How to Make a Castle Loft Bed

For dorm rooms, small apartments and efficiency living, nothing offers as much space and flexibility as a loft bed. For a child's room, it offers extra storage space and a fun way to sleep. Entice your little ones into sleeping without mom and dad by turning their loft bed into a castle. They won't be able to resist.

Things You'll Need

• One 4x8 foot sheet of plywood
• Four 4x4 inch boards
• At least eight 1x6 boards, eight feet long
• Four 2x4 boards, eight feet long
• A power screwdriver
• Four-inch wood screws
• A circular saw
• Tape measure
• A Carpenter's pencil
• Protective gear
• Sandpaper
• Files

Instructions

Preparation

1. Determine where the bed will be located. Decide how tall you want the bed platform to be. If the bed is to be taller than three feet, it will require cross-bracing. Cut the 4x4 boards to the height you want the bed to be. Measure the mattress the bed is to hold. Cut two 2x4s to that length, plus one inch for comfort. Cut two 2x4s to the width of the mattress, plus 5 inches.

2. If the bed is to be greater than three feet tall, cut support struts from 2x4s. You will need one slat the length of the mattress plus one inch, and two slats the width of the mattress, plus two inches.

3. Cut the "castle" sections of the bed. Cut a 1x4 foot strip off the end of the plywood sheet. Measure crenelations along one long side of it for battlements. This will be the castle side panel of the bed. Next, cut two 1x3 foot pieces of the plywood sheet. These will be the vertical sides of the castle's tower. Cut battlements in one end of each of them. Finally, cut a three-foot section of plywood that is as wide as the mattress, plus 6 inches. Cut battlements in one mattress-length side of it. These three-foot sections of plywood will form a castle tower at the foot of the bed. Be sure to sand down all the cut sides of the plywood.

Assemble the Loft Bed

1. Screw the 2x4s for the bed frame together. Seat them vertically against one another, and put at least two screws in each corner, screwing the shorter frame pieces into the longer ones.

2. Measure and cut the slats to hold the mattress from the 1x6 boards. These should be cut to the width of the bed frame, minus about one-half inch, so they do not stick out on any of the sides. Screw these onto one side of the bed frame. This is the top of the bed.

3. Attach the 4x4 legs to the corners of the bed, on the inside of the frame. Screw into them from both sides, to create a sturdy join. If the bed is taller than three feet, screw the support 2x4s inside the legs at the halfway point between the bed and the floor. Place the long support strut first, along the side of the bed that will be against the wall. Then, just below that, attach the two side struts. The bed is now ready to be freestanding.

Build the Castle

1. Attach the castle sideboard to the side of the bed that will face into the room. Place it at the head of the bed, ending at approximately the halfway point.

2. Screw the wide part of the castle tower into the foot of the bed, overlapping the sides by a half inch. Place the two 1x3 tower panels flush with it on the sides of the foot of the bed and screw them into place. Connect the tower panels by using a small piece of 2x4 at the top of each corner, but below the battlements, attaching both panels to it to keep the tower walls flush.

3. If you want to add a shelf or roof to the tower, simply put in several more small pieces of 2x4 at the edges of the short tower panels and in the center of the large panel, parallel to the corner support 2x4s. You can lay a one-foot sheet of plywood across these and screw it into place to form a roof on the tower.

Finishing Touches

1. Now that the bed is complete, stand it in place. If necessary, you can attach it to the wall by sinking large, heavy wood screws into the studs in the wall. If the bed sits in a corner against two walls, this should not be necessary.

2. Complete the bed by painting it and decorating it like a castle.

3. Cutting windows in the castle tower can complete the castle motif. You also can make a fun peephole feature for the bed's owner.

Tips & Warnings

• Always use protective gear when using power tools. Regardless of the bed's height, a ladder is always recommended for safety.

• Do not use particle board in place of plywood.

References

• College Bed Loft Designs
• Loft Bed Designs