DIY Bookshelf Bed

Basic Design

• 1

  Set up the freestanding bed frame according to manufacturer's directions. Pull the folded ends into position on a metal or Hollywood frame, for example, and click the pieces together or adjust and tighten the slide clamps, if any, as needed. Put any slats in position and secure them according to manufacturer's instructions.

• 2

  Measure the width of the frame from outside edge to outside edge and add 4 inches to get the length you need for the top of the bookcase headboard. Use a table saw to cut a piece of 12-inch-wide plywood 43 inches long, or 39 plus 4, to make the top of the bookcase headboard for a single or twin mattress.

• 3

  Cut the plywood 58 inches long for a double, 64 inches for a queen, 80 inches for a king or 76 inches long for a California king mattress.

• 4

  Cut two side pieces for the bookcase from 1/2-inch-thick plywood, 12 inches wide by 60 inches tall.

• 5

  Have helpers hold the 12-by-60-inch side pieces upright on their 12-inch edges. Lay the top piece for the bookcase on top of the side pieces, with all corners and edges flush.

• 6

  Drill 1/16-inch diameter pilot holes through each end of the top of the bookcase every 4 inches, beginning 1 inch from the front and ending 1 inch from the back. Countersink all the holes.

• 7

  Secure the top to the side pieces using 1/8-inch-diameter brass wood screws.

• 8

  Measure the distance from the floor to the top of the mattress, at the head of the bed. Mark that point on the inside faces of the bookcase side pieces.

• 9

  Cut a piece of plywood 6 inches wide, whose length equals the length of the bookcase top, to make a bookcase front brace. Cut a piece of plywood 6 inches wide by 43 inches long, for example, if your bookcase headboard is for a single bed.

• 10

  Position the bookcase front brace so that each narrow end is flush with the outside faces of the bookcase sides and whose top edge is even with the top of the mattress.

• 11

  Drill 1/16-inch diameter pilot holes 4 inches apart at each end of the bookcase front brace. Countersink the holes and secure the brace using 1/8-inch diameter, 1.5-inch-long wood screws.

• 12

  Cut two interior shelves 1 inch shorter and 1/2 inch narrower than the plywood sheet you cut for the top of the bookcase. Cut four shelf supports from 1-by-2-inch stock lumber, 11.5 inches long.

• 13

  Position the first pair of shelf supports so that their top edges are even with the top edge of the bookcase front brace. Secure them to the inside faces of the sides of the bookcase using 1/8-inch diameter, 1.5-inch long wood screws.

• 14

  Position the second pair of shelf supports halfway between the first pair and the underside of the top of the bookcase and secure them the same way you did the first pair.

• 15

  Slide the first interior shelf onto the first pair of supports and secure it at each end using at least three 1.5-inch wood screws, spaced 5 inches apart.

• 16

  Repeat for the second interior shelf. Sand the entire bookcase as desired, using a belt sander and coarse through extra-fine sandpaper.

• 17

  Paint the bookcase with bright acrylic enamel and three coats of clear acrylic sealant, allowing the paint to dry overnight between coats.

• 18

  Push the bed frame against the bookcase headboard. Drill through the existing holes at the ends of the side rails into the bookcase headboard. Secure the bed to the headboard using 1/8-inch-diameter wood screws.

Tower Bookcase

• 19

  Assemble two tower bookcases from melamine shelf stock with predrilled holes. Place the two long pieces of melamine shelf stock between the two 24-by-24-inch pieces with the holes facing inward and all edges and corners flush.

• 20

  Drill 1/16-inch diameter pilot holes through the top and bottom pieces and into the side pieces. Countersink the holes and secure the top and bottom using 1.5-inch wood screws.

• 21

  Use a belt sander and coarse through medium belts to round all sharp edges on the bookcases.

• 22

  Push the metal shelf supports into the holes in the sides of the bookcases.

• 23

  Stand the bookcases upright on each side of the head of the bed, against a wall. Locate and mark the positions of the studs on the wall.

• 24

  Cut a cleat the same length as the bookcase from 1-by-2-inch stock lumber. Attach the cleat to the necessary studs.

• 25

  Attach each bookcase to the wall using two L-shaped wall mounts on top of each shelf, screwed into the cleat, at the stud positions.

• 26

  Attach the closet bar support brackets between the two bookcase towers using 1.5-inch wood screws. Slip the closet bars into position.

• 27

  Screw the eye bolt into the ceiling above the bed, 12 inches out from the wall.

• 28

  Bunch the gossamer fabric to fit through the eye bolt. Pull it through to the halfway point.

• 29

  Screw one of the cup hooks into the bookcase frame on each side of the bed. Slip tiebacks through the cup hooks to create a fairy-princess effect. Use camouflage fabric for a boy's bookcase.