Let’s face it, one of the most expensive things within our bedroom decorating is the bed. A cool bed becomes the focal point of the room, so you want to make sure it looks up to date, stylish and, best case scenario, totally awesome! Best way to do that, on a budget? DIY bed frames! Yes, you can build bed frames that rival the high end stores, and that also save you money. And we have a bunch of DIY bed frame tutorials for you to prove it. So get ready for your bedroom makeover, because once you have one of these beds in your room, you won’t be able to stop decorating. If you landed here looking for bed frames to buy, scroll on down to the end of the post where we have some great recommendations for you.
DIY Bed Frames
Pretty much all of these DIY bed frames are platform style. So you will only need a top mattress. No box springs needed. Want an amazingly comfortable memory foam type mattress? Be sure and head over to Nectar and check out what they have available. Chances are, there will be a sale going on! I personally can’t sleep well on anything BUT memory foam now. And you don’t even have to get some huge box… It shows up vacuum sealed in an easy to manage package!
If you are a beginning DIY’er (or even if you aren’t!) this minimal DIY bed frame from Patricia at ‘No Glitter, No Glory‘ is a really simple to follow tutorial. This bed frame is made with pine cut to size, and a drill! You could even have the lumber cut at the home improvement store.
If you want a luxe look, this upholstered DIY bed frame tutorial from ‘The Handy Homemaker‘ is for you! Lots of photos make this tutorial a “no fail” project. Don’t forget to look for part two of this tutorial at the bottom of the post that leads into the upholstery side of the bed. They have a tutorial for an upholstered headboard too!
You have to love this rustic modern platform DIY bed from ‘Ana White‘. It’s the best of both worlds! Lots of drawings, supply list and complete instructions and photos.
Try this 3-Tool DIY bed from ‘Home Made Modern‘. Not only did they truly only use 3 tools to create this bed ,but they did it for $75! This bed was made using plywood and Ikea brackets… Simple!
So if you have one of those ugly metal bed frames that you hide with a bed skirt, this blogger feels ya. Tanya at ‘Dans le Lakehouse‘ made this walnut plywood DIY bed frame with welded legs and has a great tutorial for it. What an improvement! You have to jump on over and see a photo of the bed “before”. This bed frame transforms the room to a high end look! Love!
Try this Japanese inspired DIY modern bed frame from ‘Modern Builds‘. The hair pin legs are perfection, and that walnut stain on the headboard? Great project. And remember, if you are looking for a really comfortable mattress, check out Nectar. They have great sales going on all the time!
Nat Andrews posted this DIY bed frame to ‘Instructables‘, and it is incredibly awesome. High quality wood beds are hard enough to find and afford as it is, but add in some cool details like integrated lighting, and this is a very cool DIY project. Great tutorial, lots of instructions.
This Pottery Barn inspired king bed and DIY headboard by Kristen at ‘Lipstick and Sawdust‘ is a more traditional bed, but with a really fresh feel. You could stain it a lighter color, or even paint it white for a different feel. Tutorial is in several parts, so make sure you visit them all. Also, she does a great job of helping you learn from her mistakes, so read the tutorial all the way through! Lovin’ these bed frames!
From ‘Santiago DIY‘, create a pallet DIY bed. This is a repurposed bed that you see all the time on Pinterest, but few actual tutorials. This one is really good, and tells you exactly how to turn cheap or free pallets into platform DIY bed frames.
This easy pallet DIY bed frame was made by ‘The Wonder Forest‘. We love the bohemian look of this bedroom! And how much did this cost? A local shop gave her the pallets for free.
Now that you have a good pallet bed tutorial, here are a few inspirational ideas on what you can do with pallets and DIY bed frames! Photo by ‘Style at Home‘.
We can’t find a source for this photo, but wanted to include it for it’s Scandinavian style. Just goes to show it’s what accents you decorate with, not the base materials you use that makes a room.
So if you love dupes, this is a great one. This is inspired by a George Nelson Case Study bed from Modernica, and made DIY by ‘Mid Century Modern‘. They only spent $350 building their bed! Nice job.
From Erich Mcvey on ‘Design Sponge‘, this very cool barn wood DIY bed has a short tutorial… but if you like this bed, make sure you check out the next project as well…
As promised, we found what looks like a bed inspired by the last one…except this one looks just as cool with a complete step by step tutorial! ‘Mrs Fancy Pantz‘ did an amazing job on this DIY bed frame and headboard!
Ana White is one of our favorite bloggers because she puts out these amazing woodworking plans for free, including DIY bed frames! And ‘Bower Power‘ used one of those plans to build this bed, and it’s king size. They built this bed for around $150… not bad! I love the painted white cottage look. Remember though, it could also be painted a darker color of a more traditional look.
Another Ana White design… can’t help it, they are so good! ‘The Happy Huntsman‘ made this DIY storage bed… This is a great choice for a small home, or for kids rooms! You can find the plans for this bed on Ana White. If you want to see more storage bed tutorials, jump on over to ur post on DIY Storage Beds!
Last we have the bed that Chris made, a DIY bed frame from ‘Something is Done‘. I love this bed because it is simple enough to be used in any style, but can have a headboard added on if you wanted. Great project!
We have so much fun finding great DIY projects for our readers that will save them money! So do you have a favorite of these DIY bed frames? And don’t forget, check out Nectar memory foam mattresses, even if you just need a replacement for your existing bed! They have one of the highest rated mattresses out there, and a 365 night money back guarantee!
Where To Buy Bed Frames
If DIY’ing these bed frames isn’t what you are looking for right now, we have a couple of options here for where to buy bed frames. First, if a budget bed is what you need, then check out all the budget bed frames from Wayfair.
We think the Maxen Wood Platform Bed Frame is a great option to check out. It is sturdy, doesn’t require a box spring, has tons of great reviews, and is easy to assemble! One of the reviewers mentioned that it doesn’t squeak at all, which is a problem many cheaper metal bed frames can have.
The Hampton Bed Frame is made of sturdy black metal, has a sleek and minimal look, and has plenty of room underneath for storage. It’s a platform bed, so it does not require a box spring. Did we mention inexpensive and free shipping?
The heavy duty Hanley bed frame starts at $100, has a squeak resistant steel frame, and looks sleek and modern.
If you are wanting a slightly higher end bed frame for your home, then check out bed frames from West Elm. The Mod Upholstered Platform Bed Frame is exactly what we envision as the perfect timeless bed frame. Love this look! The wood legs are solid oak, and this is a contract grade piece of furniture. Which means, it’s made tough enough to be used in hotels!
If you are looking for another type of bed project, get inspired with our post on Boho Bedrooms or our Nectar Mattress Review, or check out our posts on DIY Murphy Beds and Modern DIY Nightstands on our sister site – OhMeOhMy.
And don’t forget to join our Home & Garden DIY Facebook group and our Pinterest page so you see right away when we post new ideas and advice!
Image Credits: Ana White, No Glitter, No Glory, The Handy Homemaker, Home Made Modern, Dans Le Lakehouse, Modern Builds, Instructables/ Nat Andrews, Lipstick and Sawdust, Santiago DIY, The Wonder Forest, Pinterest, Pinterest, Mid Century Modern, Design Sponge, Mrs Fancy Pantz, Bower Power, Happy Huntsman, Something is Made
Thanks for the wonderful pics and tutorials!!! I can’t decide on which one to go for. They are all fantastic!
You have my creative juices running! Thanks for the JumpStart!
I have a headboard in mind. It is twin sized as my bed is a twin. It was a mattress frame, something like the first pic with the bookcase headboard. I am really looking forward to getting started on it. Lots of other things to do first but it is out in my garage saying come get me really loud!
I don’t see a link to the tutorial on the George Nelson-inspired bed. Is there an online tutorial? If so, can you update the post?
Hi John! You are right, it was the wrong link! We have updated the post with the correct link to the DIY version!
These are awesome! I have a boat load of tongue & groove pine in my shop that’s been waiting for me to be inspired. Well now I’m inspired! :) thx for posting these.
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Hi guys i would like to make the double pallet queen bed. This is my first job like this so im not sure how to do it, can you please send me the measurements and how to assemble it please thank you Sotiria.
I’m sorry, it’s not our project so we have no idea… Sorry we couldn’t be more help!
Did you ever find something? I also would like to do this and would love to know
Thanks Kathy for some good bed ideas in this post, we will have a new home soon and I am choosing what bed here is best for us.
I really love this bed but I can’t tell how far the bed extends beyond the mattress because the covers hang over. Any chance you can add a photo of how the bed looks with the covers tucked around the mattress? Thank you!
I’m sorry, it’s not our project so we have no idea… Sorry we couldn’t be more help!
Thanks Kathy for the useful post. I also love Ana White’s blog posts. The bed painted white with cottage style is quite awesome! I am ready to give it a try! The rest is also fantastic!
Kathy, thanks for the post! Love your selection.
My favorite is definitely the pallet one as well as the barn wood bed.I like the rustic look these beds have.
They have these at the Sundara Spa in Wisconsin. Absolute heaven on earth. I have never come close to the same level of comfort in a bed. Worth every penny.
This post couldn’t have come at a better time. I was just getting ready to hack an Ikea bed frame into an upholstered bed. I might just decide to build a frame instead of buying an ikea one! Thanks so much Jenni! You are an inspiration!!! P.s. the bed looks amazing!!
Amazing! Absolutely gorgeous work. Looking forward to your next posts. Cheers!
Nice !!! some good bed ideas in this post . Thanks for sharing
Thanks Kathy for great bed frame tips. Thanks for sharing.
Amazing! Absolutely gorgeous work. Thanks Kathy
This post is informative and useful, thanks for this lovely post.
Thanks for sharing such an exclusive ideas and information more about beds. These Gorgeous Bed Frames are really superb made with high quality materials. I am glad to read whole whole post. Keep posting and looking for next one.
I was looking for a perfect bed for my bedroom from a very long time but haven’t yet decided as I find the rates expensive. Now, I think I can get DIY beds.
Nice pictures of bed frames. All bed frames are completely unique from each other and wait for my new one similar like the above list.
Hi Kathy, Thanks for sharing an informative and useful post about Bed Frames.
This is beautiful! I’m trying to build a bed frame and I keep stumbling across designs like this that are way outside of my ability/tool range.