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How to Make a Primitive Bed for an Old-Style Log Cabin

Homesteaders often used primitive types of beds, like rope beds, in their log cabins. The components needed to make the bed were easy to transport and readily found: pieces of timber and rope. The rope forms the base of the bed and creates a place for a mattress to be laid. If there was no mattress, then straw could be placed on the ropes and covered with material for makeshift padding. You can make your own primitive twin-sized bed to go in your own log cabin.

Things You'll Need

  • 4-inch by 4-inch lumber; 4 pieces at 22 inches long
  • 2-inch by 6-inch lumber; 2 pieces at 42 inches, 2 pieces at 75 inches
  • Measuring tape
  • Circular saw
  • Wood screws
  • Drill and bits
  • Rope, 150 feet long
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cut the 4-inch by 4-inch lumber into four pieces, each at 22 inches long. These are for the legs of the bed. Cut two pieces of the 2-inch by 6-inch lumber to 42 inches, and two more at 75 inches. The shorter lengths are for the head and foot of the twin-size bed, while the longer ones are for the sides.

    • 2

      Drill five evenly-spaced holes in the head and the foot, with each hole being 6 1/2 inches apart. Find the center of the board for your first hole, then make two more on either side. The two side pieces have 17 holes that should be 4 inches apart. As with the end pieces, it is easiest to find the center of the board, then work from there.

    • 3

      Assemble the bed frame. Use the drill and screwdriver bit to attach the legs to the end pieces first with wood screws. Then attach the side pieces, also using the drill and screws. It is easiest to do this with the legs sticking up in the air.

    • 4

      String 100 feet of rope through the side rails first. Tie a knot in one end of the rope. String the other end through one of the holes closest to a corner on one of the side pieces. Pull it through until the knot rests against the outside of the rail. Pull the free end through the hole opposite the first hole. Then pull the rope through the hole next to it and across to the other side. Do this until you pull the rope through the last hole. Pull tight and make another knot.

    • 5

      String the end rails with the remaining 50-foot piece of rope. Tie a knot in one end and thread the free end through a hole closest to the corner on one of the end pieces. Weave over and under the side rail ropes to reach the opposite hole. Repeat until the rope is pulled through the last hole. Pull tight and make a knot.

    • 6

      Turn the bed over. It is now ready for layers of blankets, a straw mattress, or feather ticking.

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Beds
  1. How to Make a Headboard for a Toddler's Bed
  2. How to Make a Colonial Style Rope Bed
  3. How to Make a Retractable Bunk Bed Ladder
  4. How to Make a Homemade Bed for Girls
  5. How to Make a Bunk Bed With Logs
  6. How to Make a Bed Foundation With Drawers
  7. How to Make a Miniature Log Bed
  8. How to Make a Cabin Bed
  9. How to Make a Square Bed Post
  10. How to Make Wood Slats for a King Bed
  11. How to Make Cuts for a Bunk Bed Ladder
  12. How to Make a Victorian Rope Bed

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