How to Build a Day Bed From Scratch

A day bed is the perfect place for a nap.

Two twin headboards can easily be made into an attractive daybed. The headboards need not match exactly, as long as they are roughly the same size. Paint to match your room decor, or consider upholstering the headboards for an interesting and comfortable design.

Things You'll Need

• 2 wooden twin headboards
• 3 boards, 1 x 8 inches, 78 inches long
• 2 boards, 1 x 2 inches, 78 inches long
• 5 boards, 1 x 3 inches, the length of the headboard
• Wood screws
• Drill
• Sandpaper
• T-square
• Paint
• Primer
• Paint brush
• Standard twin mattress
• Bed linens

Instructions

1. Lay a 1 x 2 inch board on top of a 1 x 8 board, with the top edge of the narrower board one inch below the top edge of the wider board. Attach with wood screws. Repeat once. These are the side boards.

2. Remove any hardware from the headboards. Sand, primer, and paint both head boards and side boards, the remaining 1 x 8 inch board and all of the 1 x 3 inch boards.

3. Use the T-square to help form the bed frame. Use wood screws to attach the side boards to the headboards. The lip made by the 1 x 2 inch boards should be toward the top. Make sure that the sideboards are lined up evenly across from each other so that the mattress will rest level.

4. Set the 1 x 3 inch boards, evenly spaced, inside the bed frame so that they are resting on the 1 x 2 inch lips on either end. Attach with wood screws.

5. Attach with wood screws the remaining 1 X 8 inch board across the two headboards forming a back to your daybed.

6. Set the mattress on the slats. Use linens to make up the bed.

References

• Country Living: Twin Headboard Makeover