Free Loft Bed Plans

This step by step by step diy woodworking project is about free loft bed plans. If you want to learn more about building a loft bed, we recommend you to pay attention to the instructions described in the article. There are many plans and designs to choose from, so make sure you take a look over the rest of the projects featured on our website. Use quality materials and take your time before starting the assembly of the bed.

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 loft bed 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 a loft bed

Materials

A – 4 pieces of 4×4 lumber – 69″ long, 1 piece of 2×4 lumber – 21 3/4″ long LEGS
B – 4 pieces of 2×6 lumber – 43″ long, 3 pieces – 76″ long FRAME
C – 3 pieces of 2×4 lumber – 76″ long, 11 pieces of 1×6 lumber – 40″ long SUPPORTS
D – 3 pieces of 2×4 lumber – 72″ long, 3 pieces – 43″ long, 3 pieces – 51″ long GUARD RAILS
E – 2 pieces of 2×4 lumber – 58″ long, 5 pieces of 1×3 lumber – 16 1/2″ long STAIR

4 pieces of 4×4 lumber – 8 ft
10 pieces of 2×4 lumber – 8 ft
2 pieces of 2×6 lumber – 8 ft
1 piece of 1×3 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

Building a loft bed

Building the bed frame

The first step of the woodworking project is to build the frame of the bed frame. As you can easily notice in the plans, we recommend you to assemble the frame out of 2×6 lumber. Drill pocket holes at both ends of the long components and insert 2 1/2″ screws into the perpendicular components. Make sure the corners are right-angled and add waterproof glue to the joints, in order to create a rigid structure.

Building the frame of the bed frame

Continue the woodworking projects by attaching the 4×4 legs to the frame of the loft bed. Drill pilot holes through the frames and insert screws into the wooden posts. Plumb the posts with a spirit level and check if the frames are horizontal. Make sure the corners are square before inserting the screws into place.

Fitting the cleats

Fit the 2×4 cleats to the top bed frame, following the instructions described in the diagram. Secure the cleats to the frame by using 2 1/2″ galvanized screws. Work with attention and leave no gaps between the components, if you want to get the job done in a professional manner.

Fitting the support slats

Continue the woodworking project by fitting the 1×6 support slats to the cleats. Place the slats equally-spaced and secure them to the cleats with galvanized screws. Make sure the slats describe a level and perfectly horizontal surface, otherwise you won’t be able to attach the mattress properly.

Fitting the guard rails

Secure the 2×4 guard rails into place, as shown in the diagram. Drill pocket holes at both ends of the slats and secure them into place with 2 1/2″ screws. Make sure you place the rails equally-spaced, in order to add character to the project.

Building the stairs supports

Building the stairs for the loft bed is a straight-forward project, but you need to pay attention to the instructions described in the article. Mark the cut lines on the 2×4 slats and get the job done with a circular saw. Smooth the cut edges with sandpaper and repeat the process for the other support.

Building the stairs

Fit the 1×3 steps between the supports and secure them into place with galvanized screws. Drill pocket holes at both ends of the steps and secure them to the supports with 1 1/4″ screws. Add waterproof glue to the joints in order to create rigid joints. Fit the stair to the frame of the loft bed and secure it into place with galvanized screws. Add waterproof glue to the joints in order to create a rigid structure.

Free loft bed 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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