How to build a storage bed frame

This step by step diy project is about how to build a storage bed frame. If you need to use the space of your room efficiently, you should consider building a wooden bed frame with drawers. If you have basic power tools (circular saw, drill machinery, electrical screwdriver) and know the basic woodworking skills, you could get the job done by yourself in just a weekend. Take a look over the rest of the bed frame plans.

You need to build a durable bed frame, so you need to use quality materials and professional tools. We recommend you to use 3/4” plywood or MDF to build the frame of the bed frame, as well as the bottom of the drawers. Nevertheless, you also need to buy 1×2 and 1×3 lumber for the wooden strips you have to attach to the frame of the storage bed. If you want to get accurate cuts, we recommend you to draw the cut lines with a L-square and use a circular saw with a fine blade.

There are may techniques you could use the assemble the components together. The most professional result could be obtained, if you drill pocket holes and insert 3/4” wood screws. Nevertheless, you could also get rigid joints, by drilling pilot holes and inserting 2” wood screws. Make sure the components are aligned, before inserting the screws. You could use these techniques to build a storage bed frame in any size. See all my Premium Plans in the Shop.

 

 

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Made from this plan

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Building a king bed frame with drawers

Building a storage bed

Building a storage bed

 

Materials

  • B – 2 pieces of 3/4” plywood – 15 1/4 x 22”, 1 piece – 12 3/4 x 22” 2xSIDE BENCH
  • B – 1 piece of 3/4” plywood – 22 x 55 3/4”, 1 piece – 15 1/4 x 57 1/4”, 1 piece – 22 3/4 x 57 1/4” 2xSIDE BENCH
  • A – 1 piece of 3/4” plywood – 22 x 74 1/2”, 1 piece – 15 1/4 x 76”, 1 piece – 22 3/4 x 76” FRONT BENCH
  • A – 2 pieces of 3/4” plywood – 15 1/4 x 22”, 1 piece – 12 3/4 x 22” FRONT BENCHES
  • C – 2 pieces of 2×4 lumber – 57”, 7 pieces of 2×4 lumber – 27 1/2” long FRAME
  • D – 1 piece of 1×2 – 77 1/2”, 1 piece – 12″, 1 piece of 1×3 lumber – 77 1/2″, 2 pieces – 12″ TRIMS
  • D – 2 pieces of 1×3 – 80”, 10 pieces – 12”, 2 pieces of 1×3 lumber – 80” TRIMS
  • E – 1 pieces of 3/4” plywood – 19 3/4 x 31 1/2”, 2 pieces 10″x19 3/4” 2xLARGE DRAWER
  • E – 1 pieces of  11 3/4″x35”, 2 pieces of 10″x33” 2xLARGE DRAWER
  • F – 1 pieces of 3/4” plywood – 19 3/4 x 22 1/2”, 2 pieces 10″x19 3/4” 4xSMALL DRAWER
  • F – 1 pieces of 3/4″ plywood 11 3/4″x26”, 2 pieces 10″x24” 4xSMALL DRAWER

 

Tools

 

Tips

  • Pre-drill holes in the wooden components, before driving in the screws
  • Apply several coats of wood stain to the wooden components

 

Time

  • One Weekend

 

Related

 

 

Check out this VIDEO TUTORIAL! It’s that simple to build a storage bed!

 

Storage Bed Frame with Drawers Plans

Bed frame plywood components

Bed frame plywood components

 

The first step of the project is to cut the components for the frame of the bed and for the drawers. As you can easily notice in the diagram, you need 7 pieces of 3/4″ plywood for the project. The purple components are for the frame of the bed frame, the yellow components are for the front drawers and the blue components are for the side drawers.

 

First Plywood Piece

First Plywood Piece

 

Mark the cut lines on the plywood sheet and get the job done with a circular saw. Smooth the edges with sandpaper for a professional result.

 

Second sheet of plywood

Second sheet of plywood

 

Continue the project by cutting more components.

 

Third piece of plywood

Third piece of plywood

 

Mark the cut lines accurately and you’ve done half of the project.

 

Forth sheet of plywood

Forth sheet of plywood

 

More plywood, more cuts, more components.

 

Fifth sheet of plywood

Fifth sheet of plywood

 

Mark the components after cutting them, so it would be easier for your at the assembly.

 

Sixth sheet of plywood

Sixth sheet of plywood

 

Cut the components for the side drawers.

 

Seventh sheet of plywood

Seventh sheet of plywood

 

As you can see, there are very few cut outs left from this project. You can use them for other awesome builds. See more plans HERE.

 

 

How to build a storage bed frame

Building the front storage unit

Building the front storage unit

 

The first step of the project is to build the frames for the side drawers. In order to get the job done in a professional manner and to save time, we recommend you to use 3/4” plywood or MDF. Cut the sheets with a circular saw having a fine-teeth blade, or cut the, directly at the diy store. Drill pocket holes at both ends of the bottom component and of the middle partition. In addition, drill pocket holes along the top edges of the side components.

Smart Tip: Align the components before driving in the 1 1/4” pocket screws. Drill pilot holes through the back and insert 2” wood screws.

 

Front unit back

Front unit back

Attach the back to the front unit. Align the edges with attention and use 2″ brad nails and glue to lock everything together tightly.

 

Front unit

Front unit

 

More building details for the front unit.

 

Building the side storage units

Building the side storage units

 

Continue the woodworking project by building the front bench of the bed. Therefore, cut the plywood sheets at the right size and assemble them together with 1 1/4” pocket hole screws. Use a spirit level to make sure the bottom and top components are level, otherwise the bed frame won’t have a neat appearance.

Smart Tip: If you don’t have a pocket hole jog, you could drill pilot holes and drive in  2” wood screws. Use the above instructions to make the right pocket holes. 

 

Building the front bench

Building the front bench

 

Build the back of the unit out of 3/4″ plywood and drill pilot holes before securing it to the frame of the storage unit. Insert 1 1/4″ screws to get the job done in a professional manner.

 

Side Units

Side Units

 

More building details for the side storage units.

 

Back for the side units

Back for the side units

 

Attach the 3/4″ plywood back to the side units. Align the edges with attention and insert 1 1/4″ screws to lock everything together tightly.

 

Assembling the bed frame

Assembling the bed frame

 

After assembling the three benches, you should fit them together as in the image. In this project we show you how to build a king bed frame with drawers, but you could use these techniques to build any bed, if you adjust the dimension of the components.

Use a carpentry square to check if the corners are right angled, otherwise the components won’t be aligned one with another properly.

 

Building the frame

Building the frame

 

Use 2×4 lumber when assembling the frame for the storage bed. In order to support the mattress efficiently and to distribute the weight properly, you have to build a small frame and attach it between the wooden benches. Use 2×4 lumber to build the frame. Drill pilot holes trough the rim joists and insert 3” wood screws into the short components.

 

Fitting the frame

Fitting the frame

 

Smart Tip: Attach the frame to the benches, after aligning it at both ends and leveling it with a spirit level. Drill pilot holes and insert 2″ into the back of the storage units.

 

Attaching plywood

Attaching plywood

 

Check if the frame is level before attaching a piece of 3/4” plywood into place. Secure the plywood into place with 1 1/4” wood screws, makings sure the head of the screws are aligned with the surface.

 

Installing the front trims

Installing the front trims

 

Next, you need to attach wooden trims to the edges of the components. As you can see in the image, you need to cut the wooden strips at the right size and secure them into place with glue and finishing nails.

Make sure the trims are flush the edges of the benches, otherwise the bed frame won’t have a nice appearance. Sand the cut edges with 120-grit sandpaper and a sanding block. Use 1×3 lumber for the bottom and side trims and 1×2 lumber for the middle and top trims. Use 2″ brad nails to secure the trims into place.

 

Front trims

Front trims

 

Make sure you space the trims properly, for a neat result.

 

Fitting the side trims

Fitting the side trims

 

Continue the woodworking project by attaching the trims to the sides of the bed frame. Use the same techniques and methods to get the job done. Build the bottom trim out of 1×3 lumber, while the rest of the trims should me made of 1×2 lumber. Use glue and brad nails to secure the trims into place properly.

 

Side trims

Side trims

 

Make sure you check out this diagram, before attaching the trims into place with 2″ brad nails.

 

Building the front drawer

Building the front drawer

 

Building the drawers for the bed frame is a straight forward task, if you use the right materials and tools. Build the bottom of the drawer of 3/4” plywood and the frame from 1×10 lumber. Drill pocket holes at both ends of the side components. Lock everything together with 1 1/4″ screws.

 

 

Attaching the bottom to the drawers

Attaching the bottom to the drawers

 

Drill pocket holes along the four edges of the bottom component. Align the edges with great care and insert 1 1/4″ screws to secure the bottom into place tightly.

 

Building the front drawers

Building the front drawers

 

After assembling the front drawers, you should give them a nice look by attaching a piece of 1×12 lumber to their front face. Use glue and 1 1/4” screws, driven from the inside of the drawers. Add handles to the drawers.

 

Building the side drawers

Building the side drawers

 

Building the side drawers is not a difficult process, as you need to use the same techniques and materials described above. Cut the plywood and the wooden boards at the right size and assemble them together with 2” wood screws. Use the techniques described above for drilling pocket holes to the components.

Smart Tip: Attach a nice piece of wood to the front face of the drawers, if you want to get a professional result. Fit the drawers in place and check if they slide properly.
 

Fitting the slides

Fitting the slides

 

Make sure you attach 1×2 cleats to the inside of the storage units (22″ long), before installing the drawers, so that you create a surface to which you can attach the slides.

 

Diy-Storage-Bed

Diy-Storage-Bed

 

This bed frame is designed for a standard king size mattress. Always measure the mattress before starting the project, to make sure the bed frame is large enough.

 

King size storage bed plans

King size storage bed plans

 

Taking into account the simple design, this storage bed frame can be placed in virtually any room, as it will match the style of the existing furniture quite effortlessly. Just make sure you leave enough room around the bed to open the drawers easily.

 

How to build a storage bed frame

How to build a storage bed frame

 

Last but not least, you should take care of the finishing touches. Therefore, you need to fill the head of the screws  or any other hole and let it dry out for several hours. Afterwards, you should sand the surface with fine-grit sandpaper, along the wood grain.

Smart Tip: Protect the wooden components from decay, by applying several coats of stain or paint. Apply the product in a properly-ventilated location. If you want to get this plan as a PDF file, please take a look over the GET PDF PLANS button bellow. Thank you for the support!

 

 

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