Ok, so it’s been a little while since I’ve done a major building project. Laree and I have been looking for a queen sized bed for one of the children and haven’t found anything that we like or want to spend the money on. So here’s my next project!
I’m doing a variation of a plan from Ana White’s website. While the basic construction of the headboard and footboard are the same (except for the height of the headboard), I’ve modified the rail system and built it to accommodate a box spring.
Also, this post is for a queen sized bed. Use the buttons below to download other size plans:
Materials List:
- (4) 1” x 8” x 8’ Untreated* Pine Board (For Panels)
- (8) 1” x 4” x 8’ Pine Board (Trim for Panels)
- (2) 4” x 4” x 8’ Beam (Posts)
- (4) 2” x 4” x 8’ Boards (Top of Panels and Siderail Boxspring Supports)
- (6) 2″ x 4″ x 8′ (For Boxspring Supports)
- (2) 2” x 6” x 8’ Boards (Top of Headboard & Footboard)
- (2) 2″ x 8″ x 8″ Boards (For Siderails)
- (16) 4 1/2″ or 5″ Screws**
- Bed Rail Fasteners
- (18) #8 1 3/4″ screws (for bed rail fasteners)
- 1 1/4″ brad nails (for nail gun)
Tools
- Chop/Miter Saw
- Skil Saw
- Measuring tape
- Carpenter’s square
- Drill with 3/8″ bit, 1/2″ bit & #8 counter sink bit (here are some options)
- Nail gun
- Wood glue
- Sander & sandpaper
- Chisels (for mortising the bed rail hardware)
- Biscuit Joiner (this is optional and I’ll discuss it more below. What’s a biscuit Joiner anyway, you ask?)
*Note that untreated 4″ x 4″ posts can be hard to find at Home Depot & Lowes. I found a local lumber company that was able to get them for me.
**You can find these at Home Depot in the fastener section. There are a couple options that I’ve found which you can link to here and here. You can also use lag bolts as well. I used the GRK Fasteners in this project.
Cut List
- (8) 1” x 8” @ 25” Headboard Panel
- (8) 1” x 8” @ 15” Footboard Panel
- (8) 1” x 4” @ 58” Trim for Panels
- (2) 4” x 4” @ 49” Headboard Post
- (2) 4” x 4” @ 21” Footboard Post
- (2) 2” x 4” @ 65” Top of Panels and Posts (recommend taking an exact measurement before cutting)
- (2) 2” x 6” @ 67” Top of Headboard and Footboard (add 2″ to the measurement taken above)
- (2) 2″ x 4″ @ 82″ Side Rail Box Spring Support
- (2) 2″ x 8″ @ 82″ Side Rails
I’ve also created a printable PDF version of this plan which you can purchase for $5 (it’s about 22 pages in all). It’s all the info from the blog posts, but I’ve compiled it for easy printing and included shopping lists, cut diagrams and helpful pictures. Basically, if you want a handy printable version so you don’t have to get sawdust all over your computer, you might consider purchasing this download. Note that this is for the queen version. If you’re looking for a king version, you can get it here.
Constructing the Headboard & Footboard
My first step was to create the panels for the headboard and footboard. Since the panels were 8″ (actually the boards are 7 1/4″ in width – see this page for nominal lumber sizes) my miter saw wouldn’t cut them all the way through, so I had to use a skil saw. It’s a bit of a challenge to get the panel boards cut exactly square, so use a guide, clamp everything down and take your time.
Once the panels are cut, then I cut the trim. I found its a good idea to measure the panels before you cut the trim. Turned out that not all my panels were exactly 7 1/4″. A couple of them measured slightly wider (I used cheap lumber from Home Depot) so I needed to trim about 1/4″ of one of the panels using my table saw to get the panels exactly 58″.
Also, before assembling the panels, I sanded the edges to get a slightly beveled edge.
The original plans didn’t call for biscuits between the panels, but I wanted to give the headboard and footboard both a bit of additional stability. I used #10 biscuits and glued the panels together. You could also use pocket holes to attach the panels firmly, but I chose biscuits because I didn’t want the holes in the back of the panels. Either way will work, particularly if you’re going to paint the bed. A biscuit joiner is kind of expensive at around $160 (here’s the DeWalt one that I bought), but it’s turned out to be a great investment that I use on almost every project that I do.
Next step is assembling the panels. Glue and nail the trim to the panels. Then its time to cut the 4×4 posts for the headboard and footboard.
I could not find untreated 4×4 posts at Home Depot or Lowes, so I went to a local lumber shop (it was a little hard to find) where I was able to order them. I read several posts on the internet about not using treated lumber for the bed, which makes sense to me since I don’t want me or my family sleeping that close to all those chemicals!
Be sure to pre-drill holes into the 4×4 posts. If you’ve got access to a drill press, that will help you keep the holes for the lag bolts at exactly 90°. A drill guide is a cheaper alternative and the next best thing. If you don’t have either, make sure you use a drill that has a level in the handle and take it slow so you can make sure to get a straight 90° hole. I countersunk the lag bolt holes so I can fill in with wood filler so they won’t be visible.
Attaching the Posts
Now its time to attach the 4×4 posts. This is another part that can be pretty tricky. Unless you have a clamp that’s large enough to clamp the full 65″ (I don’t have one) you will find that when you try and screw the lag bolts into the headboard, you get some unsightly gaps between the posts and panels. It’s not possible, unless you’ve got superhuman strength, to hold the posts tight enough against the panels to get a tight fit. Remember to also use glue. I used four 5″ lag bolts for each post.
Once the posts are tightly attached to the panels, then measure, cut, sand and attach the top 2x4s and 2x6s for the top of the headboard and footboard. When looking at plans on the internet, I ran across some considerable discussion about what type of bolts to use and where to get them. I used four 5″ GRK fasteners for each post. You can find these at Home Depot in the fastener section (here and here are a couple options). You can also use lag bolts as well. I countersunk the screws and will fill them in with wood filler so the holes aren’t visible.
Once the headboard and footboard are assembled, it’s time to start working on the bed rails.
I measured and measured and measured, then cut! Fortunately, we have a couple other queen sized beds so I had some actual box springs to measure to make sure I got the correct length with a little wiggle room (remember the 2×6 on top of the footboard will extend an inch or more to the inside so you’ll want to compensate for the box spring and mattress length.
Constructing the Bedrails
One of the big differences between my plan and the Ana White plan is how I attach the bed rails. I wanted a bed that we can disassemble with relative ease (any way you cut it, this is a heavy piece of furniture!), so instead of bolting the rails to the posts I am using bed rail fasteners
The complicated part of using the bed rail hardware is that I need to create a mortise for the hardware.
Once the post mortises are done for the headboard and footboard and the hardware is attached, time to work on the bedrails. The bedrails are made using 2x8s (81″ long) then using 2x4s bolted to them, creating a shelf for the mattress, with slots cut out for additional 2×4 beams for support.
The beams are attached to the headboard and footboard using bedrail hardware that I found at Woodcraft (you can also find them at Amazon.com
I did this in 2 parts. First, I mortised the bedrails and attached my remaining bedrail hardware. I’m sure there’s a pro woodworker’s trick to doing this much faster. My method was to find & mark the center of the beam edge with a chalk line, then trace the hardware on the board and mortise it with chisel.
Once I had the slot mortised, I attached the bedrail hardware:
The next step is to cut slots in the 2x4s for the cross beam support. This looks a little complicated, but it’s really not. The technique is to mark the slots on the bedrails, then set the depth on a skil saw to 1.5″ (the depth of a 2×4), cut across the 2×4 a handful of times, then use a chisel to remove the waste and smooth the slots. You’ll want to sand them too and honestly, that’s the most difficult part!
Here’s a brief video demonstration on how to notch the bed rail support rails. I clamped both of the 2x4s together and then clamped them to my workbench before cutting. Don’t forget to use eye protection!
Once I notched out and sanded the bedrail support rails to accommodate the 2×4 cross beam supports, I glued & screwed the support rails to the bedrails. At this point, the construction of the bed frame is complete. Next steps will be sanding and finishing the bed and I’ll cover that in another post.
Finishing
This is a massive piece of furniture, and there’s no way around a long sanding process. I tried to sand pieces as I went along to get the really rough places smoothed out. Once I got the entire bed completed, I used 150 grit sandpaper and an orbital hand-held sander to go over everything. Then, before priming, I followed that up with 220 grit to really try and smooth things out for the paint.
Next came the priming. I used Kilz primer for this project and put a couple coats on it.
For the final coat, I used Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch in a semi-gloss Black. I’m indebted to The Frugal Girl for putting me on to this particular brand. Went on thin and smooth and I’m really pleased with the finish.
Here’s a picture of the bed painted and assembled in the studio:
Lastly, here are a couple shots of it in the bedroom. We don’t have a comforter set for it yet. That’s coming soon!
If you like this bed, you might also like this matching nightstand.
54 replies on “DIY Farmhouse Bed – Queen Version”
I want to build a queen bed with two matching night stands! I also want to build a matching dresser and chest of drawers! Do you have plans for the dresser and chest of drawers?
Hi Stan, thanks for the note. I have 2 dresser plans that you might look at. The first is a three drawer dresser and the second is a wider 7 drawer version.
Thanks,
Ed
HI Ed
Great design and love the touches like removable rails. I purchased the pdf and am about to start. I do have one question: My box spring and mattress measure 23″. From the sketchup plans it looks like the rails are 6″ off the ground and rail supports another 1″. That would put the top of my mattress at 30″. My wife and I aren’t very tall and this may be too high. Whats your feeling about how the bed would look if I were to drop the rail 4 or 5 inches so that they were 1 or 2 inches above the ground? Would this look weird?
Another small point is that when I went to pay for your plans, the site will only accept american addresses (i’m in Canada). I just put in a random address in the US and it didn’t seem to affect the credit card transaction but I thought that you should know.
Hi Derek and thanks for the note! The plan is designed to be flexible so you can adjust the height of the posts. I’d probably want about 2” at least so you could get under it with your hand if anything were to roll under it. That would be hard with a 1” clearance. Also, thanks for letting me know about the Canadian addresses. Since my plans are all downloadable, the address doesn’t really matter that much, but that’s good to know and I will definitely check the settings on that. Thanks & good luck with your project. If you have any other questions, let me know.
Ed
Hi Ed, trying to purchase 2 of your place s for a queen platform bed frame and a 3- bin compost plan. Unfortunately I keep getting an error that there is no shipping information and it won’t let me complete the checkout…any suggestions?
Hi Kimberly, thanks for your interest in ordering the plans and sorry that you’re having trouble! I just ran a test order through my system and it appeared to be working fine. What is the error that you’re receiving? You can email me at [email protected] if that’s easier than commenting.
Thanks,
Ed
Great plans, thank you for making them available. Project turned out great!!
I built the bed headboard to your specs and using the 50” high headboard posts leaves about 25” from the bottom of the headboard to the floor. On doing some research I found that some sites recommend a height of the top of the mattress should be around 17” (chair height) which leave a significant gap between the bottom of the headboard and to of the mattress. I didn’t think about this in advance and maybe those who build this bed should consider this. I cut the headboard posts shorter to fix my problem. Otherwise very happy with the design.
Regarding the clamp issue: I use iron tubes which are used for gas lines. They are threaded and they make adjustable clamps that thread onto the bars and can be bought at woodworking stores or on line in 1/2” and 3/4” sizes. These iron tubes come in many sizes and can be extended to any length using the threaded connectors. They can be purchased at Home Depot.
Ed,
Good morning. I just purchased the plans for the queen size farmhouse bed and payed through Paypal. I’m not seeing an email or any instructions on how to download the plan. I did receive a receipt that the transaction went through.
Thanks,
Please disregard my comment. I found the download button.
Thanks,
Charles Dunn
Great. Also check your junk folder in your email. You should have an email with a download link. If you can’t find it, I can resend you one. That way you can refer back to it if you need the download link again.
Thanks!
Ed
I’m wanting to build this bed because most beds cost $400 or $500 and are pressed board. the issue I am having in looking at these plans is that this is for a box spring while my bed currently uses slates. Is it possible to make this bed and have slates? How do I build this bed but with slates instead of box spring?
Hi Matt, thanks for the note! Yes, it sure is possible. What most folks do that don’t have a box spring is to use a 3/4″ plywood sheet on top of the slats. Also, when constructing the bedrails, move the 2×4 rail supports up to about 3/4″ shy of the top of the rail (to hide the plywood base) and lay the mattress on the base. Does that make sense?
Thanks!
Ed
Hi,
This is my first wood projet ever ahaha. I am trying to do on my own to learn the basic of handmade project. I show my projet to one friend and he told me that the bed frame support is not enough strong to support the weight. He told me that the wood will dig inward under the effect of the weight. He suggests me to put the wood in the other side (more stronger) or put a plywood on the top or put metal support or combine those options. What do you think?
Hi Charles,
If you’re referring to the 6 2×4 slats that support the box spring for the queen size, the design will support the weight of both a standards size box spring and mattress. For a king sized bed there’s an additional support under the bed that’s necessary to support the weight (there’s a separate king sized plan for that). If you’re referring to the hardware that holds the railing system to the headboard and footer, as long as you’re purchasing quality hardware you’ll be fine. I’m not clear on exactly what you mean when he says “put the wood in the other side.”
Thanks!
Ed
Ed I have quick question about the queen farmhouse bed. This will be my first wood project and I was wondering why its so important that the hole for the lag bolts and the bolts themselves are at a perfect 90 degree angle? In your instructions you mention that its important so I wanted to learn and know more about that before I purchase the tools I need for the project!
Main thing you want to avoid when attaching the header (and footer) to the posts is splitting the wood and to do that means pre-drilling the holes for your lag bolts. If you’ve got the drill holes for the lag bolts a bit off going through the 4x4s, then you may not line up the holes in the posts with the pre-drilled holes in the headboard. An alternative, if you don’t have a drill that has one of those little level bubbles on the back of it, is to buy a drill bit long enough to put through the 4×4 and still be able to drill your pilot hole into the header. That’s a much cheaper solution than buying a new drill or a guide, although you may want to if you anticipate doing more projects in the future. It’s also pretty important to have your screws stay centered for tight joints, but the main reason I make the point is so that your pre-drilled holes (i.e. the one through the 4×4 and the one into the header) both line up.
THanks!
Ed
Hey Ed,
I actually working on building this bed now for my daughter as I type this. I found Menards has nice quality douglas fir 4x4x8’s for about $12.00 each. None of the pine I found at Home Depot, Lowes or Menards met my level of quality for knots, etc so I went with poplar for the 1-by pieces. I shopped Home Depot for 2x4s, 2×6 and 2×8 as their “premier” lumber is actually pretty nice and a few cents more than the “construction” grade lumber.
Anyways, I have the boards cut for the head and footboards and biscuits cut and am ready to glue them up. My question is how did you clamp the boards for the head and foot boards together? My bessey clamps only go out to 50″ so, for the headboard, I clamped up 6 together and the other two together. When they dry, I’ll bring the 2 piece together to make the 58″ panel. Before I do the footboard, I wanted to see if there was an easier approach.
Did you glue them up and then secure them by nailing the trim boards on the top and bottom (Front and back)? Just curious how you glued up the panels for these two pieces.
Hi Eric, thanks for the note! Yes, I glued all joints and used a trim nailer with brad nails. As far as clamping a really large panel like that, one hack is to use a ratchet style tie down to clamp them together. For a picture (sort of) of what I’m talking about, go to my Farmhouse Table post https://www.edhart.me/rustic-farmhouse-table-plan/, scroll about 2/3 of the way down and you’ll see a picture of how I used a similar method for a large tabletop. Let me know if that helps.
Thanks!
Ed
Perfect. Thanks for the reply. Looking forward to finishing this project and then onto building the Extra Wide Dresser for my daughter.
Thanks again!
E.
I love the finished look of this bed but I’m wondering if building it is significantly more cost effective than purchasing a similar frame. Do you have a rough estimate for how much was spent on materials?
Hi Coral,
Great question! For the queen sized bed project, count on about $300 for lumber, screws and paint/stain. People online will sometimes say it’s less than that, but that represents current Home Depot lumber & supply prices in Alabama! Plus you’ve got to factor in any tools you need as well as your time (this is a 1-2 weekend project depending on how much experience you have). You’ll be heard pressed to find a solid wood headboard and footer for that except maybe at a thrift store or consignment shop which are certainly good options although sometimes even they require some home refinishing. A new rustic style bed from Pottery Barn will likely cost you over $1,000. If you do decide to build a bed from the plans, I’d love to hear about it and see some pictures.
Thanks!
Ed
Hey Ed…great projecevt and PDF plans!
In reviewing the plans I noticed there isn’t any information regarding the placement of the bed rail fasteners to the posts. I understand they are placed in the center of the posts but how far up, from the bottom of the post, do you have yours. Bed rail placement is explained significantly.
Thanks!
Bern
Never mind Ed, answer is on page 18 (Part 2- Bed Rails (continued)).
Guess I should read the entire plan before asking questions.
Bern
No worries and I’m glad you found the measurements! I hope the project goes great and if you have any other questions, please let me know.
Cheers!
Ed
HI,
My husband is looking to make this bed for our son. We’re hoping to be able to add a trundle to it. Do you think this design is tall enough to fit a trundle? Also, I read you are coming up with a Full size version. Any word as to when that will be?
Thanks!
Ana
Hi Ana, thanks for the note! You could certainly do that but you would need to adjust the plan to raise the bed rails high enough to trundle the bed. Otherwise the dimensions would stay the same. I’ve had a number of folks do similarly to create storage under the bed. As for the fill size plan, you I have that. A full PDF of the plan is available for purchase & download. You can also just use the measurement adjustments in this full bed post and adjust the Queen Plan in this post.
Thanks!
Ed
Something you might want to change is
The 1×4 by 8′. If you change it to 1×4 by 10′
You would have way less waist and would actually be cheaper. Just a thought. Love the design though
[…] box spring and mattress combo measures 54″ x 75″ so both the width and length of the original queen version […]
Hi my Huband purchased the PDF version of the plan through pay pal and never received it.
Thanks for the note & that’s not good! Have him check his spam or junk folder to see if the download email is there. If not, email me ([email protected]) the email he used to purchase & I can check on the order. Sorry about that!! The system usually works pretty smoothly. There’s a good chance it’s stuck in his junk mail.
Hi, awesome blog! I’ll be starting this project tomorrow as part of a birthday gift for my girlfriend, it’s a little last minute so hopefully I can get it all done in time! One area I’m slightly confused is if I’ll be able to hide the box spring behind the siderails and how it’ll look.
The dimensions of the mattress/box spring are:
Mattress: 60 x 11 x 80
Box Spring: 60 x 9 x 80
With the box spring being 9″ high is where I’m a little concerned. Taking into account the 2/4 and 2/8 it looks like there is about 3.75″ (7 1/4″ – 3 1/2″) of room that the side boards would cover. So sticking up above the side boards would be around 5.25″ of the box spring. Just curious, is this how yours is or is the box spring completely hidden? I would love to hear any info on how yours looks, I’ve been searching around for photos all day but most finished ones all seem to have bedding so it’s hard to tell. Since it’s last minute I just want to make sure I plan everything correctly 🙂
Thanks!
Hi Jake, thanks for the note & glad you like the plan! Yes, the box spring will be thicker than the bed rails, but that’s pretty normal. What most folks do is get a box spring cover or bed skirt that will cover the box spring and coordinate with the bedding. I’ve had some people tell me that they’ve done the bed ‘platform style’ and used a sheet of plywood instead of a box spring, setting the mattress directly on top, but personally, I don’t think this style of bed lends itself to that. It’s totally normal to have your box spring and mattress dimensions with this bed plan.
Thanks,
Ed
Also, you can check out some other reader’s projects on my EdHart.me Facebook page. There’s not much there now, but I’d love to have your pictures when you get your project done (or even along the way!).
HI, going to attempt to make this bed. I also want to use a box spring and mattress and for that reason I came onto your site. For the box spring supports (you used 2x4s) I accidentally got 2x6s. Do you think I will still be able to use those for the slats or should I exchange them for 2x4s?
Thanks in Advance,
Maria
Hi Maria,
If it were me, I would exchange them for the 2x4s. If you did choose to keep them, you’d use the same method, but cut the grooves in the bed rail shelf wider to fit. The 2x4s will be a little lighter, less tendency to sag (without some kind of support) and they’re less expensive than the 2x6s.
Good luck on your project and I’d love to see some pictures when you’re done!
Ed
Hi Ed,
Thank you so much for the quick reply and all your help. I’ll definitely post pictures once we are done.
Thank You,
Maria
Hi someone is wanting my husband to make this for them and I was wondering if you knew how much time it took you to put it all together. Thank you
Assembling the bed is a 1-2 weekend project (assuming you have all supplies and can devote most of the weekend!). Getting a good finish – priming & painting a couple coats and maybe adding a couple coats of polycrylic will be another weekend or could be done on successive evenings during the week if you stay focused on it. It took me 4 solid weekends, but I was also taking pictures & writing a plan while I did it.
I wish it was free like on Ana-white, but I’ll gladly give you the $5 for making the EXACT changes I was going to spend a couple days doing. Ha. Thank you so much.
I was looking at the bed on Ana-White.com and was thinking of adjusting this accordingly. I’m glad I ran into this website before I sat down and starting sketching everything.
As I’m studying your plan I see you have a sketch-up picture of the cut list but I can’t find that download. I’m wondering if I can save money by buying boards in 12′ or more lengths. Can you provide the link for your cut list in sketch-up on this project? Thanks!
Hi Steve, thanks for downloading! I just emailed you a link to the SketchUp cut list, so let me know if you have any trouble with it. Thanks for catching that too… I thought I had the link to the cut list in the plan, so I’ll double check and update it. Let me know if you have any more questions!
Ed
One thing your print out is missing (just got to this step) is the measurements for how far apart you placed the bed rail supports. Just some advice to make it a little better.
Thanks, I’ll check into that right away. I appreciate the feedback. The queen size rails should measure 61″ from the inside of the rails (not the inside of the supporting 2x4s). Standard queen box springs are 60″, but I always recommend measuring your actual box spring as I’ve seen them vary. The king plan is a minimum of 77″ to accommodate the standard king box spring of 76″. You want to make sure you have a little “wiggle room” for the mattress to fit but still rest weight on the 2×4 supports on the inside of the rails. Thanks again for giving me that feedback; I appreciate it.
So, I just realized I need to pay more attention to details. I purchased your plans because I was excited that I finally found plans for a bed that I liked. The problem? I just bought a king size mattress. Can you provide any pointers for altering the plans/cuts for a king size bed? Thank you!
I can do that. I’ve been thinking of doing a king size version anyway. The difference will really be widening it to accommodate the mattress. Give me a couple day to get you some specs and tips on it. If you’d like me to refund you, I’ll be glad to, but a lot of the plan will be the same. Also, reply back with your mattress/box spring measurements (length & width) so I can compare actual vs. standard sizes.
Ed
Is the plan for this still available? I wasn’t able to access it via Google Apps. Would very much appreciate a copy.
Try now… not sure what was wrong with the link, but you should be able to get to it now. Or you can click the SketchUp logo on the image.
Ed
I’m building one as well, and planning to use bed rail fasteners – albeit a different style – in order to be able to break down the bed, should we ever need to move it.
I like your use of the biscuits to keep the individual boards from flexing or warping I don’t have a biscuit joiner, but I built the headboard panel using a manufactured doug fir decking product that’s a tad thicker than a standard 1×6 – and since they’re manufactured, they should be fairly stable.
I’ve made a few other modifications to avoid the bed looking like a fence. I ripped the 4x4s down to 3×3, and capped the headboard and footboard panels first with a 2×3 (instead of the 2×4) and then a 5/4″ x 6″, rather than the 2″ x 6″.
Also, when attaching the legs to the panels, rather than attaching a temporary cleat and clamping, I drilled my holes through the legs, such that the screw threads don’t bite into the legs. This ensures the screws will pull the legs tight to the panels.
[…] am working on my next project, a rustic farmhouse night stand to match my rustic farmhouse bed. Since I finished the bed, we’ve been on the lookout for a nightstand to match, but […]
[…] you haven’t seen the other posts on the making of this bed, start here. This is a massive piece of furniture, and there’s no way around a long sanding process. […]
[…] (P.s. If you like this post, check out my Rustic Farmhouse Bed) […]
[…] took my last couple of weekends, but I’m back on task with the bed! Be sure to read the first part post with lots of details and […]
[…] ← Making a Farmhouse Bed […]