Outdoor daybed plans

This step by step diy woodworking project is about outdoor daybed plans. If you want to learn more about building a beautiful wooden daybed, we recommend you to pay attention to the instructions described in the article. There are so many designs and plans to choose from when building a bed, so make sure you take a look over the related woodworking projects that are featured on our site.

Before starting the actual construction project, we recommend you to plan everything, as to save money and to keep the costs under control. Adjust the size and the design of the chair to suit your needs. In addition, we recommend you to invest in high-quality materials, such as pine, redwood or cedar, as they have a nice finish and are highly durable, especially in a humid environment.

If you don’t have a rich expertise in woodworking field, you should ask a friend to give you a hand with the project. There are many things that you could go wrong, so make sure you plan everything and invest in quality materials. Select the lumber with attention, making sure the components are perfectly straight and in a very good condition. Use a carpentry square to check if the corners are right-angled. See all my Premium Plans in the Shop.

Made from this plan

Building an outdoor daybed

Materials

A – 4 pieces of 2×2 lumber – 82″ long LEGS
B – 1 piece of 1×6 lumber – 75 long, 6 pieces of 1×3 lumber – 75″ long, 2 pieces of 1×2 lumber – 75″ long, 4 pieces of 1×2 lumber – 28″ long BACK
C – 1 piece of 1×6 lumber – 40″ long, 4 pieces of 1×3 lumber – 40″ long, 2 pieces of 1×2 lumber – 40″ long, 2 pieces of 1×2 lumber – 20 1/2″ long 2xSIDE
D – 2 pieces of 1×4 lumber – 75″ long CLEATS
E – 16 pieces of 1×4 lumber – 39 3/4″ long SLATS
F – 2 pieces of 2×2 lumber – 78″ long, 3 pieces – 40″ long CANOPY

8 pieces of 2×2 lumber – 8 ft
2 pieces of 1×6 lumber – 8 ft
10 pieces of 1×3 lumber – 8 ft
5 pieces of 1×2 lumber – 8 ft
10 pieces of 1×4 lumber – 8 ft
mattress
2 1/2″ screws
1 1/4″ screws
glue
stain

Tools

Safety gloves, glasses
Miter saw, jigsaw
Chalk line, tape measure, spirit level, carpentry pencil
Drill machinery and drill bits

Tips

Apply several coats of wood stain to the wooden components
Fill the holes with wood filler and smooth the surface

Time

One Day

Daybed plans

Building an outdoor daybed

Building the back wall

The first step of the project is to build the back for the daybed. Therefore, use 1×6 lumber for the bottom components and 1×3 lumber for the rest of the rails. Use 1×2 lumber for the vertical supports and for the top trim. Drill pilot holes through the supports and insert 1 1/4″ screws into the rails. Align the components with attention, making sure the edges are flush. Add glue to the joints and make sure the rails are equally-spaced. Attach the top trim to the rails using finishing nails and glue.

Building the side rails

Next, build the side walls using the techniques described above. Cut the components at the right size and lock them together tightly. Add glue to the joints and remove the excess using a damp cloth.

Assembling the daybed

Build the legs for the daybed out of 2×2 lumber. Adjust the height of the legs according to your needs and tastes. Continue the project by fitting the walls to the legs. Drill pocket holes through the vertical supports and insert 2 1/2″ screws into the legs. Add glue to the joints and make sure the corners are right-angled.

Fitting the front support

Build the front support out of 1×6 lumber. Drill pocket holes at both ends of the support and secure it to the legs by using 1 1/4″ screws and glue. Use a spirit level to check if the support is perfectly horizontal and insert 1 1/4″ screws to create rigid joints.

Fitting the cleats

Fit the 1×4 cleats to the interior of the daybed frame. Use a spirit level to make sure the cleats are horizontal and secure them to the frame using finishing nails and glue.

Fitting the support slats

Build the support slats out of 1×4 slats. Fit the slats to the cleats equally-spaced and secure them into place using 1 1/4″ screws.

Attaching the canopy

One of the last steps of the project is to attach the canopy to the daybed. Therefore, build the components out of 2×2 lumber and smooth the ends by using a proper circular saw. Attach the components to the legs and lock them together using 2 1/2″ screws. Drill pocket holes at both ends of the short components before inserting the screws. In addition, drill pilot holes at both ends of the long components and secure them to the legs by using 2 1/2″ screws.

Outdoor daybed plans

Last but not least, we recommend you to take care of the finishing touches. Fill the holes with wood filler and let it to dry out for several hours. Afterwards, smooth the wooden surface with fine-grit sandpaper and vacuum the residues.

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