How to Build a Rock & Roll Bed

Sketching the Look

• The best way to start designing your rock and roll-inspired bed is by sketching some ideas on a piece of paper. For example, if you are going with a modern rock theme, you could choose to use an album cover of your favorite artist for the bed shape. Or, choose a generic look, such as a musical staff with notes of your favorite rock song. You can find sheet music online and at some music stores. Consider shapes such as drum sets, guitars or records. Design both a headboard and foot board for the bed. For example, create a drum set design for the headboard and a musical staff for the foot board. Or, choose two album covers to design the head and foot boards. Once you are happy with the design, you can move on to construction.

Building Materials

• Creating a custom bed does not require a lot of fancy tools or expensive materials. Plywood is inexpensive and lightweight, making it a good medium for constructing a wall-mounted headboard. To cut the wood, you can use a jigsaw. In addition to the wood, you need paint or wood stain to decorate the plywood, acrylic sealant to protect the paint and nails to hang it with. A measuring tape is handy to ensure you know the exact dimensions of your bed before buying the materials. In addition, if you want a finished look, wood putty will fill the nail holes in once hung.

Construction

• Draw the shape you determined in the sketching phase on a piece of 3/4-inch plywood. The width of the plywood should equal your mattress’s width and the height should be at least 24 inches tall. To create a full looking headboard, you want to use as much of the plywood as possible for the design. In the example of a guitar shape, you can use the plywood to create the body of the guitar and add more plywood for the neck. Once you are happy with the drawing, cut the wood out, sand it and paint it as desired. Create the foot board for the bed in the same manner using another piece of plywood.
  If you prefer to make your own platform bed instead of using a premade metal frame to support your bed, use 2-by-4 inch boards to create the base. The lengths of the boards should be 1 inch larger than your mattress. Secure the boards together with wood screws in a rectangular shape. Then you attach a 1-by-1-inch cleat to the inside edge of the structure running the length of the bed to support bed slats. Place 1-by-5-inch slats the length of the bed on the cleats and nail them in place. You can use a piece of 3/4-inch plywood the same dimensions of your mattress on top of the slats in place of a box spring.
  Extra details can be added to the headboard, foot board and platform bed if desired. For example, add strings to the guitars neck, metallic paint for symbols, create the music notes out of felt or paint a musical staff around the platform beds sides.

Installation

• Hanging the finished headboard requires the assistance of another set of hands. One person holds the headboard 25 inches off the ground while the other person uses a nail gun or hammer to nail the headboard to the wall. Once hung, set the metal bed frame or platform bed you built under the headboard. Attach the foot board to the other end of the bed using bolts to attach it to a metal frame or nails to secure it to a wooden platform. Once constructed, place your mattress on the frame or platform to finish the bed.