How to Make a Canopy Bed With a Head and Foot Board

Cut a 24-by-3/4-inch groove, 3/4 inch deep, down one side of a 4-by-4-by-80-inch wood post using a router. Start the groove 20 inches from the bottom of the post and center it between the post's edges. Repeat the process to add a 24-by-3/4-inch groove to another 4-by-4-by-80-inch post.

Cut an 18-by-3/4-inch groove, 3/4 inch deep, down one side of a third 4-by-4-by-80-inch post using the router. Start the groove 7 inches from the bottom of the post and center the groove as you did in Step 1. Repeat the process with a fourth post to add another 18-by-3/4-inch groove.

Drill two holes near the top of each post -- the end opposite of the one where the grooves are -- using a 3/8-inch drill bit. Position the holes 1 inch down from the top edge, centered in the post. Drill one hole on the side with the groove. On one of the shorter-grooved posts and one of the longer-grooved posts, place the second hole on the side to the right of the groove. On the other two posts, place the second hole on the side to the left of the grooves. These holes will hold your canopy bars.

Drill a 3/8-inch hole in both ends of two 61-by-2-by-2-inch boards and two 81-by-2-by-2-inch boards. Make the holes 1 inch deep. Apply wood glue to the holes and insert a 2-by-3/8-inch dowel rod into each hole.

Place the two posts with the longer grooves opposite one another, spaced about 61 inches apart, on your work surface with the grooves facing inward. Position them so the second set of holes in the top of the post faces the same direction. Apply glue to the holes at the inside top and to the grooves. Insert a 61-inch board's dowel into one of the holes and insert one side of a 62 1/2-by-24-by-3/4-inch plywood sheet into one of the grooves, then push the second dowel and other end of the plywood into the hole and groove on the other post. This creates the headboard.

Place the two boards with the shorter grooves about 61 inches apart on your work surface with the grooves facing one another and the second set of holes in the top of the post facing the same way. Repeat the process of applying glue to the holes and grooves, inserting the 2-by-2 board and the shorter piece of plywood in one side and then pushing the other post onto the dowel and board. This creates the footboard.

Hold the headboard and footboard upright and press the posts against the ends of a metal bed frame. Use a pencil to mark the location of the bolt holes on the bed frame where they meet the wood posts. Drill a 3/8-inch-wide pilot hole at each of the marks, 1 inch deep. Hold the headboard and footboard up to the bed frame. Drive a 3/8-inch bed bolt through the holes on the frame into the posts. Do not tighten the bolts all the way, to allow you to insert the remaining canopy pieces.

Apply wood glue to the remaining holes in the posts and lift the 81-inch canopy boards up to the holes. Use the wiggle room from the untightened bolts to insert the dowel rods.

Tighten the bolts on the bed frame. Place your mattress and box spring on the frame.