DIY Bed Frames With Drawers

Cut the wood for the bedframe using a circular saw. For the base of the bed, cut two 55-by-12-by-2-inch boards and two 76-by-12-by-2-inch boards. For the cleats on the inside edge of the bed, cut four 70-by-1-by-1-inch boards. For the bed slats, cut 14 55-by-5-by-1-inch boards. Cut a piece of 73-by-54-by-3/4-inch plywood. The plywood will act as a weight distributor on the frame, eliminating the need for a box spring.

Position a cleat 1 inch down from the top edge of one of the 76-inch boards. Align the cleat along the length of the board 1 inch below the top edge of the board. Center it so there is 3 inches of board on either side of the end of the cleat. Secure it in place using 2-inch nails. Place one nail every 6 inches down the length of the cleat. Hammer them through the cleat into the board. Place a second cleat on the board. Position the second cleat the same as the first cleat, only 1 inch up from the bottom edge. Secure it with more 2-inch nails every 6 inches.

Repeat Step 2 with the remaining two cleats on the other 76-inch board. Position the cleats 1 inch in from the top and bottom of the board and 3 inches in from either end. Secure the cleats with 2-inch nails every 6 inches.

Cut two 8-by-30-inch rectangles in the side of one of the 76-inch boards using a jigsaw. Place the rectangles directly above and below the cleats. Place the outer edge of the rectangle 4 inches in from either end of the 76-inch board.

Place the 76-inch boards on their sides spaced 55 inches apart. Place the sides with the cleat inwards to face the opposite board. Create a rectangle by placing the two 55-inch boards perpendicular the 76-inch boards. Align the shorter boards on either end of the larger boards with the cut edges resting against the side of the longer boards. Make sure the edges are flush. Hammer two 4-inch nails through the side of the 76-inch board into the cut end of the 55-inch board. Space the nails 2 inches in from the top and bottom edge.

Place seven of the slats stretched across the cleats. Space them every 5 inches. Secure the slats in place by hammering a 2-inch nail through the top of the slat into the cleat below.

Turn over the bedframe. Place the remaining seven slats across the second set of cleats, spacing them every 5 inches. Secure the slats in place by hammering more 2-inch nails through the slats into the cleats below.

Place the plywood on top of the slats. Place your mattress on top of the plywood.

Cut the wood for the drawers. You need six pieces of 24-by-7-by-3/4-inch plywood for the sides and backs of the drawers, two 9-by-31-by-1-inch boards for the fronts of the drawers and two 29-by-24 3/4-by-3/4-inch pieces of plywood for the drawer bottoms.

Cut three groove into the drawer fronts to hold the sides and bottom of the drawer. Place the grooves 1 inch in from either side and 1 inch above the bottom edge. Make the grooves 3/4 inch deep using a router.

Fill the three grooves on each drawer front with wood glue. Insert the sidepieces into the shorter grooves. Apply wood glue along all four edges of the drawer bottom and insert it into the longer groove, resting the two sides against the sidepieces of the drawer. Use finishing nails to hammer through the sidepieces into the edges of the bottom piece. Space the nails every 3 inches. Apply wood glue to the back edge of the sidepieces. Press the drawer back against the sidepiece and edge of the bottom piece. Secure the drawer back in place with more finishing nails spaced 3 inches apart.

Let all wood glue dry for 24 hours. Insert the drawers into the cutout rectangles in the side of the bedframe.