25 Beautiful DIY Bed Frame Ideas

There are several advantages of building your own DIY bed frame. You’ll get to customize it for the specific materials you want to use and for the size you want, and it can save you money because most DIY bed frames cost a fraction of what you’d pay for a store-bought frame. You can use everything from traditional wood pieces to landscape timbers, and you can choose different colors to really make it unique. 

DIY bed frames come in all sizes ranging from a twin to a king, and it’s easy to tailor your new DIY bed frame to the size mattress you have or are going to purchase. There are different styles to consider to like platform beds or raised platform beds, or you could go more traditional with a standard bed frame. Some have headboards and some don’t, and the following DIY bed frame ideas will give you the inspiration you need to build a bed you love and have fun at the same time. 

1. Reclaimed Wood Platform Frame

Many people love the look of reclaimed wood, and it does very well in more rustic decor settings. Reclaimed wood is a great way to upcycle old wood and turn it into something new, like a DIY bed frame. Going for a simple modern shape creates a nice contrast to the entire look, and you won’t have to worry about things sliding under the bed. 

You can make this DIY bed frame with or without a headboard, and it works well in every size from a twin to a king. The inner side of the frame contains sturdy slats to give you complete and even support across the frame, and you finish it with a coat of stain to keep it looking nice and resistant to rotting or mold.  

Slide out storage built into the bed frame by Jeremy Levine / CC BY 2.0

2. Upholstered Metal Frame

This bed frame uses metal with upholstery to create a whimsical look that fits very well into almost any small bedroom ideas for your kids. However, there is a catch. You won’t actually make the frame if you go with a metal one. Instead, you’ll take a metal frame you already have lying around and get upholstery and apply it to the outside. 

This is a relatively quick and easy way to give an old bed frame a perfectly new look, and this DIY bed frame can easily match any decor you have in your home. You’ll choose the stuffing and fabric to create something that doesn’t have any sharp corners on it, and this makes it safer overall to have around your kids. 

French antique upholstered corbeille bed by French Finds / CC BY-NC 2.0

3. Simple Hidden Bed Frame

This very simple and nice bed frame comes specially designed to hide an ugly box spring from view, and it sits tight to the floor to prevent problems with storage or items under the bed. All you’ll need to pull it off is two 1-inch by 12-inch by 12-foot pieces of wood, twelve two-inch screws, a drill and a screwdriver. Pick out the wood species that matches your decor the best. 

All you have to do is measure your bed and create a box out of the pieces of wood that fits right around it. For a queen bed, you’ll need two seven-foot pieces and two five-foot pieces. Screw them together to create a rectangle and put it around your bed to complete the look. You can stain it if you like. 

Building a bed by speckledyen / CC BY 2.0

4. Double Bed Frame

This is a slightly tricker DIY bed frame that involves creating a raised platform with open space between the top and bottom of the bed for a second bed to slide under for storage until you need it. It is available with or without a headboard, and you can make it as high as you like. You will need to get metal supports for the bed to ensure it can hold all of the weight. 

Once you get this bed put together, you can easily stain it to help make it more durable. This is a more labor-intensive DIY bed frame idea since you’ll have to put more work in to ensure that the second bed fits under the main frame. 

Double bed by eltpics / CC BY-NC 2.0

5. Single Bed Frame Attached to a Headboard

Maybe you already have a headboard that you want to include in your DIY bed frame. If so, you can easily make a single bed frame that attaches straight to your headboard. You will need to create slats with this frame to support your mattress. Eight of them should go horizontal, and there should be two sets of seven boards that go vertical with this design. 

You’ll need a screw gun and screws to attach everything and hold it in place. You’ll screw your wood pieces directly to the frame and headboard to put everything together. You won’t need to paint or stain this wood since it’s inside the original frame. It can sit off the ground or flat on the floor, depending on how the frame was originally. 

Good super single bed frame by Kai Hendry / CC BY 2.0

6. Pallet Bed Frame

Do you have a lot of old pallets lying around? If so, you can create a unique DIY bed frame. If you hook four pallets together, you’ll get enough room for a double bed. There will be enough space left over on the edge to create a low nightstand. You can size the pallets depending on your mattress size. 

Once you get your pallets, you’ll want to screw them together to create a solid piece for your mattress. Stain or paint the wood to make it more durable. This DIY bed frame will sit lower to the ground than other options, but you could also stack a few pallets to give yourself height. 

SEED-Post-Carbon-Homestead-9 by Inhabitat / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

7. Floating Bed Frame

If you want to give the illusion that your bed is floating, try this DIY bed frame. You’ll start by measuring the size you want for your frame and assembling the perimeter. Next, you’ll get two by fours and create the internal bracing system. This is essential because you’ll also build a smaller box to sit in the middle of the frame to make the bed float. 

You’ll screw both frames together to make them sturdy, and you’ll build a headboard if you want one. Many people like to add lighting to this DIY bed frame to give it a more unique look, and rope lights work very well. When you finish, apply a layer of paint or stain. 

Together By Ryan Oles / CC BY-NC 2.0

8. Elevated Frame

Another simple but nice DIY bed frame is one that is more elevated. Instead of sitting flat to the floor, this bed frame comes with legs to give you some space beneath the bed for storage. There is a very simple box-style frame with this bed with six to eight two-by-four slats on the inside for support. You will screw the legs straight into the frame. 

The headboard for this simple elevated DIY bed frame uses four thinner pieces of wood attached to a square frame that barely clears the bed for height. It’s chic, rustic, and you can easily stain or paint the wood to give it a new look and feel. 

Modern White Bedroom by Paintzen / CC BY 2.0

9. Rustic Headboard with Solid Frame

When people think of rustic decor for their homes or sheds, the classic barn door comes to mind. However, this isn’t the only place you can get this look, and it carries nicely into your DIY bed frame if you choose to incorporate it into the headboard. You can create a solid wood frame to match the headboard, and keep in mind that this will be a heavier setup. 

The headboard is one solid piece with thinner pieces of wood overlaid into it to create the barn door look. Once you get everything together, you can stain it to seal the wood and help it last longer. The stain can help prevent damage to the wood. 

Buckey Lodge Room 6107 by Al_HikesAZ / CC BY-NC 2.0

10. Frame with Captain Drawers

Do you need extra storage room in your DIY bed frame? If so, you may want to consider adding captain-style drawers under the bed. These types of drawers get built straight into the frame to make access easy, and you can put them on the sides of the frame or at the foot of the bed. You’ll usually get three drawers on the side and two at the foot. 

These drawers pull out to allow you to add items and fade back away under the bed when you don’t need them. They’re convenient and relatively straightforward to make. This will make your bed sit up slightly more elevated than other choices though. 

Our custom-made mahogany frame with captain drawers by vis-a-v. / CC BY 2.0

11. Antique-Style DIY Bed Frame

If your design aesthetic runs more toward the antique look and you can create small details in wood, this DIY bed frame is for you. It uses thicker pieces of wood that you then carve out to create small designs along the sides and legs of the frame. Many of these styles of frames get stained or painted a darker coloring. 

The end result for this DIY bed frame is a very heavy and ornate look. It can come with or without a headboard, and some have side railings too. Your skill level will dictate how the finished product looks, and you’ll want to stain or paint it to seal the wood. 

An antique bed by Can Pac Swire / CC BY-NC 2.0

12. Minimalist Wooden Frame

This very simple and minimalist style DIY bed frame will give you a very light and clean look, no matter which type of wood you use. This is an excellent bed frame for beginners because it requires no specialized tools, no fancy cuts, and just a few pieces of wood. You’ll screw the pieces together when you get them all cut to the right length. 

Spruce planks work well for this type of bed, and you’ll create the frame and add five to six support sections to the bed. This particular frame comes designed to sit flat on the floor, but you could also add legs for a little height without too much of a hassle. 

Hello new queen-sized frame by Ulka / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

13. Sleek, Modern Frame

If you want a more sleek and modern DIY bed frame to fit into your modern design style, this is it. This frame is more labor-intensive as you have to create the frame and cut the ends closest to the head of the bed in a slightly wider pattern to create a winged look. The legs on this bed frame sit further back to give the illusion that the bed floats. 

You’ll also build a small nightstand and screw it straight to the frame with this DIY bed frame design, so it can make it slightly more complicated. When you finish putting it together, you should apply paint to help seal it and protect it from general wear and tear. 

Mazzali: BE FREE wardrobe with NEWPORT bed. Bedroom area by Mazzali / CC BY-SA 2.0

14. Loft-Style Frame

Do you have kids? If so and you want to save space in their rooms, you can create a loft-style DIY bed frame that holds a twin-sized bed on the top with a full-sized bed on the bottom. This bed has a slightly stacked design, and it looks nice when you pair it with stained wood with more ornate headboards. You can choose from light or dark wood species. 

The top bed will screw directly to the frame of the bed below it, so you’ll need thicker wood pieces to create stability, and you’ll want to use plenty of screws to hold everything in place. You’ll also have to create a ladder to get to the second bed, so it’s a more labor-intensive and intricate build than other DIY bed frames on the list. 

Kids Bedroom Design by Paintzen / CC BY 2.0

15. Wood Slab Frame

It’s possible to create an extremely heavy and sturdy DIY bed frame using a slab of wood if you can find a tree that is wide enough to accommodate your mattress size. The main portion of the fame where your mattress sits should be one complete piece so there is no danger of it slipping or cracking with repeated use. You’ll create legs and screw them right into the slab. 

You can choose to remove the bark or keep it on, and the headboard is also another optional piece. Since this bed is so heavy already, many people choose to forego the headboard. It shouldn’t sit directly on the floor either to prevent problems with moisture buildup. 

16. Built-In Headboard

If you have a bulkier or heavier headboard on your bed, it’s possible to build a DIY bed frame that isn’t directly attached to it. Instead, the headboard itself will screw directly into the wall to give it more stability. Once it’s attached, you’ll slide your frame right up to it. Some of these headboards have special slots for the frame to rest so you know you’re in the right place. 

This headboard can have several shelves or storage compartments build right in, and you can use it in lieu of a traditional side table or nightstand. Ideally, your DIY bed frame will use the same wood and stain as the headboard for a cohesive look. 

IMG_1285.JPG by Amy Slabach / CC BY-NC 2.0

17. Canopy Bed Frame

This DIY bed frame can be as ornate or as simple as you want. When you think of canopy-style bed frames, many people think of tall, slender posts that stick up over the bed. However, this works just as well if you use simple square wood posts. You can even create a frame that hovers over your bed for you to drape your linens or gauzy covering. 

If you’re skilled, you can whittle the posts down to something more traditional and burn designs in using your wood burning kit. You can add a headboard that attaches directly to the frame by adding two slats of thicker wood at the head of the bed, or you can leave it open. 

Riverhouse04Ju084 by moccasinlanding / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

18. Oversized Bed Frame

Who says your bed frame has to be small enough to fit your bed exactly? This DIY bed frame allows you to create one that is slightly oversized. This gives you a small lip or edge that runs around three sides of your bed to give you a small storage space for your phone or glass. It incorporates metal and wood in the design to make it sturdier. 

This DIY bed frame also has a small headboard that reclines slightly back to help keep the bed from going right up against the wall in your room. It’ll sit flat on the floor unless you decide to add support and legs on it, but you can make legs that screw right to the bottom of this DIY bed frame. 

Ikea bed frame and bed + box spring by MyBriefCase3000 / CC BY-NC 2.0

19. Traditional Bed Frame

The DIY bed frame with a traditional features a slightly thicker wall on the frame, but it’s a single piece. There are very few ornate details with this frame, and this makes it a very beginner-friendly choice. You create a base and screw the walls of the frame to it. This will give you a sturdy area for the bed. 

On the inside, you add slats that run the width of the DIY bed frame and screw them in to give your mattress a supportive area to sit on. Depending on the size of the frame, you could have everything from 5 to 15 or 20 slats. The thicker legs will screw to the base of the frame, slightly back from the edges. You’ll finish by apply a coat of stain. 

Ta-da! Valentine tests out the bed frame Mike built. By Pretty Poo Eater / CC BY-SA 2.0

20. Bunk Bed Frame

Your DIY bed frame for bunk beds is very similar to the loft-style bed frame. However, the biggest difference is that both beds are the exact same size, and the larger bed doesn’t stick out into the room further. These beds are great for sleepovers because you can get more kids places to sleep without taking up a huge amount of room. 

These beds usually have very sturdy and thick frames with a lot of support structures in place to hold the top bed up and stop any accidents. You’ll create both frames and use metal braces to put them together. Many people choose to build a ladder into the frame at the foot of the bed to make it easier to get up and down. 

Cabin at Natural Tunnel by Virginia State Parks / CC BY 2.0

21. Brass and Wood Frame

Maybe you have an old antique brass bed frame lying around and you want to turn it into a DIY bed frame. Luckily, this is a relatively easy project. As the brass will make up the majority of the frame, all you’ll have to do for this project is measure and cut the supports that go where the mattress rests. 

You’ll most likely have to cut two or three supports that run the length of the bed, and then you’ll cut supports to run the width of the bed with this DIY bed frame. You can screw them together to create a solid piece. For the outer sides, you’ll have to notch the wood so it slips over the brass frame and secures to the bed. 

Brass bed assembly 5128 by seniwati / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

22. Lowboy Metal Frame

This DIY bed frame is much more involved, and it will create a much heavier and more durable frame because you’re going to cut and shape pieces of metal instead of wood. The lowboy design simply means that the bed will only be a few inches off the floor. Depending on your skill level, you could also make a 100% metal headboard attached right to the bed. 

You’ll want to double-check that you can get this frame through all of your doorways to your chosen room because this DIY bed frame gets welded together into a solid piece. The metal should have a powder coating on it to make it more durable and resistant to scratches too, but it’s also possible to paint it. 

Lowboy bed frame by Weld House LLC / CC BY-ND 2.0

23. Solid Bottom Frame

This DIY bed frame doesn’t use slats like a lot of frames on the list. Instead, it uses a solid piece of wood attached straight to the frame to create a slightly sunken area for your mattress to lie in. You’ll want to measure very carefully with this design because it’s supposed to be very snug when you get the mattress in to prevent anything from moving. 

This design is more popular for smaller beds because the larger DIY bed frames are very heavy since it ends up being a single piece when you get everything together. You’ll want to add legs to this frame too to keep the bed directly off the floor, and it comes with both a headboard and a footboard. 

Funkis bed frame by Jonas Forth / CC BY-ND 2.0

24. Freestanding Headboard and Footboard

Maybe you want a headboard and footboard on your DIY bed frame but you’re not sure if you want something permanent. If not, it’s possible to create a simple frame without either piece. You’ll then create a freestanding headboard and footboard that will slide right up to the frame. 

If you’re worried about them falling, shifting, or moving around, you can easily get brackets and temporarily bolt them to the frame. When it comes time to move the bed or you want to switch up your decor to something more simple, you can unhook these two pieces and store them until you need them again. 

Bed in Nude, Unashamed by Mike Timberlake / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

25. Trundle Bed

A trundle bed is a DIY bed frame that leaves enough space for the mattress to slide under the main bed and store in the open space. Many times, you’ll create a smaller flat frame for the second mattress to fit in and install handles on it to make it easier to pull up and put back away when you finish using it. 

This is usually a more simple DIY bed frame design because you’re essentially making two bed frames at one time. You will want to measure carefully to ensure you have enough space for the second mattress to slide seamlessly under your main bed frame. You should paint or stain the wood when you finish to help protect it, and make sure you sand any sharp corners. 

IMG_6488.jpg by Julie McGraw / CC BY-ND 2.0

Bottom Line

These beautiful DIY bed frames range from very simple, sleek, and modern to more complicated and ornate. You can decide which one fits best with your skill levels, decor style, and wants and needs. We hope this post inspires you to go out and make your own DIY bed frame the next time you need one.