How to Make a Sturdy Wood Bed Frame

Lay the four 2-by-4 boards in a rectangular shape with the two longer boards at the sides of the frame and the two shorter boards at the top and bottom. Place the shorter boards inside the longer boards and lay all pieces on the thinner side, which measures 2 inches.

Drill two wood screws into each corner of the rectangle. Place the screws approximately 2 inches apart from each other and drill them from the outside of the longer beam to drive them into the center of the shorter beam.

Lay the piece of plywood on top of the frame. Secure it to the wood with one screw at each corner of the rectangle. Drill straight down so the screw goes through the plywood and into the wood beams.

Secure the plywood by placing one wood screw in the center of each of the shorter beams and two screws into each of the larger beams, spaced evenly apart.

Turn the frame on its side so you can access both the inside of the frame and the top of the plywood.

Place a post in the corner of the frame where the two beams meet each other. Secure it in place with four wood screws driven through the surface of the plywood and into the post. Add reinforcement with two additional screws driven through the short beam into the post and two more screws driven through the long beam into the post. Repeat for the other three corners.

Position an additional post in the center of one side of the frame, setting it flush against the long beam. Drive four screws into the post through the plywood. Drive three additional screws into the post through the beam. Repeat for the other three sides of the frame.