How to Build a Box Around a Bedframe

Wooden Bed Frames

• 1

  Label the "wall" side of the headboard side A. Label the side of the footboard that faces you when standing at the foot of the bed side B.

• 2

  Measure the bed from side A of the headboard to side B of the footboard and add 2 inches. Cut four pieces of 1-by-4-inch stock lumber to that length, using a table saw or other power saw.

• 3

  Stand at the head of the bed, facing side A. Measure side A of the headboard from its outside left edge to its outside right edge and add two inches. Cut two pieces of 1-by-4-inch stock lumber to that length. Stand at the foot of the bed and repeat for side B of the footboard.

• 4

  Snap a chalk line 1 inch from each 4-inch wide end of each board. Miter the boards along the 4-inch edge of each end of each board to a 45-degree angle.

• 5

  Face one of the long sides of the bed frame. Turn one of the long boards so that its mitered 4-inch face is against the length of the bed frame, with the inner ends of the miters flush with side A of the headboard and side B of the footboard.

• 6

  Adjust the first long board's position until its 1-inch edge is flush with the "ceiling" side of the bed frame, which is the part that supports the box spring and mattress.

• 7

  Have a helper hold that board while you drill 1/16-inch diameter pilot holes 1 inch from each end of the bed, 2 inches down from the "ceiling" side of the bed. Countersink all the holes 1/4-inch deep by drilling at a 90-degree angle into the board. Secure that first board to the bed frame using 1.5-inch long, 1/8-inch thread diameter wood screws.

• 8

  Repeat steps 5 through 7 on the opposite side of the bed for the second long board.

• 9

  Position the third long board with its 4-inch mitered face against the bed frame and one of its 1-inch wide edges against the floor. Adjust the third board's position until the inner mitered ends are flush with the A side of the headboard at one end and the B side of the footboard at the other end.

• 10

  Have a helper hold the third board in place while you drill 1/16-inch diameter pilot holes 1 inch from each end of the bed, 2 inches from the floor. Countersink all the holes 1/4-inch deep by drilling at a 90-degree angle into the board. Secure the third board to the bed frame using 1.5-inch long, 1/8-inch thread diameter wood screws.

• 11

  Repeat steps 9 and 10 for the fourth board.

• 12

  Repeat all previous steps for the boards you cut for the head and foot of the bed. Align all mitered edges of each board with the miters on the long boards attached to the right and left sides of the bed for a smooth, trim fit.

• 13

  Measure the width and length of the "new" portion of the bed frame. Measure the drop from the "ceiling" edge of the upper boards to the "floor" edge of the lower boards.

• 14

  Use the width of the bed as the length and the drop from the "ceiling" surface of the bed to the floor as the width to cut plywood for the head and foot of the bed. Cut head and foot pieces 41 inches long by 18 inches wide, for example, if the "new" portions of the head and foot of the bed frame are 41 inches wide and the drop of the bed is 18 inches. Cut side pieces 78 inches long by 18 inches wide if the "new" portion of the frame is 78 inches long.

• 15

  Miter all the 1/2-inch by 18-inch edges of each board to a 45-degree angle. Turn all the mitered edges against the bed frame. Have a helper hold the boards in position.

• 16

  Drill 1/16-inch diameter pilot holes every six inches. Begin 2 inches from the head of the bed and end 2 inches from the foot, 1 inch from the "ceiling" and "floor" edges of each board. Countersink all holes and secure the long plywood sheets to the right and left sides of the bed using 1.5-inch long, 1/8-inch diameter wood screws.

• 17

  Repeat to secure the head and foot boards. Sand and stain, paint or seal the bed as desired.

• 18

  Stencil outlines of birds, butterflies, trucks, cars or other shapes on the bed for added eye appeal, using a carpenter's pencil. Paint the stenciled areas in a contrasting color and allow them to dry overnight.

• 19

  Apply three to five coats of clear acrylic sealant over the entire bed frame, allowing each coat to dry overnight before you apply the next one.

Metal Bed Frames

• 20

  Don wrap-around eye protection, ear protection, a NIOSH-approved respirator and heavy leather work gloves. Do not work without all safety gear listed. Cutting, grinding and welding steel produces filings and dust that can damage your eyes and lungs and causes cumulative metal poisoning, resulting in permanent disability or death.

• 21

  Substitute 2-inch-wide by 1/4-inch-thick bar steel for the 1-by-4-inch wood used to frame the wooden bed.

• 22

  Substitute 1/8-inch-thick plate steel for the plywood.

• 23

  Cut the steel to length using an abrasive chop saw or right angle grinder with a cutoff wheel.

• 24

  Deburr all edges using a 24-grit wheel on a right-angle grinder, followed by an 80-grit flapper disk.

• 25

  Don a welding helmet over your primary, wraparound eye protection. Replace the leather work gloves with welding gloves and don full leathers.

• 26

  Use lap welds -- which are used to secure overlapped pieces of steel to one another -- to secure the 2-inch bar steel to the bed frame. Weld along the horizontal joint where the bar steel crosses the headboard and footboard.

• 27

  Weld along the edge of the bar farthest from the "ceiling" edge of the bed frame when welding the top bars. Weld along the edge farthest from the floor when welding the "floor" bars.

• 28

  Smooth all welds flush with the bar steel using a right angle grinder once the steel cools for at least 12 hours.

• 29

  Weld the plate steel to the new steel frame, with the "ceiling" edges and head and foot ends flush with the existing bed frame. Smooth all welds flush with the plate using a right angle grinder once the steel cools for at least 12 hours.

• 30

  Turn the heat on your welder down one notch or raise the wire feed one notch, which causes the welder to "spit" instead of laying a smooth bead. Use this "spitting" effect to create an eye-pleasing "art-welded" design on the sides and ends of the bed. Sketch a design on your bed using a soapstone marker and follow the lines if you do not feel confident enough in your skills to weld a free-form design.

• 31

  Give the entire steel portion of the bed frame a brushed finish using a coarse wire wheel on a right-angle grinder.