How to make a bed yourself

Almost the third part of life the average person spends in a dream, and from its good rest at this time depends its activity in the waking state, and hence, the success in business and personal life. The quality of night rest in many respects depends on the comfort of the body during sleep, which should provide a comfortable bed.

In our time, in the range of furniture stores, you can pick up almost any, even a very unexpected version of this necessary piece of furniture, but for various reasons, it is not always possible to purchase a customizing model in all parameters. Therefore, quite often the question arises about how to make a bed with your own hands at home, and save a decent amount at the same time.

Variety bed models

Before choosing a bed model for manufacturing, it will probably be useful to familiarize yourself with some of them in order to evaluate the complexity of the structure and soberly weigh your possibilities. Today, furniture designers and designers have developed a huge number of options, and many of them can be fully realized at home.

The main difficulty of the self-manufacturing process is mainly in the preparation and processing of structural details, since for these operations it often often simply needs to have special tools. But, one way or another, to decide on the creation of this piece of furniture, it is first of all to consider some models of different levels of complexity, made of different materials.

Bed with drawers

The bed, equipped with drawers, can be single, one-and-a-half or two-fold. But especially it is in demand for installation in children's rooms, where there is usually a large number of toys and subjects for various developmental activities. This design is convenient in that it is possible, without cluttering the room with extra furniture, to create a place for storing various things. And, having put forward such boxes, you can immediately see the entire contents, and not go deep into the jungle of a massive deep cabinet, where it is sometimes difficult to find the right thing.

By and large, the design of this bed is not much more complicated than usual, where a free space is left under the sleeping place. The main thing is to make quality drawings, to put in them the right dimensions, to work well all the parts intended for assembly, to assemble them accurately and to find an easy-to-use fittings. In this case, the sliding elements should be easy to move, freely extend and retract, and for this you can select special side guiding mechanisms or fasten the bottom of the drawer small wheels.

Suspension bed

This original version of the berth is not so complicated in manufacturing, as it may seem at first glance. The only requirement that must be met for the effective functioning of this design is the free space, since the bed is designed to rock in a certain amplitude range.

The bed itself consists of a frame - frame and slats, but you need to take into account the fact that all parts must be made of high quality material and securely fastened together. For this design, you need to choose light wood, so it does not create too high a load on the supports. The same quality should have a mattress, which sometimes has an excessively large unnecessary weight.

Metal bed

A bed made of a metal corner, a rod, strip and armature is available for execution only to an experienced welder, but this option will last a long time without repair, and will not bother creaking. Especially good metal bed will suit a certain style of interior, for example, retro, Empire and even modern.

. Stable and heavy in weight, the design nevertheless looks light, almost weightless, so it fits perfectly into any situation and becomes its decorating element. Metal for many causes negative associations due to rust, which can leave ugly spots on the mattress and bed linen. To be afraid of this should not be - today, with the development of technology, varnishes and paints have been developed that will protect not only bedding accessories from rusty stains, but also the metal itself from the occurrence of this unpleasant manifestation of corrosion. On such a bed the mattress will always be ventilated and will not sag because the frame has sufficient rigidity and solidity.

Bed-wardrobe transformer

Bed, turning into a closet, is indispensable in the cramped conditions of small apartments, and this design can also be reproduced independently, by purchasing special lifting and supporting mechanisms. In this version, the sleeper should be easy to clean and simulate a cabinet or cabinet.

transformer beds. Transformers can be different in size, imitate a massive wardrobe or turn into a compact narrow chest of drawers with a top on top. The latter option can be fully used both for the children's room, and as an additional, backup bed - in case guests arrive. In addition, this design is sometimes installed in the loggia or on the insulated balcony, because in the summer it is so pleasant to relax in the fresh air.

The most difficult thing in making such a model is to pick up the necessary lifting mechanism, and, of course, it is good to process all the details of the structure so that it can be easily installed and cleaned, without distortions and jams.

Bed-podium

Another variant of a bed that will help to save space in the conditions of small areas of modern apartments is a podium bed. The meaning of this design is that the bed does not occupy any extra centimeter in the room, since the bed is removed for the daytime under the podium, which can be used as a useful area, for example, equipping it for a workplace.

podium. This model is also not so difficult to make, but for a bed and a podium a lot of high-quality materials will be required, and the work itself will take quite a long time. However, the result will surpass all expectations, as the output will not only be a comfortable sleeper, but also the original interior design.

In addition to the beds mentioned, from popular, often chosen models can be called such as a construction with a lifting mechanism, orthopedic frame, bunk, with a frame of wooden slats, a bed-sofa and others. Some of them will be considered in more detail later, with the application of illustrated instructions for their manufacture.

We make a bed with our own hands

Double wooden bed

	Since the bed frame must be 150 or 200 mm high, with a wall width of 50 mm, the beam must be glued( 3 or 4 pieces). For this, the sides are greased with carpentry glue, the bars are superimposed on each other, compressed in clampsand left until completely dry.
	Next, the resulting glued blanks must be adjusted to fit. So, for the assembly of the box you will need two side panels( rods) of 2200 mm length, one 2100 mm - for the middle longitudinal lintel, and two end ferrules with a length of 1610 mm.
	To ensure a reliable locking connection at the corners, 50 mm are measured on the edges of the sides, on the upper and lower bars of the workpieces - these fragments must be accurately sawn and removed without touching the middle bar of the panel. On workpieces for the end faces, 50 mm is laid on the middle bar, and then carefully removed. Then, the projecting middle parts of the sides of the beams are smeared with glue and installed in the formed gap between the two bars of the end panels of the box. After that, they must be compressed in clamps and left to dry completely.
	It is possible to do this differently by applying a bar binding compound. In this case, the bars are glued into the box already in the cropped form. For this, the first row of timber is laid out on an even floor, which should form a rectangle. The length of its lateral sides should be 2100 mm, the end - 1500 mm. The end parts of the bar of the side panels are smeared with glue, and the bars of the end sides of the box are pressed against them, and then fixed by screws. The corners of the rectangle are set using a construction square, and are checked by measuring the diagonals - they should be of the same length. Next, the middle row is glued to the bottom row, the length of the side bars is 2200 mm, and the end side element is 1700 mm. Its ends are smeared with glue, and it fits between two bars of the lateral sides, and then it is fixed. Then, the middle row, except for gluing, is fixed to the bottom with the help of screws. In the last, upper row, the bar has the same dimensions and fits in the same way as the first lowest row. The beam is glued, screwed with self-tapping screws "sub-sweat" and left to dry. This method of assembly is more complicated, since in the absence of the corresponding experience of the master, the corners can go against each other.
	The next step is fixing the middle element of the construction - the bridge, glued together from two bars with a length of 2000 mm. Before fixing the jumper, the bed frame is turned over, the end faces are marked from the inside, in order to accurately find their middle. The jumper from the bottom must match the level of the box. Then, on the bottom row of the frame of the box, in the designated places, 150 mm long stop bars are screwed. They will serve as a support for the central longitudinal septum. To join these support elements from the lower bar of the bridge, select 50 mm from the edge. Fastening is made on glue and self-tapping screws. As a support, you can also use a metal corner with a shelf of 50 mm - it drills the corresponding holes for attachment to the walls of the box and to the crosspiece. The finished jumper will be an additional basis for the boards laid on top of the bed frame.
	The bed model in question has 4 legs at the corners - they can also be screwed directly with screws or bolts right now, while the bed box is inverted. The legs of the same bar are 50 × 50 mm. The legs are fixed to the structure first with glue, and then self-tapping screws or through-bolts, and it is additionally recommended to strengthen them on both sides with metal corners. The height at which the bed is raised above the floor can be chosen arbitrarily, but it is usually 200 to 300 mm. The legs are shorter, the more stable the bed, but on the other hand - the low height complicates the cleaning.
	In addition, in order not to sag the center, to the middle bridge it is necessary to fasten one or two additional supports of the same height - then the construction will have higher rigidity and reliability. The middle support legs can be fixed in different ways. In this illustration, the variant is presented, when the legs are fixed with bolts from both sides of the jumper.
	After the adhesive dries in the joints of the supports, the bed frame is again turned to the normal position and is installed already on the mounted "regular" legs.
	Further, on the lateral long panels of the box lines are marked, along which a beam or board with a width of approximately 30 ÷ 40 mm, 25 ÷ 30 mm in thickness, will be fixed. This will be a support for the subsequent installation of overlapping boards. The support shelves should be placed so that they stand on one level with a central lintel. Usually they are guided by the gluing line of the upper beam of the sides of the box - if everything was done correctly, then compliance with the general level will be ensured.
	The next step on top of the prepared support shelves is laid boards. They should not rest against the sides of the box, otherwise unpleasant creaks may appear during the operation of the bed. Therefore, between the walls and boards should be maintained a gap of 4 ÷ 5 mm on each side.
	The flooring does not need to be made solid at all - the boards are spread apart 20 ÷ 40 mm apart.
	The boards are fastened in three places - along the edges, to the support shelves, and in the center - to the longitudinal bridge. Two self-tapping screws 40 mm long are screwed into each fixing point. To avoid cracks on the edges of the boards or on the shelves on which they rest, it is recommended to pre-drill the holes for the screws with a small diameter drill - 3 mm.
	After completing the installation of the boards, you need to audit all surfaces of the structure. If necessary, retracted adhesive flows, large burrs, etc. are removed.
	Go to the final processing of the collected bed. First you need to bring all the surfaces to a perfectly smooth state. It is better to use a belt, eccentric or vibrating grinder for this kind of woodworking, on which sandpaper with the necessary grain size, from 80-100 to 280-400, is successively installed.
	In the absence of a special tool, you can use an electric drill, installing a nozzle to grind it. If woodworking has been done with power tools, you should carefully inspect the product afterwards, as it is possible that in some places you will have to finish the work manually. After finishing the grinding work, the finished bed should be well cleaned of dust and small sawdust, that is, prepare to cover.
	If the product is immediately varnished, the parts must first be treated with a primer. If the wood is obscured by stain, then first use it. The coating process is carried out with a brush or spray.
	Further, if it is planned to emphasize the texture pattern of wood, then after drying the stain on the surface is once again covered with sandpaper.
	It is advisable to cover not only from the outside of the bed, but also from the rear, invisible eye. The fact that the stain is to some extent an antiseptic and is able to protect wood from "traditional" pests - microflora or insects.
	The next stage is coating the product with varnish. For this, it is best to use water-based formulations, especially when the work is carried out in an apartment. These varnishes do not have a toxic odor, are environmentally friendly and dry quickly enough, and after drying they give a pleasant matte shine. To achieve the desired appearance of the bed, it is necessary to apply several thin layers of varnish. And the subsequent layers are applied only after the previous one has dried completely.
	In finished form, the finished bed made of stain and lacquer should look like this.
	In breaks between the bed coverings with varnish, while the next layers will dry out, you can make a full or improvised back. In this case, the panel of the day of the backrest is made of boards, and is mounted in the form of a decorative grille. It requires three boards with a width of 100 ÷ 120 mm, a length of 1600 mm, and 11 ÷ 12 pieces with a height of 400 ÷ 460 mm. The grate is also treated with sandpaper and covered with the same compositions as the bed itself.
	In this model, the headboard is not fixed to the bed - it is mounted on the wall at the level of the mattress. The last step is the mattress itself - and the bed is ready for operation.
Illustration	Brief description of the operation

	If the headboard has a rounded shape, then the template for it is first made on paper, and then transferred to the chipboard and sawed by electric jig saw. It is very important to take into account that the headboard should be pressed against the wall - so the construction will be more rigid. Usually at the joint of the floor and the wall there is a skirting board having a certain width. Therefore, in the upper part on the head of the headboard is fixed a special support element of a bar or piece of chipboard, having a thickness equal to the width of the skirting. With its help will ensure the back rest against the wall. You can do the same in another way by removing a piece of plinth from the place where the bed will be installed.
	Next, the fitting of the box and headboard parts at the installation site is made. Then, the exposed panels of the box from the chipboard are fastened together at the corners with the help of bar sections or metal corners. The headboard panel does not yet join, as it must first be sewn with a cloth. On the fixed panels are used parts from the bar.
	Across lamellae, lamellas are laid on the chipboard and their location is marked.
	The next step of the head of the bed is covered with foam rubber - this operation is performed using a stapler and staples. Foam is leveled, and first fixed to the front side of the panel.
	Then, its edges are wrapped and shoot with staples from the back side of it.
	On top, the foam is covered with the selected fabric. It is recommended to acquire a dense material capable of repelling dust.
	The work on the skin is carried out starting from the bottom of the panel, and then the fabric is carefully stretched and fixed in the same way as the foam on the back side of the headboard.
	The backrest can now be placed in its permanent position.
	Further, the frame of the lifting frame is made. Its parts are assembled and fixed with metal corners. All five bars are distributed at the same distance from each other, starting from the middle of the structure. The middle beam should be supported by a chipboard partition fixed in the bed box. After assembling the frame, it is temporarily set aside.
	Further, both inside and outside the walls of the box are sheathed. They are first also using a stapler to fix the sintepon, and then the same fabric as the headboard of the bed previously covered.
	The next step is to mark and fix the elements of the lifting mechanism on the frame.
	Next? The carcass is fitted on the casing and the place where the beams are mounted on the side panels of the casing is marked, on which the second side of the lifting gear elements will be fixed.
	Then, the beam is fastened, and the fixed part of the hoisting gear is screwed onto it, and the design is tested. The beam is fixed to the chipboard using 50 mm self-tapping screws. Their hats must be dumped into the wood by 0,5 ÷ 1 mm.
	After that, on the frame, across the bars, with the help of self-tapping screws are fixed.
	When folded, the lifting mechanism looks like this. It is located in the formed niche between two bars.
	In the illustrated illustration, you can consider a semicircular cutout made in a central partition. This space is necessary for free lifting of the frame grid.
	Next, the design must be installed on the side panel for ease of further work.
	The next step is preparing the sheets of fiberboard, which will be sheathed the bottom of the bed box. This will create a full-fledged cube, suitable for storing various things.
	Sheathing can be carried out with the help of staples or self-cutters of small length and diameter, but with wide hats.
	After mounting the bottom, the bed is lowered and installed into place.
	This photo clearly shows small wooden parts - racks fixed on the side inner bar. Such elements are installed not only in the middle part of the side bar, but also in the corners of the box. They are mounted at the same height, and are necessary for rigid support of the mobile frame when it is in the folded state.
	For the convenience of lifting the frame together with the mattress placed on it, in its front part are sewn loops sewn from the fabric or original handles. They are screwed with two or four screws with wide hats to the end beam of the frame.
	The bed with the mattress in the open state looks like this.
Illustration	Brief description of the operation

This ordinary bed is of standard size, made from natural wood, which can be processed on its own, bought in finished form or given to the carpenter's workshop for precise cutting and processing. In order to make such a double wooden bed, the following materials will be required:

• Pine beam for a box and legs section of 50 × 50 mm, length 2200 mm - 15 pieces.
• Pine planed board length of 2000 mm, width 100 mm, thickness 20 mm - 22 pcs.
• Joiner glue or PVA for furniture.
• Self-tapping screws 65 and 40 mm.
• Metal angles with a shelf width of 50 mm.

The frame is designed for a mattress with a size of 2000 × 1600 mm, so the interior space should be 2100 × 1700 mm in size, and when measured at the outer edge - 2200 × 1800 mm.

The work is carried out in the following order:

Double bed with

hoist installed Another option for a double bed is a model made with chipboard. In this design, unlike the previous one, there are no legs, which makes it more stable. The advantage of this bed is also the opportunity to use the closed space under the bed, since the model is equipped with a lifting mechanism, which makes it possible to easily lift the wooden frame without removing the mattress.

The drawbacks of this model include its massiveness, which makes it impossible to install it in a small room. In addition, EAF can not be called an absolutely environmentally friendly material, since it is made with the use of binders, which can often release toxic fumes to the environment, which is quite unhelpful for a person.

It should be taken into account that choosing furniture made from chipboard, it is necessary to create conditions for effective ventilation of the room in which it will be located. And for the manufacture of bed parts, you should purchase panels of particleboard, having a class of formaldehyde emission - E1.

So, in order to make a bed with a standard mattress size of 1800 × 2000 × 200 mm, you need to prepare the following materials:

• A chipboard sheet with a thickness of 16 mm and a size of 3500 × 1750 mm.
• Two sheets of fiberboard with a thickness of 5 mm, the standard size of 2745 × 1220 mm.
• A bar with a section of 50 × 50 mm, 18 m.
• Board thickness of 10-15 mm, width of 60 mm - 20 m or plywood 10 mm, size 1525 × 1525 mm.
• Lifting mechanism with gas shock absorbers.
• Self-tapping screws, bolts.
• Metal corners.
• Cladding fabric, width 1500 mm, length 5000 mm.
• Synthepone width of 1600 mm, length of 5000 mm.
• Foam 2 sheets, 10 mm thick and 3000 × 1000 mm in size.
• Brackets for the stapler 8 ÷ 10 mm.

Having prepared everything you need, you can proceed to the manufacture of structural elements.

A. The chipboard thickness of 16 mm is made:

- headboard - 1 piece, size 1080 × 2130 mm, it can be rounded or have right angles;

- side panel of the box - 2 pcs., 2330 × 350 mm;

- end panel of the box - 1 pc., 2130 × 350 mm;

- internal partition - 1 piece, 2010 × 280 mm.

B. Details of the bar 50 × 50 mm, fixed in the box:

- longitudinal elements fixed on the side panels - 2 pcs., Length of 2010 mm;

- cross piece, fixed on the end panel - 1 piece, length 1810 mm.

- racks in height in 100 mm - 4 pieces.

B. Details from the bar 50 × 50 mm for the manufacture of the lifting frame:

- longitudinal elements of the inner lathing - 5 pcs, length of 2005 mm;

- cross-pieces of inner lathing - 2 pieces, 1805 mm long.

G. Board members or plywoods( 10 mm) of lamellas measuring 60 × 15 × 1805 mm - 11 pcs.

D. Sheathing of the bottom of the box - 2 sheets of fiberboard for 1650 × 2330 mm.

Having manufactured all the elements necessary for the assembly of the structure, it is possible to proceed with the skinning and assembling of the parts.

	The following materials and parts are required for this bed model, which are listed in accordance with the diagram shown in the illustration: - A - feet. For the manufacture of these parts, a bar with a cross-section of 2 × 2 "(50.8 × 50.8 mm) is required. The height of the beam for the headboard is 33½ "(851 mm) - 2 pcs., For the foot-17¼"( 438 mm) - 2 pcs.; - B - the back and front walls of the bed frame, as well as the wall located in the footboard, is made of a board with a cross-section of 1 × 9¼ "(24.5 × 245 mm), the length of the side elements is 75½"( 1918 mm) - 2 pcs., wear - 39 "(991 mm) -1 pcs. - C - longitudinal beams for flooring, made of boards 2 × 1 "(50.8 × 25.4 mm) long 75¾"( 1910 mm) - 2 pieces; - D - overlapping boards 1 × 4 "(25,4 × 102 mm) and length - 39"( 990,6 mm) - 13 pieces; - E - lower part of the headboard 1 × 6 "(25,4 × 152 mm) - 1 pc.and the top piece with a section of 1 × 9¼ "(25.4 × 235 mm) - 1 piece, the length of both parts is 39"( 990.6 mm).Later on, a figured back will be cut from the board prepared for the top element.
	The first step is the manufacture of structural components and assembles into separate sections from which the bed will be mounted. The most difficult part in the form is the upper part of the back, which is not only decorated with a curved shape, but it must also have an ideally processed upper and lower edge. On the prepared board the indicated sizes are put, with the help of an improvised compass the rounded upper part of the back is defined. You can make a so-called pattern on a piece of paper, and then transfer the shape to a board. Then, sawing is performed with electric jig saw, edge processing with a milling cutter and grinding with a grinder or manually. It is very important that the surfaces are brought to an ideally smooth state, as they will not be lined with fabric or other material. In addition to this part, the bottom panel for the headboard is cut out. With her, it's much easier to understand, because the most difficult task is to smoothly cut off the edges, and then work them out well.
	Then, from a bar section of 50.8 × 50.8 mm, the legs are cut to a height of 851 mm. They also need to be well processed and cleaned. After that, on the sides of the bars, which will be turned inwards, a marking is made to connect them to the crossbeams.
	In order to assemble the headboard neat and have strong connections, you can act according to the presented scheme. For this purpose, 2 ÷ 3 holes for each of the elements are drilled in the bars and the end faces of the boards. The dowels are 80 mm long and 8 mm in diameter. Then the dowels and the mating end parts of the parts are lubricated with glue. Next, the dowels are carefully driven through the beam into the transverse parts of the back of the headboard. If the process is carried out in this way, the connection points on the outside of the legs are closed with a wooden strip, which is fixed to the adhesive, and for the period of its drying the foot is clamped in the clamps.
	Provided that the decorative decorative laths are glued, the landing slots for the side panels of the bed( king) are left on the outside of the legs. In this case, they are attached to the side of the legs, which is the strongest joint. If it is not planned to fasten additional shroud-closing lining on the leg, the holes in the bars are drilled not through, but only from the inside, deepening them by 25 ÷ 30 mm. Then, also with the help of glue and dowels, the headboard details are connected together. This method of assembly is somewhat more complicated than the previous one, but with a neat approach and precise work - it is quite feasible.
	Next, the legs and the panel for the foot are made. The height of the timber for them should be 438 mm, and the panel size is 235 mm wide and 990.6 mm long. The connection of the wear parts is carried out in the same way as in the head section, that is, using dowels and glue.
	The next step is to connect the side panels( yards) to the head and foot sections. They can be fixed in many ways. The most common option is the metal corners. They are screwed to the kings and legs with screws.
	In addition to metal corners, to connect these parts there are special parts, called bed screeds or hooks. With their help, the side panels are hung on the legs of the head and foot. If hooks are used for the connection, the structure will be collapsible.
	The next step to the kingpins is to fasten the support shelves or elements made of a bar or docks. They are fixed on the bottom edge of the sidewall.
	The glue is applied to the beam, then the part is leveled on the pallet and pressed to it with clamps. When the glue is completely dry, the parts are screwed with screws.
	The next stage on the bars attached to the rods are laid out and aligned prepared boards.
	When fixing the lamellas on the bars, the entire structure acquires the necessary rigidity. Each of the boards is screwed with two screws on both sides. The holes for self-tapping are indicated by drilling( 3 mm).
Illustration	Brief description of the operation

Single bed

This section presents the design of a single bed, which can be used for an adult or a teenager, since it has quite suitable dimensions. As for any piece of furniture installed in a bedroom or a children's room, you need to choose a quality and environmentally friendly material for this product.

Dimensions in these figures are in inches, 1 in. = 2.54 cm or 25.4 mm. Knowing this relationship, it will be easy to translate the presented sizes into units familiar to domestic masters.

In this table, the process of manufacturing this simple bed model is available:

Next, it remains only to "gloss", clean the assembled structure of sawdust and dust, lay a mattress, make a bed - and the bed is fully ready for use.

The above variants of beds can be considered the most affordable for self-production. For the work to be effective, it is necessary to prepare well for it, having equipped the home workshop with the necessary tools and quality material. Having fulfilled these conditions and performing all the technological operations accurately and without hurrying up, it is possible to get a quality piece of furniture that will last for many years.

Video: Super-economical bed option from available materials