How to Build a Canopy Bed Out of Recycled Wood

Measure your mattress. Find one sheet of pre-used plywood that’s at least 3 inches longer and wider so it doesn’t overhang the bed base when it’s complete. Sand the plywood. Repair blemishes with wood glue fill. Determine the bed’s overall height once the box spring and mattress are in place so you know how long to cut sections of recycled 2-by-4 lumber to craft the combination legs/posts.

Make a simple bed frame. Cut and measure four lengths of recycled lumber to size and join them together using wood screws to create the rectangular base. Reinforce the frame by screwing more sections of pre-used lumber to the frame, creating a solid ribcage of slats. Apply wood glue to seams for an extra seal. Sand the frame to smooth rough edges. Secure the plywood sheet to the top of the ribbed frame with wood screws to complete the structure of the bed base.

Add post/leg units to each of the four corners. Screw pre-measured lengths of recycled and sanded lumber to all four corners of the bed base using long wood screws. Connect the tops of the four posts using four additional lengths of pre-used lumber to create a secure canopy frame. Wipe down the tree branches to prepare them for mounting.

Prepare the bed for refinishing by lightly sanding all surfaces before applying a stain that matches the colors of the tree branches. Attach the branches to each of the four posts, using brown-tinted wire to secure the lengths from the legs to the canopy top. Coat the entire canopy bed with several coats of polyurethane sealer once the branches are in place. Allow everything to dry thoroughly before placing the box spring and mattress atop the platform bed.

Make a canopy. Purchase enough cloth to stretch across the frame plus an extra 2 feet. Use lightweight brown burlap -- hemmed or raw -- for a natural touch or choose diaphanous fabric like silk, rayon or nylon. Avoid heavy textiles; they can be hard to drape and may deflect light from windows and overhead fixtures. Install the fabric atop the canopy frame from head to foot, allowing a slight overhang at both ends so it doesn't detract from those dramatic, tree-branch-trimmed posts.