How to Make Picket Fence Beds

Picket fence bed frames add a touch of whimsy to casual bedrooms.

Adding personal touches of whimsy to a room can take it from bland to lively in no time. Unique bed frames, like a picket fence, create interesting and useful focal points. A picket fence lends a sweet, casual air to an garden theme room, without breaking your budget. Whether you choose a simple whitewash, a neat coat of paint, or hand-painted flowers with wraparound vines, this bed frame sets a tone of handpicked simplicity to any space.

Things You'll Need

• 2 4-by-4 posts (5 feet long)
• 2 2-by-4 rails (40 inches long)
• 6 to 8 4-foot pickets
• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Drill
• 1/8-inch drill bit
• 4 No. 8 2-inch-long wood screws
• 4 No. 8 3-inch-long wood screws
• Liquid Nails for wood
• 2 finials (optional)
• Paint or stain (optional)
• Hollywood twin-size bed frame

Instructions

1. Mark 4-by-4 posts with the measuring tape and pencil. Mark each post in center of one side at 14 inches from the top and 26 inches from the bottom. Set the posts down parallel to each other so that the marks are 39 inches apart.

2. Set the 2-by-4 rails across the 4-by-4 posts to start building the frame. Line them up so that the rails are centered on the marks you made on the 4-by-4 posts. Using the drill, make a pilot hole through the rail and post at the junction of each piece, then secure the rails with the 2-inch wood screws and the drill.

3. Flip the frame over and lay it flat on your work surface.

4. Position the pickets across the rails. Center the first picket and then space the remaining pickets out evenly so that they are no more than 3 inches apart. The top of each picket should be level with the tops of the 4-by-4 posts.

5. Mark the placement of each picket with the pencil, and begin securing them to the rails. Place a quarter-sized amount of Liquid Nails to the rails at both top and bottom where pickets and rails meet. Set the pickets in place and press down firmly without sliding them side to side. Do not press so hard that Liquid Nails seeps out from behind the pickets. Allow the Liquid Nails to set completely according to the manufacturer's directions.

6. Attach the optional finials to the tops of the 4-by-4 posts. Mark the center of each post and drill a pilot hole to a depth slighly less than the length of the finial screw. Position the finial screw into the pilot hole and twist until it is firmly set.

7. Decorate the headboard in your own style--some options are paint, whitewash or stain--and allow to completely dry.

8. Line the headboard up with the metal bed frame. The brackets at the head of the bed frame should line up to the centers of the 4-by-4 posts. Using a pencil, mark the top and bottom holes of the brackets.

9. Lay the headboard flat and drill two pilot holes in each 4-by-4 post at the marked sites. Stand the headboard up and line up bed frame brackets to the pilot holes and secure with the 3-inch wood screws and the drill.

Tips & Warnings

• Adding a paint or stain finish will help protect the headboard and keep it from splintering from normal wear and tear.

• A footboard can be built to match, using the same directions and cutting the length of the posts and pickets down to a desired height.

• Enlist help to hold the headboard in place while marking pilot holes and securing headboard to frame, this will make the process much easier.

• This headboard can be customized to fit any size bed frame by measuring the widtth of the frame and adjusting the length of the rails and amount of pickets.

• Use adhesives or finishes only in well-ventilated areas according to manufacturer directions.

• Use rounded top pickets instead of pointed ones if you are building this for a child. Pointed ends can pose a danger to small children.

• Do not leave spaces bigger than 3 inches between pickets to prevent a child's head from becoming stuck between pickets.

References

• "Bedrooms for Cool Kids;" Editors of Creative Publishing; June 2002

Resources

• Old Malvern Pickets: Fence Configurations