Looking for a simple platform bed? We’ve got you covered! Believe it or not, a DIY platform bed is a pretty beginner-friendly project. It’s assembled with simple joinery like screws and pocket holes and utilizes bed hardware to easily assemble and disassemble when it’s time to move. One of our first builds was actually this DIY canopy bed this uses the same hardware!
Alright, let’s dive in and start building this DIY platform bed frame! In this post, we’ll be sharing the plans for the queen size. If you want to build a different size bed frame, all of the shopping lists and cut lists are available in the PDF printable plans.
How to Build an Simple Bed Frame
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Recommended Tools:
- Miter Saw (we use this blade with ours)
- Kreg Jig (not sure which to get? Check out which Kreg Jig to get)
- Drill
- Random Orbital Sander
- Clamps
- Measuring Tape (new to DIY? Be sure to check out this post with measuring tips)
- Safety Equipment
Shopping List:
- (2) 1x6x8s (we used select pine from Lowe’s)
- (2) 1x6x6s (we used select pine from Lowe’s)
- (10) 1x4x6s (we used common board)
- (1) 2x2x8 (we used select pine from Lowe’s)
- (3) 2x4x8s (we used untreated pine)
- Wood glue (this is our favorite type and it’s great for outdoor projects)
- Wood filler (we use this one, but be sure to check out our wood filler experiment to decide which might be best for your project)
- Sandpaper (120, 180, 220 grit)
- Bed hardware
- 1.25” Kreg screws
- 2.5” Kreg screws
- 1.25” wood screws
- 2″ wood screws
Of this shopping list, only the 1x6s and 2x2s will be visible.
Dimensions
As pictured, we created this simple DIY bed frame to fit a queen mattress. Overall the bed frame is 63” W x 83” L x 12.5” h. The bottom of the mattress sits 11.75” above the ground.
Cut List
Grab the visual and chart cut list for all common mattress sizes (twin, full, queen, king, and California King) in the printable plans.
| For What? | Material | Quantity | Length (inches) |
| Front/Back Rails | 1×6 | 2 | 60 |
| Side Rails | 1×6 | 2 | 80 |
| Side Supports | 2×4 | 2 | 77.5 |
| Middle Support | 2×4 | 1 | 81.5 |
| Middle Support Legs | 2×2 | 2 | 7.5 |
| Legs | 2×2 | 4 | 12.5 |
| Rail Supports | 1×6 | 4 | ~2.25 (doesn’t need to be exact) |
| Slats | 1×4 | 10 | 60 |
STEP 1: MAKE YOUR CUTS + OPTIONAL TAPERED LEGS
Normally we recommend making your cuts as you go along in the project, but since this project doesn’t involve too many cuts, you can make them all upfront if you choose.
If you would like to add a little taper leg detail to your bed frame, you can do that using a DIY taper leg jig and the miter saw.
We tapered the leg on two sides using a 4-degree angle. The taper went approximately 7” up the leg.
STEP 2: ASSEMBLE FRONT/BACK RAILS
Using ¾” settings, drill (3) pocket holes on each end of the front and back rails.
Using glue and 1.25” Kreg screws, secure the front rail between two legs. If you tapered the legs, be sure that they are positioned correctly! The square corner should be facing out. The top of the front rail will be flush with the top and front of the legs.
Repeat with the back rail and second set of legs.
Cut a scrap piece of ¾” wood to add to the corners of each of the front/back rails. This will make the back of the legs and the rails flush with each other so that the bed hardware can be installed on it later.
STEP 3: STAIN OR PAINT
Now is a good time to stain or paint your bed frame pieces if you would like to knock that out before assembly! Since the bed frame is assembled in the room where it’s going to be and the slats don’t need to be stained/painted, now’s probably the easiest time!
We installed the bracket support board after staining, but I would recommend doing it before so that you can stain it too! You don’t need to stain the slats, but be sure to stain the middle leg supports!
To get our finish, we used pre-stain, Minwax Gel Stain in Aged Oak, and 3 coats of satin Polycrylic. If you’re staining pine (which is notorious for staining unevenly), we love using a gel stain to get a more even finish!
STEP 4: ADD MIDDLE LEG SUPPORT
Using the 1.5” settings, drill two pocket holes on one side of each of the middle support legs. Using the ¾” settings, drill two pocket holes on each end of the middle support board. Yes, this is a 1.5” thick board, but you’ll want to use the ¾” settings since it’ll eventually be going into a thinner board.
Using glue and 2.5” Kreg screws, secure the middle support legs to the middle support board. The exact placement doesn’t matter. We evenly spaced them on the middle support board.
STEP 5: INSTALL BED HARDWARE
This is the same bed hardware we’ve used on both our DIY canopy bed and DIY platform bed builds.
Measure ¾” from the outside of each leg and 1” from the top of each leg and install the main piece of bed hardware here. Then clip on the other piece of the hardware.
Then grab the side rail that will attach and line it up with the top of the leg.
Mark the placement of the hardware on the side rail. Remove the side rail, unlatch the hardware, and then install the hardware onto the side rail. Repeat with all 4 sets of hardware.
Stand the bed frame pieces up and hook the bed together using the hardware. Tighten the screws that the hardware hooks onto.
STEP 6: INSTALL SLAT SUPPORTS
Mark 1.5” down from the top of each of the side rails. Line the top of your side supports up with these lines and secure to the side rails using glue and 1.25” wood screws.
Mark the center (31.5″) of the front and back rails. Install the middle support board using 1.5” Kreg screws to the front and back rails. This board will be placed 1.5″ from the top of the bed frame, but the legs you installed on it earlier should help keep it at the right height.
STEP 7: INSTALL SLATS
Evenly place your slats onto the slat support boards. They don’t need to be perfectly spaced or measured – you can simply eyeball it.
Secure them to the slat supports using 1.25” wood screws. We just placed one on each side. Do NOT use glue here so that you can easily disassemble it later when it’s time to move the bed!
There you have it! Now you know how to make your very own wooden bed frame. What do you think? Is a DIY bed frame a beginner-friendly project? Sure, the hardware can be a little tricky and it’s definitely easier to assemble with two people, but overall, it’s not too long of a process!
Don’t forget to grab the printable plans for an optimized visual cut list, 3D renderings, and other bed sizes!
Now that you have the bed finished, it’s time to think about a headboard! We paired this bed frame with a DIY wall-mounted headboard. If that’s not quite what you’re looking for, this post is full of unique headboard ideas.
