This beautiful farmhouse bed can be made for just a fraction of the cost to buy - all from standard, off the shelf lumber! You won't need a pocket hole jig or any special tools to build.
This bed has been built thousands of times and is a reader favorite. You can also find the twin version, king version, and all our farmhouse bed plans here.
Preparation
12 - 2x4 8 feet long
2 - 2x6 8 feet long
2 - 1x10 8 feet long
2 - 4x4 8 feet long
1 - 2x2 8 feet long
6 - 1x6 8 feet long
4 - 1x4 8 feet long
100 - 1-1/4" long brad nails
75 - 2-1/2" long self tapping wood screws
HEADBOARD CUT LIST
2 - 4x4 @ 54"
2 - 2x2 @ 30"
11 - 1x6 @ 30"
2 - 1x4 @ about 60-1/2" - measure and cut to fit
1 - 2x4@ 67-1/2" - measure and cut to fit
1 - 2x6 @ 69-1/2" - measure and cut to fit
FOOTBOARD CUT LIST
2 - 4x4 @ 21"
2 - 2x2 @ 8"
2 - 2x2 @ 3"
11 - 1x6 @ 15"
2 - 1x4 @ about 60-1/2" - measure and cut to fit
1 - 2x4@ 67-1/2" - measure and cut to fit
1 - 2x6 @ 69-1/2" - measure and cut to fit
MATTRESS SUPPORT FRAME/SIDERAILS
3 - 2x4 @ 83-1/2"
1 - 2x4 @ 60-1/2"
2 - 2x4 @ 12-1/2"
2 - 1x10 @ 80"
20 - 2x4 @ 32" - can be as short as 30" if you need to burn up scraps
Cut all boards except as noted to measure and cut. We recommend using a compound miter saw for the straightest cuts, but you can also use a circular saw and a carpenter's square - just make sure your cut ends are nice and straight.
Instructions
Step 1
Attach the longest 2x2s to the longest 4x4s, flush to the back edge with 2-1/2" self tapping screws.
Step 2
Layout the 30" 1x6 boards flat, side by side. Measure the overall width of all the 1x6 boards. Cut two 1x4s to this measurement.
Nail the 1x6 boards with glue to the 1x4s. Apply glue between the 1x6 boards as you go.
Make sure the panel is built square by measuring opposite diagonals (outside top corner of 1x4 to outside bottom corner of opposite 1x4) and adjusting so the opposite diagonals match.
Step 3
Attach the headboard panel to the 2x2s on the legs with 2-1/2" screws. Only screw to the headboard panel at the top and bottom portion backed by the 1x4s.
Also attach the panel from the front 1x6s to the 2x2s with 1-1/4" brad nails.
Step 4
Measure and cut the 2x4 for the top. Attach with 2-1/2" screws.
Step 5
Repeat steps for the 2x6 top, leaving a 1" overhang on all four sides.
This completes the headboard build.
Step 6
The footboard is constructed exactly as the headboard, with the exception of the 2x2 cleats and the overall height.
Attach the 2x2 cleats with 2-1/2" screws. The smaller cleat may split on you since the wood piece is so small. You can predrill holes to help prevent wood from splitting.
Step 7
Build the panel and attach to the 2x2 cleats.
Step 8
Attach top 2x4 and 2x6 to the footboard with 2-1/2" screws.
Step 9
Attach the 2x4 cleat to the footboard, set in the 2x2 cleats, resting on the bottom cleat. Use 2-1/2" screws to attach the 2x4 to the 4x4 legs.
Mark the headboard legs as shown in the diagram, and attach 2x4 cleat to the 4x4 legs with 2-1/2" screws.
Step 10
Use 2-1/2" screws to attach the headboard support between the cleats.
Step 11
Center legs add a ton of support and strength to the bed.
First attach the shorter 2x4 "legs" to the center 2x4. Then place the center 2x4 in place inside the bed, and attach to the footboard and the headboard 2x4.
Step 12
Measure and cut to fit the 1x10 siderails.
Attach with 1-1/4" brad nails and glue.
NOTE: If you find your 1x10s need to be attached at the top, you can buy small L brackets and use to attach
Step 13
Cut the wood slats from remaining 2x4s and set inside the bed with about a 1/2" gap in between each slat. You only need one screw on the siderail cleat to attach - but you can also add screws to the center support.
Comments
Jen (not verified)
Sat, 03/13/2010 - 15:21
Just an update on our bed, we
Just an update on our bed, we find that the center panels when using the measurements given you will come up with a missing gap that is 1 and 7/8ths inch, we cut a piece that small to fit, also, we couldn't find any 4x4 posts that were not treated, so our only option was to get expensive douglas fir which cost 78 bucks for all 4 posts. Total in lumber the actual cost was 151 in the white wood pine at lowes (the cheapest they had) and the 78 bucks added to that. After materials and paint / stain it will prob. come in right under 300 bucks, which still has saved us a TON:) We are so happy with how it is coming out, minus the short measurements that were easy to fix. Just wish we would have seen another posters comment about 1 x 10 boards instead of the 1 x 8's because we would have had a more uniform center panel with out adding in that small peice where the gap was hehe:) I can't wait to stain it when all is said and done. Still have not found a 4 and a half in. screw, even ace hardware told us they only have lagbolts or nails in that size, so we did a 4 in. screw which worked just as well:)
I think we are doing the toddler bed next:) Thanks agian for your plans!
Kristin (not verified)
Wed, 03/24/2010 - 10:38
Hi Ana! I love all of your
Hi Ana! I love all of your plans! I am planning on surprising my husband and building him a farm bed for his 30th birthday. Just wondering how you put the headboard and footboard together if you do have a box spring. Sorry, maybe a dumb question, but I am really new to this:) Thanks for all of your great plans!
Anonymous (not verified)
Thu, 03/25/2010 - 06:13
I'm planning on building this
I'm planning on building this bed for my wife, I'm wondering though about the optional frame you built. I do have a box spring can you either illustrate or explain the difference in building this if I am using a box spring? Thanks!
Anonymous (not verified)
Sun, 04/04/2010 - 04:53
I started building this bed
I started building this bed yesterday and I have finished the panels. Thanks very much for putting the plans together. Just a suggestion, perhaps let people know about nominal dimensions of lumber so that they know that a 1x8 is actually 3/4 x 7 and 1/4 to 7 and 1/2 depending on where you buy and in what country. I was fortunate to find one local lumber yard dumping off 1 x 12's (6 foot lengths) for $4.50 per board. All in good shape with no twisting or checks. These work out to 11 and 1/4 inches each. In order to creat a 60 inch panel, I used 4 pieces of the 1x12 and 5 pieces of 1x4 (I had to cut the 1x4's down to three inches each). I hope to post a photo but what the final panels look like is alternating 1x3 inch boards with 1x 11 and 1/4 boards and I really like the pattern. It truly looks "farmhouse" in the sense that someone in the country might just utilize whatever boards they have laying around... Cheers!
The Klauers (not verified)
Sat, 04/10/2010 - 09:18
My husband and I are building
My husband and I are building the bed right now. I am actually sitting in the garage..ha! Just cut out 1x8 for the headboard. They came out too short. Ana, please let everyone know they should look for 7 1/2" wide boards. Ours are 7 1/4" so it's too short. To compensate for the difference of 2 1/8" we are inserting a piece in the middle. Hopefully comes out alright! Thanks for the plans Ana. You rock!
drax0r (not verified)
Sun, 04/18/2010 - 07:08
I'm building this with and
I'm building this with and for my wife for Mother's Day.
We got the lumber yesterday and did all of our cuts.
Just to demonstrate the fruits of all of her cuts, I laid out the pieces for the foot board. That's when I discovered the discrepancy.
My 1x8 are 7 3/16" wide. That comes out to 1 5/8 short of 60".
I thought about just cutting out a sliver to try to hide in the end, but then I stumbled on the idea of alternating panel sizes.
5 * 7.1875" + 4 * 6" = 59.94"
So where X = 7.1875" and Y = ~6.07" my panels will look like:
X|Y|X|Y|X|Y|X|Y|X
When it comes together in reality, I expect I'll have just a touch of overhang which I'll just sand down to square it up with the 1x4x60's.
I'm new to woodworking, but the engineer inside of me says lumber is an excellent use case for the metric system.
And if we won't go metric, let's at least bring back parity between "dimensional" nomenclature and nominal measurement. Innit?
* 6.07 effectively equivalent to 6 1/16
pixtonkids (not verified)
Fri, 04/23/2010 - 07:32
I am really having fits over
I am really having fits over trying to adjust this plan to be a daybed for my son's extra long twin. Could you please help me out with the measurements for the length of the boards between the 4 x 4's if I need the cleats to support a mattress that is 78"x38"??
I would really appreciate any help you could give me on this. I already made the upholstered beds for my two other sons and they look fab!
Virginie (not verified)
Mon, 04/26/2010 - 22:51
I have a quick question for
I have a quick question for you! I am ALMOST done, but I'm not sure how to fasten the very top piece of the head/foot boards.
I was not able to find 4 1/2 " screws, but I did find 5" ones. So would I just drill the 5" screws into the top piece, above the 4x4 posts but not in the middle/panel area? Perhaps use the smaller screws in the middle on top of the panel?
Thanks again Ana for all the inspiration you give!
Ana White (not verified)
Tue, 04/27/2010 - 05:48
Virginie, that would work!
Virginie, that would work! Or you could just use 3" screws - just make sure the top is on there good.
Meaghan Milliorn (not verified)
Mon, 05/10/2010 - 05:12
Yes, PLEASE update these
Yes, PLEASE update these plans to let people know the 1x8 is too short, and to use 1x10 instead for the planks. Our headboard came up too short also. We had to find some random piece of wood to make up for the gap. It worked, but I hate that it is a skinny piece and does not match the lovely wide 1x8 planks.