How to Build a Daybed Sofa

Cut two 2-by-4 pieces of wood to 82 3/4 inches in length to serve as the long sides of the daybed sofa, using a hand or table saw. Measure carefully and mark your cut line with a pencil first. Cut six 2-by-4 pieces of wood to 42 1/2 inches in length to serve as the joists or studs, and cut 12 pieces of 2-by-4 wood to 84 3/4 inches in length to serve as deck boards. The longest pieces of wood will become the platform where the bed cushion rests.

Place the two pieces of wood that are 82 3/4 inches long on a flat, level work surface where you have plenty of room to spread out your project. The two pieces of wood will be parallel to each other and will rest against the floor on their edges.

Place two 2-by-4s that are 42 1/2 inches on either side of the longer wood pieces, creating a long rectangle. Again, you'll place these two pieces of wood on their edges. Butt the short pieces of wood inside the ends of the long pieces, so that the short sides of the rectangle measure approximately 44 inches long.

Drill the corners of the wooden rectangle with 3-inch wood screws to make a solid frame. Drill through the wide part of the long boards into the butts of the shorter ones.

Measure across one long side of the wooden frame, making a mark with a pencil every 15 inches. The marks represent the studs you will place in the frame to make the daybed sofa strong enough to support human weight.

Drill holes at each mark using a countersink bit. Drill matching holes along the opposite side of the frame exactly opposite the first row of holes.

Place the remaining four wood pieces that are 42 1/2 inches long inside the frame at each drilled hole. Like the other pieces of wood, place the studs so their wider surfaces are perpendicular to the ground; they will be perfectly parallel to the shorter end pieces of the frame.

Drill wood screws into the holes to hold the studs in place.

Cover the top of the frame with wood glue, placing a strip of glue down the length of each edge.

Lay the deck boards across the frame so that each end of the board overhangs the frame by 1 inch. Each board should have a 1/2-inch gap between it and the ones on either side. Press down firmly after placing each board.

Drill wood screws into each end of each board, securing them directly to some part of the underlying wooden frame so each is solidly attached.

Flip the daybed sofa over so the deck boards are flat against the ground.

Place the four 4-by-4 pieces of wood into each corner so they are inside (and flush against) the rectangle frame you built to begin the project.

Drill wood screws through the rectangle frame into each 4-by-4. Use two or more screws for each 4-by-4; these will serve as the legs for your daybed couch, so you want them to be secure.

Smooth all the wood with coarse sandpaper to remove splinters.

Fill all screw holes with wood filler and allow it to dry.

Brush the daybed sofa with a soft-bristle brush to remove all wood shavings, and apply paint or wood stain as desired.

Allow the daybed sofa to dry before placing cushions and pillows on it.