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Jaime Costiglio

build - paint - sew

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Wood & Leather Bed Free Plans

March 12, 2018

*This post is sponsored by Build Something / Kreg.

wood and leather bed

A few posts and boards from the lumber aisle plus a little leather to fancy things up and holy smokes you can make something beautiful.  This wood and leather bed I built for my son is a great example of basic construction techniques used to create a functional and stunning piece of furniture.  I teamed up with my friends at Build Something to provide the free plans so you can build this bed too!

wood post bed free plans

Build Something is a great source for free step-by-step project plans with tons of DIY building projects.  They have a large library of certified plans and plans submitted by woodworkers and hobbyists.  Definitely worth a visit if you’re looking for free plans in a wide variety of categories.

diy wood post style bed

I finished off this bed for my son with an upholstered leather headboard but the plans are designed to accommodate a variety of headboard design choices.  You could easily use fabric in place of the leather or alternatively attach 1x boards horizontally, vertically, diagonally or any pattern you choose.

This bed falls into the beginner with some experience category, it’s a very basic build and couples pocket hole joinery with classic bed rail hardware to create a fully functional piece of furniture that will last.

For the complete plans visit Build Something here but before you go be sure to read through my building tips and actual process photos down below.

wood and leather bed dimensions

wood headboard frame

To begin make the headboard frame using pocket hole joinery.

wood headboard backing

Add the plywood backing and finish as desired.  I applied Minwax Early American stain to this bed.

To cut the plywood I use the Kreg Accu-cut with a cordless circular saw.  I work alone and outdoors so a table saw isn’t practical and this straight edge guide makes ripping and cutting sheets so easy:

kreg jig accu cut

leather headboard upholstery foam

If you’re upholstering the headboard consider 2″ foam for nice thick and sturdy surface.  Alternatively you could cut 1x boards to fit the headboard space and create an awesome design.

leather headboard stapled

Over the foam apply a layer of batting and then staple the leather in place.  Find the complete tutorial on the leather portion of this headboard here including how I made the trim and added the nailheads.

If leather is not your choice I sketched up a few options using 1×6 boards:

wood headboard options

Simply cut the boards to fit and adhere using wood glue and 1″ finish nails.

surface mounted bed rail brackets

Moving onto the whole bed construction I used one pack of surface mounted bed rail brackets to attach the long side rails to the headboard and footboard.

wood bed rail hardware

Very simple to install, a snug fit and extremely secure.

wood bed frame constructed

Because this is a full size bed I added a center support rail.  I opted for a 2×3 stud and used one pack of center rail hardware.

wood bed center rail hardware

I definitely recommend attaching the board side piece with 1 1/4″ screws (do not use the tiny screws in the packaging).  Also the hardware is designed to slide into one another so you need to be conscious of that less than 1/4″ gap necessary for the partner piece which is attached to the bed frame.

wood bed center rail hardware side view

Want to see it all in action as I built and assembled the bed?

 

wood and leather simple bed

For the step by step plans including cut list and printable plans click on over to Build Something here.

wood post bed leather headboard

Thanks for joining me and my son’s new bed, he is loving his new set up and I feel so proud to be able to make him a great piece of furniture.

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diy wood and leather bed free plans

 

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Filed Under: BEDS, BUILD, DIY, FURNITURE, KIDS BEDROOMS, SALTBOX PROJECT9 Comments

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Barbara says

    March 12, 2018 at 1:54 PM

    Beautiful design, and thanks for the instructions. Blessings!!!

    Reply
    • Jaime says

      March 13, 2018 at 8:56 AM

      Thank you Barbara, my son is completely smitten too so that makes it all worthwhile.

      Reply
  2. Bonny says

    April 27, 2018 at 12:22 PM

    I love this plan! I will need to modify it for a queen size bed, but this plan is exactly what I’ve been looking for and I love the idea of the leather! Awesome! I can’t wait to build it!

    Reply
    • Jaime says

      April 28, 2018 at 9:06 AM

      Thank you Bonny, leather is my new favorite material! Looking forward to seeing your queen version and hooray for more leather projects!

      Reply
  3. Maggie says

    December 7, 2019 at 1:03 PM

    Beautiful bed Bonny! I have a question. If you build a platform bed like this do you still need a box spring for your mattress or does the platform act as the box spring? Thanks for your help and plans! Maggie

    Reply
    • Jaime says

      December 7, 2019 at 1:25 PM

      Hi Maggie, I haven’t seen Bonny’s bed but my version above does not use a boxspring. The wood platform serves as the boxspring. Of course if you wanted to add a box spring that would be fine, I would consider lowering the side cleats a few inches depending on the thickness of your mattress / box spring combination. Good luck!

      Reply
  4. Ana Vieyra says

    December 21, 2020 at 11:55 PM

    Hello, I love your bed design to make one for each of my two boys. My husband is going to try to make them but I would like to know what color stain you used?

    Reply
    • Jaime says

      December 22, 2020 at 8:35 AM

      Hi Ana, Glad to hear you’re making the beds. The stain I used is Minwax Early American. Good luck!

      Reply
  5. Mike says

    May 11, 2022 at 9:19 PM

    I really love your build. Would you happen to have the cut list for a queen sized bed?

    Reply

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