14 Spectacular DIY Bed Frame Plans You Can Make Today (with Pictures)

You don’t always realize this, but your bed is the furniture you spend the most time in. Most people spend about one-third of their days in it. So, it’s understandable that you’d want to customize your bed to suit your personality. Either you want it to fit into the general theme of your bedroom, or you want it to have features to maximize your comfort when you’re in it.

That’s why learning to build a bed frame is a very attractive DIY project. You can spend precious hours scouring stores or looking for pre-fabricated models to order online and assemble in your home. Or, you can save quite a few bucks and follow these plans available for free online. We have a range to suit every need, from simple pallet-wood twin beds to luxurious kings. Since you’re already in a DIY mood, don’t be afraid to freelance these designs if you feel confident.

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The 14 Spectacular DIY Bed Frame Plans

1. Herringbone bed plan from Jens Blah Blah Blog

diy herringbone bed

Despite being a DIY design, this bed looks like you spent a large sum at a furniture store. Its design is sophisticated but comfortable and modern but classic. The instructions are here.

They aren’t just numbered but come with pictures so that you can get an idea of what it’s supposed to look like. For a project that requires precision measurements, the instructions are incredibly helpful.

2. Bed with lights frame plan from Instructables

diy bed frame

The great thing about building your bed frame is that you can customize a basic design to suit your needs. If you like to read before falling asleep, you can add lights to the headboard so that you and your partner can stay up as late as you’d like without having to wrestle with clip-on lights.

The instructions tell you that the first step is sneaking a camera into a furniture store to take pics of the design you want to build. We don’t endorse that, but it’s not an uncommon practice.

3. King-size bed frame plan from Shanty 2 Chic

diy king size bed frame

Since it’s big, sturdy, and regal looking, this king-sized bed not only projects that you’re the lord of the castle but that you have some serious woodworking skills. This one isn’t designed to be customized with bells and whistles. It’s just designed to be the custom-built centerpiece of your bedroom set.

If you set out to build this bed, prepare for a time-consuming project. The instructions are well-written and list the arsenal of power tools you’ll need. This project is best suited to people who are serious about woodworking.

4. Pottery Barn farmhouse bed plan from Distinctly Made

pottery barn farmhouse bed

This bed frame is ideal for a home with a country-style decor scheme; it has a simple, rugged design with just a whiff of artisan flair. Dinstinctlymade’s instructions start with a very reasonable premise. You’ll buy your mattress first so you can fit your frame into it.

5. Queen size bed frame plan from Sawdust Girl

diy queen size platform bed frame with storage drawers

This platform bed is perfect for people who don’t want a headboard. It lets your mattress sit elevated above the wood frame. It also has drawers to store extra bedding or books and reading lights if you don’t want a nightstand. Of course, you can always skip the drawers if you prefer.

This project looks complicated, but the instructions really break it down into pretty simple steps. Just ensure you get the measurements right so the mattress doesn’t slide around while you sleep.

6. Platform bed from Build Something

diy platform bed

As a simple design that lets your bed blend into the environment rather than dominate it, this platform bed has a sleek, modern look. While it puts your bedding on a platform, it is still pretty close to the ground, making it perfect for people who don’t want a lot of airspace between their mattress and the floor.

One thing we like about this design is that while it’s pretty simple, it still emphasizes details. When you have the instructions on hand to provide guidance, you can’t go wrong.

7. Twin bed from pallets bed frame plan from Couplejones

diy twin bed from wood pallets

This one is simple, cheap, and perfect for kids. Upcycling pallets might be a fad that has faded, but the fact remains that they are designed to bear weight, which makes their planks perfect for a bed frame. This one comes with wheels to make it easier to move around a room.

The great thing about pallet wood designs is that they’re simple enough to customize. This one is no different. Because the materials are widely available and somewhat crude, making a few mistakes is okay.

8. Race car bed frame plan from Lowes

diy race car bed

Sleeping in a race car has been a kid’s dream for decades. Thanks to lowes.com, you don’t have to spend much money building one. As long as you’ve invested in the right tools, unsurprisingly available at Lowe’s, you can knock this out pretty easily. Plus, you can give it any paint scheme you’d like.

This project feels like it ought to be complicated, but it really isn’t. The instructions are easy to follow, and your child will be in awe of their new bed frame.

9. DIY Floating bed plan from Lifebuzz

diy floating bed

This project included lights attached to the bottom of the frame that creates the illusion that it’s floating in thin air. It’s an attractive frame with a slanted headboard to hold your pillows in place. While we like the lighting trick in theory, we think that this limits the number of bedrooms that it can fit into.

Fortunately, Lifebuzz has put together a good set of plans for building it. That’s good because to get the desired effect, you’ll need to build it just right. If you have experience with lighting and woodworking, this is a great project.

10. DIY Farmhouse bed frame plan from A City Born Love

diy bed

Acitybornlove gives us a basic, sturdy king-size bed frame. It is sturdy enough to be a farmhouse bed and big enough to take a prominent place in your bedroom. It uses simple materials to give it a rustic look.

The instructions aren’t all that complicated. This is a perfect project for someone who doesn’t have much woodworking experience but wants to improve their skills. You can build this bed frame with a saw and a tape measure.

11. Simple twin bed frame plan from Jen Woodhouse

diy twin platformbed

This simple platform bed is a great frame to let your bedding shine while hiding what it’s sitting on. It’s also an easy, fast project that almost anyone at any skill level can build. If you’re looking for a bed with a headboard, you’ll want to look elsewhere.

The instructions for this frame are simple. Jenwoodhouse explains them in just a short handful of photos. You can also customize the basic design.

12. DIY poster bed by Jaime Costiglio

diy poster bed

Nothing makes a statement that you are in the master bedroom like a great bed with four solid corner posts. This bed not only makes for an excellent centerpiece but also is incredibly durable.

Consider draping the posts with fabric canopy, beading, or wrapping them with lights. Here are the plans.

13. DIY wood bed by the Accent Piece

diy wood bed

This DIY wood bed by the Accent Piece features a conservative design ideal for the simple individual. Consider painting your wall white to bring out its beautiful design and color. It also allows you loads of space beneath. Do not go cheap on the wood. Here are the plans.

14. DIY chevron queen bed by Jen Woodhouse

diy chevron reclaimed wood bed

Despite its sophisticated look, this DIY chevron reclaimed bed is remarkably easy to pull off, thus making it an ideal project for novice DIYers. Have people marvel at your talent after following through with this plan.

Conclusion

Although building a bed frame from scratch may seem daunting, several of the plans we’ve included are simple enough for amateur woodworkers. For experienced carpenters, we also have complicated designs that will undoubtedly impress their overnight guests. If you don’t like some aspects of the plans, you can customize them or use them as ideas for original designs. Whether you choose an ornate frame or a simple one, you’ll spend much less than at a furniture store or online retailer.

Featured Image Credit: laura adai, Unsplash