Frequently Asked Questions
Wood Questions
What kind of wood should I use?
Most of our plans use standard construction lumber like pine or fir. It's affordable, easy to work with, and easy to find. It's also rapidly renewing and biodegradable, so a great eco friendly choice!
Can I use hardwoods instead?
Yes—just keep in mind they're heavier, cost more, and can be tougher on tools and harder to join together and finish. I recommend not tackling a hardwood project until after you have built several softwood projects.
What if my boards are warped?
Choose the straightest boards at the store. You can often work around slight warps by cutting them into shorter pieces.
What wood should I use for outdoor furniture?
Use red-toned or pressure-treated 2x lumber for framing, and cedar or cedar fence pickets for the decking. Outdoor furniture should be built like a deck—your local home center can help recommend the right wood for your climate.
Will my wood move or warp after I build?
Potentially, especially in humid climates. Let your wood acclimate indoors before building. Once acclimated and kept in a stable environment, movement should be minimal. Remember, most houses are built using framing lumber - it's all about keeping moisture down indoors.
Cutting Questions
Do I need a miter saw?
A miter saw is great, creating fast, safe, and precise cuts, even for beginners. But most plans can be built with a circular saw and a straight edge. If using a circular saw to cut, take time to practice, and get good at making cuts, before cutting your project boards.
How do I get clean cuts with a circular saw?
Clamp your board, measure twice, cut slow, and use a sharp blade. This takes practice, so spend some time making cuts. I go through becoming proficient at freehand cutting in my course, it is worth taking if you want to master this skill.
Will the store cut my wood?
Yes—most stores will do rough cuts to help you transport your materials home. But from store to store, the quality of cuts could greatly vary.
Joinery Questions
What screws should I use?
We recommend star-head self tapping screws for framing, most common sizes are 2-1/2", 1-3/4". Pre-drill if close to the edge or you find your wood is splitting.
Do I have to use pocket holes?
Pocket holes are the cheapest, easiest and fastest way to do some joints - like edge to edge or a hidden fastener joint. There are other methods, but these can be time consuming and expensive. We recommend using pocket holes as indicated in plans for best results.
How do I keep things square?
Use a speed square and measure diagonals after each step. Always clamp joints before screwing to keep them tight and flush.
Finishing Questions
Stain or paint before or after building?
A quick sand before and a full finish after gives the best results. Pre-finish if you're doing two-tone or detailed finishes.
What type of finish?
Use oil-based or water-based stain. For paint, cabinet-grade latex or enamel works great. High use surfaces on indoor projects should get a coat of polyurethane, I recommend a Helsman or Spar or other flexible poly that won't crack or peel with wood movement. For exterior projects, use a finish suitable for exterior fences.
How to get a smooth finish?
Start with a well sanded project. Sand between coats (220 grit), wipe clean, and apply light coats with a foam brush or roller.
Plan Questions
Can I change the size?
Many people do, and that's the great thing about building your own furniture! But do keep in mind going bigger might mean more supports are required, and often plans are optimized for minimal material waste.
Are these beginner-friendly?
Yes—plans are written with simple tools and clear steps in mind, with every effort to make plans as simple as possible.
Can I sell what I build?
Absolutely! Just don’t resell or repost the plans themselves.
General Questions
What tools do I really need?
A drill, circular saw, tape measure, square, and a few clamps will get you through most projects.
Do I need a workshop?
Nope! A driveway or small patio is plenty to get started, just make sure you have a level place to work. If you find you are building several projects a year, creating a small workbench is a great way to store tools and have a dedicated workspace.
What if I mess up?
Wood filler, sanding, or flipping boards goes a long way. Mistakes are part of the process!
What can I do to make my projects look more professional?
Start with straight boards, make accurate cuts, clamp all joints, and line up everything neatly. Sand thoroughly, use a neutral finish, and apply it in light coats for a clean look.
I've never built anything before. Where should I start?
Start with a few smaller softwood projects to get hands-on experience. Or if you're tackling a big project, buy a little extra lumber and practice your cuts and joints first. If possible, work with someone who has a bit of experience.
Care & Maintenance
How long will my furniture last?
With good joinery and regular care, your DIY furniture can last for decades. I have pieces in my own home that are over 20 years old and still going strong! One of the best parts about DIY furniture is that it’s easy to repaint, refinish, or repair—so your projects can grow and adapt with you.
How should I care for outdoor furniture?
Lightly pressure wash or hose it down once or twice a year. Tighten screws and reapply finish as needed to protect it—just like a deck or fence. A little upkeep goes a long way in extending the life of your furniture.
How about indoor furniture?
Regularly dust or wipe with a damp cloth. If it starts to look worn, a light sanding and touch-up paint or stain can refresh it in no time. DIY pieces are meant to be durable and fixable—so don’t be afraid to give them some love now and then.
Want to Build with Confidence?
Check out my ebook: 12 Skills to Build Your Own Furniture
It walks you through the core skills every builder needs—measuring, cutting, joinery, and finishing—so you can build beautiful furniture that lasts.
Still Have Questions?
Email us anytime at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help!
Comments
LisaT (not verified)
Fri, 02/24/2012 - 09:37
This is Awesome!
Ana, great plans! Whitney and Ana-what an inspiration! The bed turned out beautiful!!!!
claydowling
Fri, 02/24/2012 - 11:07
Avoiding pocket screws
There's nothing wrong with pocket screws, but looking at this plan there's no reason you couldn't build it without pocket screws. That would be a real salvation for somebody who didn't own one. I see it's mentioned in a note in the drawing, but worth calling out separately.
Instead of assembling the frame with pocket screws, attach the frame components to the legs with countersunk wood screws. As a tip, I've found that a drill is not the best tool for driving screws. I've had a lot better luck with a brace equipped with a screwdriver bit. I almost never strip a screw and it drives just as fast.
I'd also like to mention that there's no point in using wood glue on the end grain of the frame pieces, as the plan suggests. That won't hold under any kind of stress. If you glue the frame components to the legs though, it's going to be pretty strong.
Larryshandywife
Wed, 08/22/2012 - 21:32
Platform Bed
Hi,I just made this bed yesterday in just a few short hours and did not use wood glue as you have mentioned not to do and instead of doing poketholes I used wood screws and just drilled them straight in using the screwdriver bit as you have metioned and that was a way better way to make this bed....I enjoy reading your comments on different ways to make different things......Thank You for the advice!! :).....And I love this bed,it is awesome for the exchange student that will be here in 2 days,BUT of course im going to be sleeping on it to see how comfortable it is to sleep on,hahaha
Carli (not verified)
Mon, 02/27/2012 - 10:20
What about bigger beds?
Is there an easy modification for making this into a double, or even queen size bed? Or is it less practical with larger mattresses. Thanks!! :-)
Megan Woodside (not verified)
Mon, 02/27/2012 - 20:24
Bedding?
Where is that gorgeous bedding from?
Latonia (not verified)
Wed, 02/29/2012 - 13:42
I love this bed!!! I also
I love this bed!!! I also want to make one for a full size bed. Also queen size bed.Can you please send me the plans to modifiy for both these sizes. Thank You.
Alex Traynor (not verified)
Fri, 01/18/2013 - 05:08
Queen size bed
the length of a queen mattress is 4" bigger so you just need to add 4" to the length and if your sizes are the same as UK then add 36" to the width i would advise a center piece down the middle of the frame for support of the slats, I know this was over a year ago you asked the question but hope this helps
Guest (not verified)
Fri, 03/23/2012 - 11:10
headborad
we are making this bed for my 2 daughters and not sure about the head borad! can you give more info on the headboard?
Ana White
Fri, 03/23/2012 - 11:13
Headboard
Hi! I'm excited for you! The plans for the matching headboard are here: http://ana-white.com/2012/02/plans/fillman-platform-headboard
Daniele (not verified)
Fri, 06/08/2012 - 09:16
Thanks for the plans for the
Thanks for the plans for the headboard and platform. 2 questions for ya- do you have dimensions for a full bed? And what type of wood/stain did you use? thanks!
Daniele (not verified)
Fri, 06/08/2012 - 09:16
Thanks for the plans for the
Thanks for the plans for the headboard and platform. 2 questions for ya- do you have dimensions for a full bed? And what type of wood/stain did you use? thanks!
JJJean (not verified)
Mon, 04/16/2012 - 23:12
I absolutely LOVE everything
I absolutely LOVE everything about this bed! Can you please let me know what type of wood you used & what brand/color/type of stain & if you had any tips to get it to look this way. This bed is beautiful & I am having my hubby make it for our little one very soon!! Thank you!
JJJean (not verified)
Mon, 04/16/2012 - 23:13
Stain???
I absolutely LOVE everything about this bed! Can you please let me know what type of wood you used & what brand/color/type of stain & if you had any tips to get it to look this way. This bed is beautiful & I am having my hubby make it for our little one very soon!! Thank you!
Corinne Piper (not verified)
Sat, 04/28/2012 - 20:19
plans for queen size bed?
i love this bed and would like to make a queen size bed for us as well as the single for our ds,,,,, could you send plans for the queen six of it?
Christy Panzarella (not verified)
Fri, 05/18/2012 - 02:52
Age appropriate?
We're moving next month, into a much smaller space. We have a spare twin mattress in storage. Is it advisable to transition my 22 month old onto a twin bed like this now, or do I need to wait longer? This sits low enough, that Id think she would be ok, even if she rolled off, right?
In reply to Age appropriate? by Christy Panzarella (not verified)
tracysmith
Fri, 05/18/2012 - 08:12
My advice to you is that if
My advice to you is that if there is a concern that your daughter could hurt herself, why not build a "guard rail" that you can use for added safety while she transitions into a bigger bed, then when you're sure she will be okay, simply remove the rail. Just a thought ;-)
The rail doesn't have to run the length of the bed either, just a smaller one closer to the head of the bed, I'm sure you know what I'm referring to, but if not, let me know and I'll draw one up for you in sketch up. :-)
Lori Orman (not verified)
Sat, 05/19/2012 - 19:48
Hi! I'm a mother of a two
Hi! I'm a mother of a two year old that we transferring into a Montessori floor bed. This platform would be perfect for her. Seeing I've heard simply laying a mattress on the floor is bad for the mattress and someone spine. I was told to keep it on a platform. So this tutorial is perfect I'd just love for it to have either short half sides or a rail on one side to keep her from falling out. I see u mentioned this and offered to draw something up. I'd be so appreciate if you could for me.
Thank you!
Maddie (not verified)
Wed, 05/23/2012 - 09:49
Sturdiness
My husband just finished building this bed for our 2-year-old son and it turned out beautifully! Our current question is whether or not the bed plus a mattress alone is sturdy enough to stand up to a toddler jumping on it (as he inevitably will, let's face it)? We have several (13-16) slats to go into the platform, but we're still a little concerned about him jumping on and snapping one slat at a time. Is this a valid concern? Should we buy a piece of plywood to put down instead of the slats? We'd really like to avoid the box spring since the real draw of this bed was how low it was for him, but if he's going to break something - either the bed or himself! - then it's worth it to us.
Bottom line: Is the mattress plus the slats a sturdy enough system to stand up to a rowdy little boy?
Thanks!
claydowling
Wed, 05/23/2012 - 18:17
Bed Sturdiness
If you are worried about making the strong, there's a lot you can accomplish by choosing the correct wood. Make sure the slats are without any knots or cracks. That's where they'll crack.
If that isn't secure enough, you can make a torsion box for the base. You'll turn the slats on edge, sandwich them between sheets of plywood, secured with glue and nails, then wrap the sides with boards secured the same way. It's way overkill though unless the slats have already failed.
jess wilkins (not verified)
Mon, 05/28/2012 - 07:12
Queen Size
Hello,
Is there any way we could get the dimensions of the bed in a queen size?
Thanks
Waters (not verified)
Thu, 05/31/2012 - 18:36
I am making this bed now, for
I am making this bed now, for my 4yo daughter, and am so excited to finish and hopefully get some good pics of the finished bed soon. I raised mine 12" for storage space underneath so it'll be a slight twist on the original. Thank you so very much for these plans, Ana, you have made it possible for us to have furniture that we otherwise would not be able to - and kind of not even want to - afford.
Bethany Ketchale (not verified)
Tue, 07/24/2012 - 18:23
Fillman platform bed
Hi ,
This bed is beautiful. I was hoping you could send me the plans/dimensions to make this a full size bed? Thank you,
Bethany
Larryshandywife
Wed, 08/22/2012 - 21:42
Platform Bed
I made this bed yesterday in just a few short hours,it didnt take me long at all to make it. I love it!! I made it for the exchange student that will be staying with us for the next year and when she leaves it will be an extra bed for company or for when hubby is in the dog house LOL......Theres only one thing I wanted to point out....I got all the wood exactly how the plans said and I put the bed together of course and I had one piece of wood left and it was a 1x3 8" so you will only need 2 1x3's NOT 3 1x3's other than that the bed is AMAZING!!!!
Larryshandywife
Wed, 08/22/2012 - 21:45
Platform Bed
OH YEA and instead of putting the legs at 5 1/2"s I raised them to 7"s
Angie Dunaway (not verified)
Tue, 09/18/2012 - 17:04
size variation
Hi!! Love Love LOVE the BED FRAME and HEADBOARD!! I see I am not the only one asking, but I would love it if you could send me a variation for a full size bed. I cannot wait to make this!!! You did a wonderful job!! Thank you so much!
Angie Dunaway (not verified)
Tue, 09/18/2012 - 17:04
size variation
Hi!! Love Love LOVE the BED FRAME and HEADBOARD!! I see I am not the only one asking, but I would love it if you could send me a variation for a full size bed. I cannot wait to make this!!! You did a wonderful job!! Thank you so much!
Angie Dunaway (not verified)
Tue, 09/18/2012 - 17:04
size variation
Hi!! Love Love LOVE the BED FRAME and HEADBOARD!! I see I am not the only one asking, but I would love it if you could send me a variation for a full size bed. I cannot wait to make this!!! You did a wonderful job!! Thank you so much!
Bskall (not verified)
Tue, 11/13/2012 - 18:43
Platform Bed
Love this bed. I'd really like to make 2 of them for my almost 2 yr old twins. Would you be able to send me the plans/dimensions to make this a toddler bed?
Thank you,
Becky
Alecks (not verified)
Mon, 12/31/2012 - 13:34
King Size
LOVE this bed! I feel like i have all the same questions as everyone else. What type of wood and stain did you use? Also where can i find the dimensions for a king sized bed.
kenziedoll90
Fri, 02/01/2013 - 00:00
queen
could you please post the dimensions for making a queen sized bed frame? I saw someone said add 4" to length but that wouldn't make since because a queen bed is wider not longer.
Cjmiksch
Thu, 03/07/2013 - 11:53
Dimensions for a Full bed?
Did anyone ever get dimensions for a full sized bed? I'd love to make this for my daughter but she has a full.
yukontlc
Sat, 04/20/2013 - 15:26
king size dimensions
New to your site, love all the plans! Are you able to post the dimensions for a king size version of this. Thank you so much.
chenzzo
Mon, 06/03/2013 - 11:08
great plan!
I made three of these this past Saturday with no problems. I modified the plans a little bit on two of them as they were both going in the same room and were going against opposite walls, so I removed the trim rails on the wall sides so the beds would sit flush against the wall. Super easy to build and great instructions. I was even able to make a small table with the scraps. The table wasn't from any specific plans on the site, but it's construction was definitely informed by everything I've seen here.
chenzzo
Mon, 06/03/2013 - 11:11
great plan!
duplicate post!
dubyadubya
Wed, 08/21/2013 - 18:17
Full/Double Size for this plan?
if anyone managed to get the full size/double dimensions for this plan, I'm desperate for a copy at [email protected].
Thank you all so much.
dubyadubya
Tue, 09/03/2013 - 06:47
Making this bed in a full/queen
I received an email from a community member asking if I found the plan to convert this bed to a full, so I thought I would share my reply to the rest of the people on here as it was something I had been looking for.
Basically what I did was took a pencil and went through each page of the twin bed plan and added 15" to the width. The length when converting from twin to double stays the same.
Mattress Dimensions:
Full 54x75
Twin 39 x 75
Queen 60 x 80
I didn't build the headboard, but the same rule applies...every width measurement/cut you add 15" and the height ones stay the same. I build two of these beds on the weekend, one twin and one full. They are great and really low. I did them for about $40 each but I didn't use project pine, I used construction grade SPF (spruce-pine-fir, home depot) which is much cheaper wood but more straight and solid. It usually has a stamp which I like. I did come into some trouble when one of my boards was warped. Usually it is hardest to keep the 2x2's straight, and it is important to countersink them to keep them from cracking and drill them every 16" or so with good screws to help fend off the warp.
If you are like me, you will love these projects and never look at ikea furniture the same way again. I did invest in a Kreg Jig for pocket holes. I bought the one that is about $30 but I definitely want one that I dont have to move for every hole for the next project. One thing I learned there was to get a perfect square, your cut lines have to be straight, and your kreg jig screws should go in at the furthest possible space away from the other. My mitre saw really helps me with cutting my wood clean and square--I got it used for $50. I trust myself better than the home depot guys now.
Your cut list should basically look like this:
Cut List:
2 – 2x4 @ 76 1/2"
2 – 2x4 @ 54” (add 39" +15", making it 54)
4 – 2x3 @ 5 1/2" (can use 2x4s here as well--I did use 2x4 for a chunkier foot base and more places to get a good screw hold)
2 – 2x2 @ 70 1/2"
2 – 1x3 @ 75”
1 – 1x3 @ 59” (was 44 but I added 15")
I also cut 1 - 1x2 @ 54" to trim out the top but the plan doesn't call for it
1x3 @ 54” for slats (not accounted for in cut list) I used 1x4 strapping which are 1.83 a piece at my local home depot. I think 12-13 is a safe number if you are using 1x3 or 1x4.
When I made the queen I cut a middle support from 2x3' at 70.5" and pocket hole screwed it into the frame for extra support. Make sure you recess it 1/2 inch to be in line with legs so it wont get in the way of your slats. I would always recommend doing legs first. They were the trickiest part for me.
Beau Av
Tue, 01/14/2014 - 00:22
King size
I'm just like a few people on here. Love this bed would love to build it for my wife and I. Was hoping to get shopping and cut list for king size bed. Was also wondering about what modifications you'd recommend on raising the bed a bit. My wife likes the style of platform beds but likes beds to be a little higher off the ground than most platforms. Anything will help!
jenjen
Sun, 03/02/2014 - 14:45
height
I found your trundle bed plans first, would it be reasonable to just add longer legs to this bed platform and make the trundle to use with it. I want something reasonably priced to make for my kids so that they are set up for sleepovers yet save space.
tmilz2016
Thu, 10/06/2016 - 07:11
attaching headboard
I assume this headboard is light enough that it can be attached to the bead with lag bolts correct?