How to Make a Canopy Bedframe

Make your own canopy bed to redo your bedroom.

Homemade beds give you the ability to create a custom bed to fit your decorating needs without the expense of buying a new bed or using a contractor to assemble the bed for you. Buying a canopy bed, for example, is a pricy venture. Making your own canopy bed saves you money. Using supplies from the local hardware store, create your own canopy bed in a weekend even without extensive carpentry skills.

Things You'll Need

• 1-by-1-by-80-inch post (4)
• Drill
• 1/2-inch drill bit
• 1/4-inch drill bit
• 61-by-12-by-2-inch (2)
• 81-by-12-by-2-inch (2)
• Wood glue
• 4-inch wood screws (8)
• 70-by-1-by-1-inch board (2)
• 2-inch wood screws (28)
• 2-inch nails (28)
• Hammer
• 61-by-5-by-1-inch board (10)
• 1/2-by-1/2-by-83-inch board (2)
• 1/2-by-1/2-by-63-inch boards
• 78-by-61-by-3/4-inch plywood
• Mattress
• Paint
• Stain
• Paintbrush

Instructions

1. Drill a 1/2-by-1/2-inch hole into the top edge of a 1-by-1-by-80-inch post. Position the hole 1 inch down from the top edge of the post centered in the post's side. Cut all the way through to the other side of the post. Cut a second hole 1 inch down from the top edge of the post. Make this hole one-half inch by one-half inch and cut it through to the other side of the post. However, place the second hole on the side perpendicular to the first hole.

2. Repeat the previous step three more times with three more 1-by-1-by-80-inch posts. Place two 2-by-2-inch holes into each post, spaced the same way they were in the first post.

3. Build a rectangle out of two 61-by-12-by-2-inch boards and two 81-by-12-by-2-inch boards. Rest the boards on their 2-inch sides. Place the 61-inch boards across from one another and the 81-inch boards across from one another. Rest the cut ends of the 61-inch boards on the flat side of the 81-inch boards. Apply wood glue where the pieces touch. Screw two 4-inch wood screws through the 81-inch boards into each end of the 61-inch boards to create the bed frame. Space the screws 1 inch in from each end of the boards.

4. Attach a 70-by-1-by-1-inch board to the inside edge of both 81-inch boards. Position the 70-inch boards so there are 3 1/2 inches on either side of the 70-inch boards. Secure them 3 inches below the top edge of the bed frame using 2-inch wood screws. Place one screw every 5 inches, drilling the screw through the 70-inch board into the 81-inch board.

5. Place 10 61-by-5-by-1-inch board on the 70-inch boards. Space the boards with a 2-inch space between them. Secure the boards in place by hammering a nail in the end of each board into the 70-inch board below.

6. Place one of the posts from the first step into one of the inside corners of the bed. Position the posts so that the 1/2-inch hole that is 2 inches down from the top edge is against the 81-inch board and the other hole is against the 61-inch board. Secure the post in place using 2-inch nails. Use two nails spaced 3 inches above and below the edges of the bed frame, inserting them through the post into the frame itself. Secure the other three posts in the same manner using more 2-inch nails and using the same positioning as the first post.

7. Cut a piece of 78-by-61-by-three-quarter-inch plywood and place it on top of the 5-inch boards to distribute the weight of the mattress.

8. Insert four one-half-by-one-half-inch boards through one-half-inch holes at the top of the posts. Use two 83-inch boards stretching across the length of the bed and two 63-inch boards stretching across the width of the bed.

9. Paint or stain the bed as desired. Let the paint or stain dry and then place a mattress on top of the plywood piece.

References

• Dormia Mattress: Mattress Dimensions and Bed Sizes by Dormia