Build your own loft bed: DIY instructions, ideas, prices, and more

: A wooden loft bed with a sofa underneath stands in the corner of a room. — A DIY loft bed isn’t just cosy; it also creates a lot of space in your room.

Difficulty

hard
Cost

175 £
Duration

1 d

Introduction

The loft bed: saving you loads of space and giving kids an adventure wonderland they can enjoy for years. Whether you live in a student house, a small two-room flat, or a family home, a DIY loft bed can revolutionise the way you use your space. It’s also a great opportunity to let your own creativity run wild – give your kids a cool den or an awesome pirate ship to play on!

Your children will be delighted when they realise they’re king of the world on the DIY high-sleeper bed! For safety reasons, though, your kids should be at least six years old before you let them sleep on the top bunk. Also, it’s worth getting someone to help you with the building work.

Are you building the loft bed DIY-style for yourself? With our instructions, you can turn your dream of a uniquely designed DIY sleeping paradise into a reality. You could, for instance, build a desk underneath to create a cosy home office. If you’re after more DIY bed ideas, check out our guides on building a DIY hanging bed and space-saving cot. Whatever you choose to build, DIY furniture projects are incredibly fun and rewarding.

You need

Tools

Utilities

plastic sheeting
g-clamps
spirit level
hammer
bristle brush

Materials

All squared timbers are cut from 8cm x 10cm posts.
3 squared timbers for the posts, 220cm each
1 squared timber for the post, 160cm
2 crossbar beams, 204cm each
1 outer beam, 202cm
1 longitudinal beam, 152cm
1 short beam, 140cm
1 railing post, 50cm
2 covering boards, 154 x 20 x 1.8cm and 158 x 20 x 1.8cm each
20 boards, 2.3 x 12.1 x 160cm each
12 joist angle brackets, 8 x 12 x 3.5cm each
300 wood screws, 4.5 x 50mm each
50 nails, 1 x 1.5mm each (if side railings are used)
6 dowels and screws, each 160mm long
Wood preserver

L: Length, W: Width, H: Height, D: Diameter

Planning

If you plan everything well in advance, you can build your own loft bed in a single day. Before you begin, consider how big you want it to be and how you plan on using the space underneath – your DIY loft bed’s height will depend on this. In our instructions, the bed is 160cm off the ground. Once you’ve made enough space in your room and you’ve gathered your tools, all you need to do is buy the wood and materials and you’re ready to start!

How much does a DIY loft bed cost to build?

Building a DIY loft bed is much cheaper than you’d think. Without buying a mattress, you can expect to build a DIY loft bed for less than £175.

Do you have to plan for the room height?

When building your loft bed, you should leave at least 80-100cm between the mattress and the ceiling. The amount of space you need depends on your height, but no one likes a cramped sleeping space so make sure the ceiling isn’t too close. You should be able to sit upright on the bed without hitting your head. Bear in mind that children need less space than adults.

How wide should the bed be?

You want to save space with a loft bed, but you also don’t want to restrict the sleeping space to a point of discomfort. A width of 90cm is sufficient, but you can go up to 140cm for extra comfort. This also gives your kids enough room for their cuddly toys.

How stable and secure will my loft bed be?

If three of the four posts are firmly screwed into the wall and you’ve used a crossbar to support the mattress (see instructions below), your loft bed will be stable. Always use posts with an area of at least 8 x 10cm at each end. For extra safety, attach crossbars between the posts.

How do I plan around a sloped ceiling?

If you want to build a loft bed in a room with a sloped ceiling, make sure the bed’s entrance and the headboard are both at the furthest point away from the ceiling.

Can I build a loft bed around a corner?

If you want to build your loft bed around a corner (for example, because you want to sleep two children), it will of course take a little extra effort and materials. You’ll also have to consider whether you want one or two entrances. On a side note, a DIY wooden corner shelf is a wonderful use of space across corners.

Do I need a base and a slatted frame?

To give your mattress good ventilation, place a slatted frame on the wooden planks. You don’t have to do this, though, since it depends on what mattress you’re using. High-quality mattresses can be placed directly on the wooden boards. If you want ventilation, drill some holes into the boards before you start building your DIY loft bed.

Using wooden boards without a frame looks a lot nicer from below, but a slatted frame is needed if you’re building a simple, three-board DIY loft bed. You can still cover the frame from below with extra boards.

Can I build a height-adjustable loft bed?

For safety reasons, it’s best to keep your DIY loft bed to a specific height. However, you can choose the thickness of your mattress and adjust your bed’s height that way.

How do I add stairs to my DIY loft bed?

You can buy ready-made stairs for your DIY loft bed in any hardware or furniture shop, then shorten them as required. If you want to save even more space, use a ladder in place of stairs. Alternatively, you can use wooden boxes which double up as storage space.

Using boxes as stairs for a DIY loft bed

You can build a staircase for your loft bed using small, stable drawers. This creates more storage space and gives you a simple staircase at the same time. Just stack the square boxes on top of each other in steps until you reach your desired height.

How do I add a bedside table to my DIY loft bed?

If you want to add storage space, like a bedside table, to your loft bed, simply allow for more space in your planning. For example, plan for 140cm instead of 90cm when determining the width. You could also utilise the outer edges by attaching shelves or floating lamps to the sides of the bed. Check out our DIY floating beside table and lamp guide for instructions on how to build your own.

How to get the most out of your DIY loft bed

Has your child got a lot of toys lying around? Then why not add some storage space underneath the bed? Say goodbye to clutter with our guides on practical minimalist wall-mounted shelves and how to build your own toy box. If it’s a workspace you need, you can build a folding desk and attach it to the wall underneath the bed. This gives you room for lounging in a comfy chair or beanbag. Mount a monitor to the wall to use this space for watching TV as well.

Tips for buying materials as cheaply as possible

Squared timber is relatively cheap in hardware stores, but not always available in the right sizes. As such, it's best to go to a timber merchant and ask for high-quality timber cut to size. You can use pine or spruce for the boards.

Step-by-step guide: Let’s build!

Are you ready for your next DIY adventure: ‘How to build a DIY loft bed for adults and kids’? Then grab your tools and let’s get started!

A plan for building a wooden loft bed with materials and measurements. — An overview of how the materials are arranged to make a DIY loft bed.

Step 1 15

It’s best to get the wooden posts for your DIY loft bed’s cut to our exact specifications, either directly from the supplier or from a DIY store.

Step 2 15

Before you begin, sand all the joints with sandpaper. You may also need to sand the wooden slats if you want to apply preserver.

Step 3 15

You can paint the posts and other wooden parts with preserver prior to construction, but this isn’t always necessary – especially if your bed will remain inside your home. If you choose to apply wood preserver, place plastic sheeting underneath and ensure the room is well ventilated.

Step 4 15

Screw two brackets to each post at a height of 160cm.

Step 5 15

First, attach the shorter post to the desired corner of the room. Drill directly through the post to attach it to the wall. Use a spirit level to ensure the post is straight.

Step 6 15

Next, screw the second post to the wall and place a longitudinal beam on the short post. Rest the beam on the brackets.

Step 7 15

Now, fix the third post to the wall. Place the crossbar on the short post and secure it to the bracket with two screws.

Step 8 15

Lastly, attach the non-wall-mounted fourth post to the appropriate longitudinal beam and crossbar via the brackets. Use a spirit level to ensure the post is straight.

Step 9 15

Attach the last crossbar to the brackets.

Step 10 15

Now you’ve got your frame on which you can lay the base boards. Start on the side nearest the wall and cut the board to fit the posts.

Step 11 15

Attach the first board with two screws and repeat this for the remaining boards. Don’t forget to cut out a recess to fit the posts.

Step 12 15

Once all the boards are in place, attach the shortest post – which will serve as an entrance to the loft bed via a ladder or stairs – to the boards with two brackets.

Step 13 15

Next, attach the side panels to the posts with two screws per board. Start with the wider board at the bottom, then fix the narrower panels around 4cm apart from each other.

Step 14 15

Starting at the bed’s entrance, fix the side panels to the other edges. Cut them at an angle for the corners. The screws that fix each slat in place should be completely buried in the wood.

Step 15 15

Finally, attach a staircase or ladder to the bed’s entrance.

Additional tips and ideas for building your own loft bed

Build a loft bed from pallets

Euro pallets make the ideal material if you want to save time and money. Use two pallets connected to each other to form the base, and another two pallets for the side panels and support structure. For added safety, screw each side into the wall. Building other pallet furniture, such as a DIY pallet sofa, goes incredibly well with this pallet loft bed.

Build a canopy over the loft bed

Children love pretending to explore and live in caves. A loft bed already gives them a secluded place to hide, but adding a canopy will make the whole experience even more cosy and fun. You can either attach netting to a ceiling hook so that it hangs over the bed, or you can make a structure out of wooden slats and staple fabric to it. Letting your kids pick out the fabric is an enjoyable experience for them, too! Decided against a loft bed? Check out our instructions on making your own DIY kids' bed with a roof and walls.

Add a slide and ladder to the loft bed

Instead of a staircase, add a slide and ladder to your loft bed plans so your children can go up and down. Plastic slides that screw onto the top edge of the bed can be found online or at certain homeware stores. Making a ladder is easy to do yourself from a few wooden bars and slats – just glue the rungs in place with wood glue, drill a few holes in the slats, and screw the posts onto the bed with brackets.

Extra safety: Screw the posts to the floor

If your DIY loft bed’s frame is fixed to the wall and its ladder is formed from the two front support posts, the posts should be screwed into the floor for safety reasons. You can either use brackets or drill a 25mm hole in the base of each post, before screwing each post into a round piece of wood already anchored to the floor. If your ladder is separate from the bed, it’s a good idea to fix this to the floor too for extra security. If you’re renting, check your tenancy agreement before drilling into the floor.

All finished? We wish you and your kids sweet dreams in your new DIY loft bed!