How to Build a Playhouse Bed

A playhouse bed, that child-size replica of the real thing, can be built to also serve as a bench for seating. Building a basic playhouse bed is a project most DIYers can complete in less than two hours. These plans are for a bed that fits younger children; alter lumber dimensions appropriately to build a bed for big kids.

Things You'll Need

• Plywood sheet, 1/2 inches by 24 inches by 50 inches
• 2 beams, 2 inches by 4 inches by 50 inches
• 2 beams, 2 inches by 4 inches by 21 inches
• 4 posts, 4 inches by 4 inches by 12 inches
• Sheet of egg crate foam, 24 inches by 50 inches
• Box of wood screws
• Staple gun
• Power saw
• Power drill
• Sandpaper

Instructions

1. Sand all faces of the lumber with rough-grit sandpaper.

2. Set the four beams in a rectangle with the shorter beams inside the longer beams. Screw the beams together using two wood screws per point of connection.

3. Put the plywood sheet on top of the rectangular frame. Screw the sheet in place using one wood screw per corner.

4. Set a post in a corner formed by two beams. Screw the post in place using four wood screws driven through the plywood and into the end of the post. This forms the first of the bed's four legs. Reinforce with a screw driven through the face of each beam into the side of the post. Repeat process with the remaining posts to install the other three legs.

5. Lay the egg crate foam on top of the plywood sheet. Staple it in place with one staple in each corner, three evenly spaced staples along each long side and two lines of staples down the middle. Shoot the staples into the dimples in the egg crate foam, not the bumps.

6. Place the bed in position in your child's playhouse, where it can serve as a bed for sleepovers and a bench for playtime.

References

• Gene Brick, Furniture Hobbyist, Hillsboro, OR
• "Step-by-Step Basic Carpentry;" Ben Allen; 1997