DIY Bunk Beds

Check it out: two major DIY projects in a row.  

WHAT IS GOING ON?!?  

I know, usually, you stop by and all I have to share is a few little felt things I stitched up.  

But, a few days ago I shared this crazy table my sister built, and today I am sharing the bunk beds my husband and his uncle built for our 2-year-old (and his siblings as they come along). 

I know I gave you a glimpse of these beds yesterday when I showed you our new FatHead, but here are the details.

But first, here is the story of how we came to build our own bunk beds.

We did not set out to build bunk beds.  

We were all set to buy bunk beds at IKEA. 

But, when we saw the bunk beds there… Or rather when we handled the bunk beds there we knew that they would not last.

And they felt so flimsy that I didn’t feel comfortable putting my busy little boy to bed on them. 

So, plan B was that my husband and his uncle would build some bunk beds! (His uncle offered…and I took him up on it!)

These bunk beds are sturdy and simple.  

Here is how we (or my husband and his uncle) built them:

First, they made the legs. 

Using 2×6 pieces of wood, they made “L” shaped legs that are 6′ high by joining two pieces of wood together with sturdy screws.

Then, they moved onto creating the “beds”. 

For this, they made a basic box, once again out of 2×6 pieces of wood that are 6.5′ by 3.5′. 

With these measurements, a twin mattress will fit inside perfectly.

Then, measure and place small pieces of wood (we used about 3′ pieces) along the inside of the beds. 

Make sure that they are direct across from each other. As they will support the slats that will support the plywood–that will support the mattress.

After the smaller pieces of wood were in place, they attached the slats (which were 1×2 pieces of wood) to them.

Next, they measured and cut a piece of plywood to fit within the body of the bed.

And then–find some able-bodied men to haul it upstairs and assemble it!  Yay!  Look at that happy boy in his new bed!