How to make a bunk bed with your own hands

The question of how to make a bunk bed with your own hands often arises on the "agenda" due to the fact that standard apartments do not differ in impressive areas and space. Even if the children in the family are allocated a completely separate room, do not clutter it with extra furniture - it is better to leave more space for the game and sports activities.

Therefore, for a family in which two or more children grow up, the bunk bed design becomes a real godsend. And do not necessarily rummage through Internet directories or run around furniture stores - such a bed can be made by your own.

Some types and models of bunk beds

Nowadays in the range of shops you can find a lot of models of beds with two tiers, and on their basis is quite realisticCreate your own version of the berth with suitable for specific conditions and specificity of the location of the size and comfortable staircase. In addition to two-tier traditional structures, you can also make a loft bed, which will free up useful space in the room.

If you consider several different options, it will be easier to choose the most suitable design for your apartment.

Traditional model

A similar bunk bed is traditional and has the simplest design of all that can be. It is completely accessible for independent production and will require a minimum amount of materials.

This model is perfect for a children's room and will significantly save in it a useful space that can be used to equip a workplace or a game area. In addition, the design can serve as a good platform for intricate children's games, so it should be fairly stable, and in some cases it is generally recommended to fix it firmly to the wall.

The great advantage of this model is the natural wood from which it is made, which is very important for the children's room. Drawings and a detailed description of the manufacture of this bed model will be considered below.

Bed option with

sofa The bed, which has a folding sofa on its first level, will save even more space in the room than a conventional two-tiered structure. If there is an ordinary bed on the ground floor, it will be uncomfortable to just sit and watch TV, as there is no comfortable back. Therefore, in addition to the above-presented traditional version of a bunk bed in the children's room, you still have to look for a place for a sofa or two chairs, which, of course, will occupy a large enough area. Well, if you build a sofa in a two-tiered complex, it will serve as a sleeping place at night, and in the daytime - it will create a comfortable corner for rest sitting or lying down. In addition, when folded, this piece of furniture will not occupy any extra centimeter of the area, and in the unfolded state it will become a spacious full-sized bed.

To make such a complex yourself, you have to buy or use an existing sofa and already attach to it the rest of the structure, which, by the way, will be stable and reliable due to the massiveness of the lower tier.

Bedding model with drawers

This version of a bunk bed, designed for three berths and additionally equipped with drawers and shelves, will take a little more space than a traditional traditional bed with two tiers. However, in fact in a children's room all the same not to do without various cases and boxes for toys and training accessories for which the attached construction can be used, simultaneously acting as a reliable, stable ladder leading to the second level.

Sleeping places themselves will occupy an area on which would accommodate one ordinary bed. As can be seen in the illustration, the third sleeper is a retractable structure, which for the daytime hides under the mattress of the first tier.

Thus, three children will be provided not only with sleeping places, but also with their drawers and shelves, and in addition - with an excellent game complex, into which such a two-tier structure can turn.

A model with a double bed on the first tier

The bed, which has the first tier of a double bed, can be used in a one-room apartment, or in a two-room apartment, where one of the living rooms is decided to be allocated to the living room with a workstation. So, the first floor of the bed is assigned to an adult bedroom, and the second one is intended for a child.

. This variant of the trapezoidal construction will occupy the area of ​​the room, which is usually allocated for a folded sofa. To produce it, you need a few materials, but due to the widely spaced legs and large massiveness of the lower tier, the bed will be stable and durable.

Bed for a large family

The two-tier construction consisting of four beds is an excellent choice for a family with four or more children. It is more difficult to make this variant, and it will require a lot of material for it, but the room will become spacious, and the bed will look neatly along one of the walls.

The design can be modified and enlarged up to six beds, if it is installed in the length of the room and add another two-tiered section, or equip two lower mattresses under the lower tier.

Bed-loft

The loft bed is also used for the rational use of the useful area in the room and a kind of "disguise" of the sleeping place. This option is suitable not only for young children - it is often chosen for adults, especially if the apartment consists of one room.

This design allows you to use one area of ​​the room in a dual purpose - on the second tier there is a wide and comfortable bed, and the lower platform of the first tier is a fairly spacious cabinet that provides everything for comfortable work.

An important condition for the construction of such a structure is its strength, especially if the berth is intended for two people. Usually, this loft bed is additionally securely fixed to the wall.

Baby bed-loft

The children's loft-bed option is a whole complex, including a table and a wardrobe that can store not only toys, but also garments. Such a complex with some reason can even be called a small room that will become a favorite place for a child, since most children always try to create their own "secret" corner, building huts and houses from chairs and blankets.

	So, all boards should be cut, their surfaces - ideally aligned and adjusted to the desired size. This illustration shows the manufacturing of the side skirt of the bed's load-bearing structure.
	To ensure that the cross-pieces on which the mattress will be laid have reliable and strong supports, the well-treated bars are fixed to the rods.
	The joiner's glue, along the sticking of the timber, is applied to the panel. Then it is laid on the glued element. The bar is well pressed and pulled together by clamps in several places. After the glue dries, the parts are fastened with screws through the holes drilled "under-sweat".
	Very important point is the manufacture of lateral legs-legs, because they fall a high load. These elements will be fixed in the future lateral and end panels of the bed. Therefore, they are usually assembled from two layers, one of which is basic, and consists of a whole bar. The second layer is assembled from separate elements located at a certain distance from each other.
	This distance depends on the width of the yoke, the edge of which will be set in the resulting groove. Single pieces of timber first glued to the markings on the solid piece, and then they drill holes "sub-sweat" for self-tapping screws.
	Another issue that causes difficulties is the creation of mold patterns on some details, for example, in the manufacture of semi-circular headboard and footboard backs. To avoid errors and not to draw unnecessary rough lines on the most wooden part, it is recommended to make a paper template, from which the shape is transferred to the board with neat dashed contours.
	Then, take a flexible plastic bar, which can be bent over the bend of the saw, and already along it a fine curvilinear cutting edge is drawn.
	Next, the board is sawed along the marked line using an electric jigsaw. This photo shows a professional stationary machine, but you can also use a hand tool.
	The cut line is then machined with a hand or stationary milling cutter that rounds the edges and releases them from the sticking wooden fibers. In the same way, all the boards needed to create elements for the headboard and footboard are cut and processed.
	When all the parts necessary for assembling the bed are made, they should be fitted and fitted with the necessary markings.
	Further, connection dowels are manufactured or purchased in ready form. They can be round or have a flat shape, as shown in this illustration.
	Finished dowels are laid out on the parts to be joined. Simultaneously it will be possible to visually estimate how many will be required.
	In places where drill holes will be drilled, marks are made with a simple pencil. Easily drill holes for round dowels by picking up a drill of the correct size. If flat dowels are used for the joints, several holes are drilled next to the drill, which are then combined with a chisel or a cutter.
	The dowels are inserted into the holes while there is no glue, as it is first necessary to pre-assemble the structure to ensure that there are no misalignments.
	After that, the free ends of the dowels are put on the bed stands. A rubber or wooden hammer( kiyanka) can be used for complete assembly of parts during assembly.
	After making the connections of the details of one of the sides of the backrest, proceed to the mounting of the second post.
	After assembling the individual elements of the bed, it is necessary to pre-assemble the entire "first floor" structure to ensure that all parts are exactly the same.
	The bed frames are laid on the bed frame - this process is performed to determine the optimal distance between them.
	When the size of the gaps between the boards is determined, fragments of the bar are cut on it and are glued between the boards on the support beam on which the base boards are laid. These elements allow the boards to be in the specified position without any shifts, so they are simply stacked without fixing the edges with screws.
	After carrying out all the preliminary operations and making the necessary adjustments, the whole construction is dismantled and reassembled, but already "tight", that is, with the use of glue.
	The illustration shows well how the connection of the pillars of the bed to the panels of the headboard backs is made using dowels, glued with glue.
	The glued bed frame must be pulled into the clamps before it dries completely, and then it is additionally fastened by screws through the holes drilled "under-potay".
	In the illustration, it is easy to see the lengths of the beam, fixed to the longitudinal support flange of the yoke - between them and subsequently the mats of the mattress base will be laid.
	The final connection of the arms and backs of the headboard and footboard is made by self-tapping screws.
	This illustration shows which slice should be placed on the bottom of the foot under the skirting board so that the bed can be mounted against the wall.
Illustration	Brief description of the operation

Having made this variant of a bed with all the elements necessary for playing and studying, you can solve several problems at once and save on buying furniture for a child for many years, as the complex is suitable for a five-year-old baby, and forfifteen-year-old. And, starting drawing up, it is possible to include in it already existing cabinets and tables that are perfect for the first tier of the structure.

Upon completion of work, all elements of the loft bed are combined in a general color, which will be in harmony with the design of the entire children's room.

Production of beds with two tiers

Further in the publication will be considered the production and assembly of two different models of bunk beds - "classical" type and bed-loft. However, very many structural elements and their assembly principles are exactly the same, and in order not to repeat, for the beginning these particular nuances will be shown separately, using the example of an ordinary wooden bed. If these principles are mastered, then the creation of the second tier will not be a big deal, certainly, taking into account certain features.

Principles for the quality assemble of a wooden bed

To ensure that the product is neat, it is necessary to accurately manufacture and process all parts. In the table below, the illustrations are provided on which the master uses professional tools - they greatly speed up and simplify the work. However, the same operations can be carried out with the usual tool, which is in practically any good, "handy" owner. Of course, it will take a little more effort, and the manufacture will take more time, but still it is possible.

So, having made all the details that are necessary for a particular drawing of the chosen model, you can proceed to the independent creation of this original piece of furniture, using the shown principles of assembling the main parts and units of a wooden bed.

Two-level wooden bed of the "classic" type

This version of a bunk bed can be called the simplest of all existing, so it is worth considering.

In this figure, figures show the basic details of the design.

This table shows the dimensions and the number of parts, and this data, even for a beginner master should be enough to make them based on the above instructions, and then - to assemble a bunk bed from them.

Part No.	Designation Part	Part Size, mm	Quantity, pcs.
1.	Vertical racks.	38 × 76 × 1730	4
2.	External covers for vertical racks.	38 × 76 × 1730	4
3.	Carrying side boards of the frame( yards).	38 × 140 × 2030	4
4.	Longitudinal slats for laying the carcass boards, fixed to the rods on the inside( not visible in the figure).	32 × 44 × 1850	4
5.	Top headboard / footboard	20 × 140 × 914	4
6.	Central headrest / footboard headers	20 × 90 × 914	4
7.	Ladder railings	20 × 90 × 1510	1
8	Steps of the ladder	20 × 64 × 482	3
9.	Fence bars - cut to the correct size when mounting	20 × 90 × 1800	2
10.	Cross-sectional mattress support rails( not visible in the figure), trimmed in place.	20 × 76 × 1000	24
11.	Carrier frame end plates	20 × 140 × 914	4

Below is an illustrated table-instruction that shows the relative positioning and connection of all the details of the bunk bed. Drawing on the schemes and textual accompaniment to them, it will be easy to conduct an independent installation.

( In some illustrations, the dimensions are in inch.) Converting to millimeters is not difficult: 1 inch = 25.4 mm.)

Illustration	Brief description of the operation performed
	This is the side bearing of the bed - the king, designed to hold the cross slat boards. Such panels are made of 4 pieces, they form the length of the upper and lower box of the couch.
	This figure shows the principle of assembly of the head and foot, which consist of racks and crossbeams. In turn, the racks are made up of a solid bar and individual lengths that cover the holes of the joints of the parts and form a groove for mounting the rods into it.
	Scheme of head and foot assembly with detailed details and dimensions. Here you need to pay attention to the fact that in the upper part of the back of the headboard on the solid beam of the rack are fixed three separate pads, because between them the fencing parts will be fixed. For the backrest, in the upper part of it there is fixed one whole instead of three covers.
	Head and footboard components in the assembly. Drawing on the dimensions given in the figure, it will be easy to make markings and assemble these elements of the bed.
	This figure shows the details of the ladder and the fence of the upper berth. The staircase shows the location of the three stages. When securing the lower stage to the footrest, care must be taken to ensure that the mounting screws of the step do not rest against the screws securing the frame.
	Now, for the comfort of further work, it is necessary to fasten the head and foot with the lower and upper arms. For this, they are installed in the gaps left between the patches, and each of their sides is fixed with four screws.
	When the structure is firmly on the floor, you can begin to install the ladder rail, its steps, and the bars of the fence. Elements are fastened together with each other, as well as with head and foot stands, self-tapping screws. After all the elements have been assembled into a single structure, you can stack the cross-pieces between the pieces of bars attached to the crochets.
	The final step is the final processing of the connections, so that they do not have a burr. Then it will only need to clean the structure of dust, install it in the right place, put mattresses on the berths - and the bed is ready for use.

I would like to add that it will be a good idea to fix the assembled structure to the wall, since children usually use it not only as a sleeping place, but also as a sports complex. In order to avoid unpleasant moments, it is better to take care beforehand that the structure is stable and safe.

Bed-attic

Another variant of a bed that will help to save space in a small apartment, even with just one room. As already mentioned, the space occupied by such a bed can be useful for various needs.

The following materials are required for this loft bed model:

• Board 50 × 100 × 2500 mm -14 pcs.
• Board 120 × 25 × 1000 mm -13 pcs.
• Board 50 × 150 × 2500 mm - 4 pcs.
• Board 25 × 50 × 2500 mm -1 pcs.
• Bar 50 × 50 × 2500 mm -2 pcs.
• Bolts for 60 mm.
• Self-tapping screws 50 ÷ 60 mm.
• Joiner's glue.

The following parts must be manufactured and processed from the purchased lumber:

Illustration	Brief description of the operation
	On the basis of the presented drawing from the prepared boards, the left end part of the structure is assembled. The connection of the crossbeams to the posts is also carried out using dowels that are placed in the drilled holes on the carpenter's glue, and then additionally fixed by screws - their hats should be deepened into wood by 2 ÷ 3 mm. To this side will be fixed platform with a ladder.
	Further, the right side of the structure is assembled in the same way. It differs significantly from the previous one, since it functions as one of the sides of the fence.
	The next step on the load-bearing carcass planks( rods) is glued and then bolted with self-tapping brusks with delimiting segments of a board 30 mm long, between which the cross lamellae fit under the mattress. Next, the connection of the end parts of the construction with the shrouds and enclosing boards is made. All parts are assembled with bolts or dowels and self-tapping screws. If dowels are used, they must be put on the glue. As a result, the inner area of ​​the sleeper should be a size of 1000 × 1900 mm. After that, the projecting beam is laid slate boards - the basis of the berth.
	The next step is the support frame for the podium area. It should be solid, as it will have a fairly heavy load.
	The next operation - to the frame is mounted the frame of the site, and the whole structure joins the bed. For securing all elements of the podium, it is recommended to use metal corners that are screwed on the inside of the frame. Here it is necessary to take into account that the structure should be strong enough to withstand the weight of an adult.
	Next, the platform of the podium is covered with prepared boards. They are best placed on the glue, and then screwed with screws, drowning their hats in the wood for 3 ÷ 4 mm, and the remaining grooves are sealed with a mixture of sawdust and glue. All edges of the boards must be treated very carefully before smoothness, so that the probability of earning a particular injury is excluded.
	The next stage is the manufacture of stairs, and it can be called the most difficult of the whole process of building a bed. The boards need not only to be perfectly processed, but also to cut their edges at an angle of 45 degrees, but the upper cuts on one side and the bottom cuts on both sides. To make it easier to mark out the places where the bars are fastened under the steps, one board can be pinned to the podium in a position where the ladder will be fixed to it. The steps should be parallel to the floor - this can be done using the usual building level. After marking one of the boards, just like with full symmetry, mark out the second one. Marking points will specify the direction for drawing lines, along which uncut brusks are screwed to the boards. Their edges can be cut after fastening - exactly on the level of the end part of the board.
	Next, on the fixed bars are laid and fixed boards-steps. To make it easier to work, first fix one board at the top and bottom - this will give the construction the necessary rigidity. After that it will be easy to fasten the rest of the steps. All fasteners must be recessed into the wood, and the holes are sealed with adhesive and sawdust. A ready ladder must be securely attached to the podium, and then the design test can be carefully carried out. After that, all holes, filled with filler from glue and sawdust, are sanded with sandpaper. The next step is the entire assembled structure, if desired, painted or coated with water based varnish. To make the varnish or paint easy to apply on the surface, without strong absorption into the wood, it is desirable to cover all the details for the beginning with a wood primer that will create a film filling the pores of the material.

Part name	Part dimension, mm	Quantity, pcs.
Vertical racks.	50 × 100 × 1650	4
End plates of the supporting frame	50 × 150 × 950	2
Transverse boards at the ends of the bed	50 × 100 × 950	4
Fencing boards	50 × 100 × 1900	4
Carrying side boards of the frame.	50 × 150 × 1900	2
Longitudinal bars, fixed to the rods on the inside, for laying the lamellas( not visible in the figure).	50 × 50 × 1900	2
Carrying bars for steps, the edges of which are cut parallel at an angle of 45 degrees. The edges of the boards are recommended to be rounded.	25 × 50 × 200	6
Boards for steps	50 × 100 × 450	6
Part of a vertical rack located near the stairs.	50 × 100 × 1050	1
Side boards of the ladder( both ends are sawed at an angle of 45 degrees, the top edge on one side, the bottom edge on both sides of the board), see below.	50 × 150 × 1000	2
Stairway floor boards	50 × 100 × 550	12
Surface boards	50 × 100 × 500	2
Boards for assembling the retaining structure under the platform( vertical)	50 × 100 × 950	2
Boards for assemblyretaining structure under the platform( horizontal)	50 × 100 × 800	2
Transverse lamella boards for mattress support( not visible in the figure).	120 × 25 × 1000	13

The diagram below gives a complete picture of how the bed will look in the finished form. In addition, it is possible to determine your own dimensions of the structure, since the bed can be larger or smaller than the version shown in the drawing, depending on the height and age of the child, and also on the size of the room.

A similar design can easily be modified into a more compact version, the side platform is not installed, and instead of it a ladder is installed that will take much less space.

The table below shows the order of execution of work and the dimensions that need to be met during assembly.

In this publication were presented the simplest designs of bunk beds, available for the manufacture of even a beginner. If you do not have all the necessary tools for woodworking at hand, or if you do not have enough confidence that the exact processing of blanks will go perfectly, you can entrust this work to professionals by contacting a carpentry workshop, providing the purchased material and drawings with dimensions. The master will make all the details, and it will only be left to construct the assembly at its place of installation.

And at the end of the publication - another simple version of the children's bunk bed is shown on the attached video:

Video: how to make a children's bunk bed