How to Build a Hanging Day Bed
Enjoy the breezes of summer with a hanging day bed on a screened-in porch. They are an ideal resting spot for sleepovers for the kids, afternoon naps or those nights when the house seems to have no air. This vintage-inspired hanging bed is a recycled bed spring and is hung like a porch swing. A great place to curl up and read a good book, this easy project is sure to bring back wonderful memories of summers at grandma's house. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Drill
- 3/8 inch carbide bit
- Bed spring
- 1/4 inch eyebolts and nuts, four sets
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- 5/16 inch porch swing hooks, two sets of two
- Heavy-duty chain, amount determined by bed height
- Bolt cutters
- "S" hooks, four
- Bed skirt
- Mattress
- Sheets, blankets, quilts
- Pillows
Instructions
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1
Drill straight down through the bottom frame of the bed spring, at all four corners, using a 3/8-inch carbide drill bit. Insert an eye bolt through each drilled hole and secure with a nut. The nut is on the bottom of the frame and the eye sits on top.
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2
Locate the support joists on your porch ceiling. This is very important to insure the safety of the hanging bed. They are usually easy to find. Look for seams in your ceiling and a pattern of nail heads, screws or indentations. Measure the width and length of your bed springs. Use these dimensions to mark the four corners on your ceiling. Once the preliminary marks are made, shift them over the nearest ceiling joists. Use a bit smaller than your 5/16-inch swing bolts to drill pilot holes in each of the marks. This will make screwing the bolts in place easier and also prevent splitting of the ceiling wood. Screw the swing bolt hooks into the pilot holes.
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3
Measure from a swing bolt hook to the desired height of the bottom of the bed. With this measurement, use bolt cutters to cut four heavy-duty pieces of chain or have them cut for you at the hardware store. Place an "S" hook in each eye bolt on the bed. Attach one end of one chain in an "S" hook and the other end in the swing bolt hook above it, on the ceiling. Repeat for the remaining three corners. Your bed is now hanging.
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4
Place a matching size bed skirt or a covering that will match your bedding, on the springs. The bed skirt will camouflage the bed springs, as well as add decor to your porch. Carefully place a mattress over the bed skirt without shifting it and dress the bed with sheets, blankets and quilts. Fill the bed with mounds of pillows for daytime as well as nighttime lounging.
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Tips & Warnings
You may need a helper to hold the springs up while you attach the chain and hang it. If no one is available, place a chair at each corner and prop up the bed springs in the seats.
If your bed springs have any rust on them, spray with a clear acrylic sealer before assembling the hanging bed, to prevent the rust from transferring to your bedding.
