Expert: Jamie Yocono - 7/24/2006

Question
I am looking for a plan to make a simple bed for my kids. I have seen one made with what was essentially a square frame with a lid made from MDF, if that makes sense? Can you help me?

Answer
Hi Michelle,

You don't really say much about your woodworking skills, or if you have tools available. But making a bed can be a simple project for a beginner. I actually made a guest room bed similar to what you described - a square wooden frame with an MDF "lid" and it's just fine.

So what you described will work, but I do have to add one thing. The MDF isn't a strong material, so I would put wood support under the center part of the MDF panel. That way, there's no chance of the MDF flexing and breaking if someone puts a lot of weight or force on the mattress. So the base would be made of 5 pieces of wood for your frame- a top and bottom, two side rails, and a center support.  If you're really keeping it simple, you could use 2 x 8 material that's easily found at your local lumberyard.

If you want to go fancier, here's some info:

There is a great book about bed building -- it's called "Beds" by Jeff Miller. Your local Border's or Barnes and Noble bookstore probably has a copy, so maybe you can visit a store and check out that specific book. It covers most of the basics about bed design, discusses the various hardware that you can use, and gives you photos of bed construction techniques that you will need. It's a good place for you to start.

If you're looking for simplicity, there are some books out there that specialize in making furniture out of 2 x 4 material. So if you're really a beginner, perhaps building with simple components might work best for you. You can find those at Border's or Barnes and Noble, as well.

There are quite a few other places to find information about building a bed. The hard part (I think) is locating the hardware you need to go along with the designs. So the next place I would visit is Rockler.com, which is a woodworking company that not only sells plans, but a complete line of supplies like bed fasteners, drawer glides, hinges, knobs and pulls, screws, etc. It's a retail site best known for it's "one stop" shopping. If you live near a decent sized city, there is probably a Rockler store near you.

If you need help with plans, I would look into the sites of the various woodworking magazines. My favorites are: Taunton.com (home of Fine Woodworking magazine), WoodSmith.com and Wood.com. You can also find plans at:

http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com
http://www.woodworkingplanfinder.com
http://absolutelyfreeplans.com

Last thing...as a custom furniture maker, I am often asked to build pieces for which there are no plans available. I know this takes experience and an understanding of joinery, but it's possible to simplify your task by using some stock components. For example, I am currently working on a design for a local veterinarian who wants storage under her bed as you do. We are planning on using Rubbermaid rolling storage boxes that are designed to roll under beds. It's a simple, effective and decent solution for her needs and budget. So you might want to look at those, and then sketch a simple bed frame plan based on those storage boxes.

Hope this helps...I find so much free information on the web- you should be able to, as well.  Feel free to write again if you have any other questions once you read this. Good luck!

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com