consistency is more important than numbers!

For example: all the 1x4s on the headboard should be the same length as the two 2x6s on the headboard and foot-board. It is OK if all of them are, let’s say, 1/4″ less than what is written on the plan (this diy platform bed frame is forgiving if you are off by 1/2″ to 1″ ). It is NOT OK if some of them are 1/8″ more, and some are 1/8″ less than the 4’8″ on the plan.

Sand all the cut surfaces and exposed surfaces so the wood is nice and smooth. If you want to paint or stain the wood, now is a good time.

We decided to leave our wood bed frame natural, another good option is a whitewashed wood finish. Here’s a detailed tutorial on how to whitewash wood in 3 simple ways-

Ultimate guide + video tutorials on how to whitewash wood & create beautiful whitewashed floors, walls and furniture using pine, pallet or reclaimed wood. | apieceofrainbow.com

How to whitewash wood in 3 simple ways

Step 3: How to install bed rail brackets on bed posts and side rails

This important step is not difficult, but it requires patience and accuracy. If you do it right, the rest of the DIY bed frame is super easy!  Let’s see how to install bed rail brackets in detail.

These surface mount bed rail brackets come in 4 pairs. The brackets with the slots goes on the 4 bed posts, and the brackets with the “claws” goes on two 2×6 6’6″ long side rails, one on each end.

Set a 2×6 rail ( or use a smaller scrap piece of 2×6 ) on a foot-board post, the top of the rail should be flush with the top of the post. The end faces of the rail and post are touching when mounted.

Set the pair of brackets in a locked position onto the post and rail, and mark the outer edges of the brackets and each drill hole carefully.

First, pre-drill each marked drill hole, and attach the slot bracket onto the 4×4 post using 2″ to 3″ long screws. If you are off, the rail will not be flush to the post. Remember to keep checking at each step!

This happened to us once. We filled the drill holes with JB Weld wood putty and redid it.

Have some JB Weld wood putty handy, you might need it to correct mistakes!

Next, attach the “claw” bracket to one end of the rail, check everything is square and flush.

Don’t tighten the screws too much on the “claw” brackets yet. At this stage, we want to easily hook and unhook these brackets. In the final step when we get the brackets hooked together, we will tighten the screws so the bed is rock solid!

Repeat this process until you installed all the brackets. Keep checking to make sure everything is lined up accurately in all dimensions: height, width, and depth.

Step 4: build footboard and headboard

Tip: It is easier to drill all the pocket holes first, then screw the pieces together.

When building the headboard, create the center panel first, then attach it to the posts, and 2×4 top piece and 2×6 bottom rail. See diagram below. The key is to leave a tiny gap (even 1/32″ is enough ) between the 1×4 slats to allow room for wood movement. More about wood movement in the DIY headboard tutorial here

Instead of making this super long tutorial even longer, I have included detailed step-by-step instructions on how to build the center panel, how to check for square, wood movements, plus other helpful tips in this DIY wood headboard tutorial here. It also includes variations on how to build a wood headboard like this if you already have a bed frame and just want to add a headboard!

For our DIY headboard, I gave the boards a light gold stain to bring the white pine 1x4s closer in color to the Doug Fir posts and rails,  using Recipe #7 in this tutorial: Easy Homemade All Natural Wood Stains with 7 Recipes!

7 recipes to make wood stains in any color using natural household materials! These quick and easy wood stains are super effective, long lasting, low cost, and non-toxic!

Easy Homemade All Natural Wood Stains – 7 Recipes!

To build the footboard, use 2.5″ pocket hole screws to attach the 2×6 to the 4×4 posts, ckeck they are flush at top and on the side that faces out.

How to build a beautiful DIY bed frame & wood headboard easily. Free DIY bed plan & variations on king, queen & twin size bed, best natural wood finishes, and lots of helpful tips! - A Piece of Rainbow

Step 5: add supports for slats and stringers

We are 90% done with our DIY bed frame! Just a few small things left to do, on Page 2! Continue To Next Page…

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  8. Emma

    October 6 at 12:19 pm

    Wow, what an undertaking – I’ve never thought of designing my own bed but I guess it makes sense to have something perfect and personal when you spend a third of your life in it! The final result looks stunning – enjoy sleeping on the gorgeous mattress!!

    Reply

  9. Krysti

    October 6 at 5:11 pm

    Wow, I’m so impressed with people who DIY and it looks so incredible! You guys did an amazing job!

    Reply

  10. David Elliott

    October 7 at 12:07 am

    I will have to think about this as I am considering getting my daughter a new bed in the near future. I am not sure that this is the right size for her room, but this looks great, maybe I can make some modifications.

    Reply

  11. Eloise

    October 8 at 6:08 pm

    I love, love, LOVE DIY projects… I would love to give this headboard a try, it’s simple and beautiful! I love the wood texturized white wash wall decor as well that I will some day DIY for my house too! THANK YOU!
    Last year one of my guy friends invited everyone to a bonfire in his backyard (he just built a firepit) Well, he had a TON of wood palettes and all of a sudden he started carrying them out and breaking them for the fire… I had to go save those things… Noooooooooo, I yelled… give those things to me… then I explained the value of them and he had to go get new firewood to burn. I’m not going to lie, kind of felt like a DIY superhero…lol
    Okay, now I’m done with my story… :)!

    Reply

  13. Mary

    October 17 at 11:33 am

    Firstly, I can’t imagine how a half empty air mattress could possibly spark joy! LOL So then did that mean that there was a lack of joy during the time you slept on the floor? I went without during a good part of my life, so not only does everything I have chosen to have in my house or just the freedom of choice in my life, bring me a spark of joy…but I appreciate and a am grateful for all inanimate AND animate things in my life. BUT that being said, I absolutely love your bed and your craftsmanship! Kudos and enjoy!!

    Reply

    • ananda

      October 17 at 1:54 pm

      hi mary, great question! 🙂 our life was full of joy when we slept on the floor, it was liberating to have very little stuff! however, being joyful does not mean everything will stay just the same – it actually make us want to create and refresh things. this bed gives us a new “blank” canvas to decorate our bedroom for fun in a lot of new ways! stay tuned! 🙂

      Reply

  14. Adeyemisi

    October 20 at 12:51 pm

    WOW… I just can’t believe my eyes… This is absolutely beautiful… Like you guys made a bed yourself… Great job????????… Would be a good memory for you both

    Reply

  15. Carol

    January 13 at 9:59 pm

    I love your bed! Thank you for the detailed plans and especially how you installed the brackets. I had trouble with those and switched to these brackets from Rockler – rockler.com/surface-mount-bed-rail-brackets. But will give the ones you used a second try since I still have a set and plan to build a king size bed, My problem with the brackets was with the claw side. Once screwed on they were difficult to insert. I will try loosening the screws and then tightening them after like you suggest doing. Thank you for sharing your awesome talent and creativity.

    Reply

  16. laura

    February 20 at 6:47 am

    HI, I am planning on building a bed frame but I have noticed that a lot of the wood I’ve been looking at have dimensions that are a bit off. The 4 x 4s are really 33/4 x 33/4 and the 2 x 4s are 11/2 x 31/2 etc…

    Was this the case for the lumber you used to build your bed? I’m not sure if this is standard.

    Thanks for your help and your beautiful oh so inspiring website.

    Laura

    Reply

  17. Adam Smith

    March 21 at 4:06 am

    Awesome build, correct measurement is a must for the final project to be like the drafted design. Really love the simplicity of the design.

    Reply

  18. Pat

    March 26 at 7:00 pm

    The stringers should be 6 ft 10 inches instead of the listed 6 ft 8 inches. Instead of 2 inches longer than the side rail, the stringers need to be 4 inches longer because you gain 2 inches in length on each side from the posts.

    Reply

    • ananda

      March 27 at 12:17 pm

      hi pat, thank you for the observation! in this case, we installed the 2×6 (below the headboard ) flush at front with the posts, so the stringers only gain 2″ at the footboard. hope it makes sense! =)

      Reply

  20. Mary

    June 23 at 9:54 am

    Is there any concern that the design wouldn’t be strong enough for a king bed? Specifically, would the frame need more center support, such as extra stringers and/or legs?

    Thanks!
    Mary

    Reply

  21. Eliese

    August 13 at 6:50 am

    Hi there! We just finished building this bed this week end! We adapted the plans to build a king-sized bed frame and WE LOVE IT!! We just got a new mattress (leesa sapira) and it was so fun to have a new bed altogether! The bed is very sturdy and well put together. We used Douglas fir and a walnut stain. We loved trying out a pocket hole jig! The instructions were helpful although there were a few things we had to figure out on our own. A few notes for the tutorial:
    1. If using Douglas for the highest grit sand paper you want to use is 100/120…otherwise it doesn’t absorb stain as well.
    2. We highly recommend using pre stain. It’s a super easy step that doesn’t take long and it helps the wood to evenly absorb the stain as opposed to having it’s softer and harder spots absorb the wood lighter and darker.
    3. For the headboard you actually need TEN 1×4’s. The instructions say 9 but the diagrams show 10. It was very frustrating to get everything ready to assemble the headboard only to discover we had to run to the store and buy another and cut, sand, pre stain, stain and clear coat one random board.
    4. Depending on how you assemble the bed, the strivers could use an extra inch or two in length. They still work a little shorter but maybe cut them a little longer and sand or cut it down later.
    5. Also, instead of using wood, we bought 2×4 joists to attach the stringers. They’re about $0.75 each and was just easier for us.

    The project took us about a week in all. We were only really working in the evenings and juggling two small children and extremely hot temperatures. I’m pregnant and still found this to be an enjoyable project to do together with my husband. Everyone is so impressed with our bed and we think it’s pretty great ourselves!!! I wish I could post pictures!

    Reply

    • ananda

      August 13 at 9:02 pm

      hi Eliese, thank you SO much for sharing your experience! congrats on your new bed!! i have corrected the 1x4s amount, sorry about that! i also added a note for people to check out your comment for more helpful tips! best wishes! =)

      Reply

    • Chelsea

      August 16 at 5:25 am

      Hi Eliese! I just finished making this in king size (using poplar), and used the metal joist brackets too! Indeed, they were only $.78 at Lowe’s. My support slats and spacers were actually .75” boards, instead of .5” plywood, so this allowed me to hang the stringers a tiny bit lower to accommodate the extra height.

      I ran into your issue with the headboard, too… I was one board shirt, but could only fit a 1×3 at the bottom, instead of a 1×4. It looks like Ananda used a smaller piece here too.

      Ananda, thank you for sharing your plans! This was a blast to make! How can those who have followed your tutorial share photos of the final product?

      Reply

    • Corey Cimball

      January 27 at 5:39 pm

      Would you be able to share the materials with wiemeasurements for the king size bed? I would love to start this project up this week. How is your bed holding up? This looks like a simple and beautiful frame.
      Thanks so much!

      Reply

  22. Rahul Rema

    August 26 at 10:52 pm

    I was looking for information regarding this and finally got one. Thanks for sharing the information with us. The article was a great help to me.

    Reply

  23. Hanna Norell

    August 27 at 11:13 am

    Amazing work! Thank you so much for sharing!!

    If I wanted to modify this so that the mattress didn’t sit atop the entire thing, but rather fit into the frame (with a few inches of wood surrounding the lower half of the mattress) would that be possible?

    I imagined adding an additional board to make the sides taller, or dropping the slats down so the mattress was inside the parameters of the wood would work…though I really don’t have much experience with woodworking and realized the measurements may be a bit too small to fit a queen size mattress into the frame as opposed to having it floating.

    What are your thoughts on this? I hope the way I’ve explained it makes sense!

    Thank you so much!

    Reply

    • ananda

      August 27 at 8:46 pm

      hi hanna, yes you can drop the slats lower, and / or use 2×8 instead of 2×6 . the current plan measurements of the 4 sides will allow the mattress to fit inside. but double check your mattress, especially if it has hard rigid sides!

      Reply

      • Danny herrera

        September 20 at 10:14 pm

        Hi ananda! Was wondering, for making this accommodate a full size bed, would I just reduce all measurements by 6 inches? According to the chart at the end of the article a full size bed is 6 inches shorter on both sides than a queen.
        Thanks in advance

        Reply

  25. nick kilgore

    September 21 at 9:03 am

    so dumb question. when screwing the 1×4’s to the 1×4 supports. did you screw from the back going forward or through the front? also is glue on the 1×4’s a bad idea?

    Reply

    • ananda

      September 21 at 10:19 am

      hi nick, glue will form a really strong bond if you clamp each piece tightly for 1 hour, which is possible, but screws are easier. we did it from the back because it looks better that way. happy building! 🙂

      Reply

  26. Kate

    September 28 at 8:18 am

    Wow, this is beautiful. Such a great tutorial too with all the info anyone could need! Thanks so much, hoping to make our frame within the coming weeks!!!

    Reply

  27. Daniel

    October 4 at 9:15 am

    Love the project quick question though how did you get the 10 slatst slats for the headboard I have 3 1x4x10′ and 3 1x4x8′ and am only coming up with 9 slats after you take out the 3 2’11” pieces for the back.

    Reply

  28. Brandy Nguyen

    October 26 at 11:02 pm

    Hi! What color stain did you use? I noticed you posted a link to the diy stains and you said you used recipe #7, but I am a little bit confused because when I went to the page, recipe #7 was a recipe for staining wood colors like blue?

    Reply

  29. Tommy

    December 9 at 4:57 pm

    Hi Ananda, what are you using to connect the short side of the bed frame to the posts? Are you gluing the 60″ 2×6 to the posts?

    Reply

  30. Aliyah

    January 6 at 4:36 pm

    Just finished mine! Such a fun way to spend time, I absolutely loved the finish product. Thanks for putting this together, I would have never thought this was something I could do and have it actually turn out well!

    Reply

  31. Janet

    January 28 at 2:46 pm

    I cannot figure out how to get the graphics that you used on the box with the oranges. I signed up for your emails, but I feel like I’m just going in a circle looking for the graphics. Thanks for your help.

    Reply

  32. Stan HVACSystems

    February 22 at 6:48 am

    Wow! As coolly at you it turned out. Bed simply super! Such beds in shops stand from $1000, but I even couldn’t think that it can be made most and for only $100. I just moved to the new apartment and itself should choose quickly furniture so far there do repair and repair system of heating, after all in Philadelphia is cool now. Whether now I will think it is worth buying in shop or it is better to make most. Thanks for the instruction, I will watch further your new ideas.

    Reply

  33. Amanda

    May 16 at 4:15 pm

    So happy we found your plans for this bed! Just recently finished building ours, switching it up a bit with our headboard. LOVING the results! And feeling accomplished for actually building a piece of furniture! 😊

    Reply

  35. FergusonTamrott

    May 22 at 2:44 am

    So glad I’ve found such awesome instructions here. This is one of the best tutorials on building a bed!

    Reply

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