Enjoy sweet dreams in a floating bed

A hanging bed made from old wooden beams is fixed to the ceiling. The decor is white, blue and pink.
Make yourself comfortable – in your own DIY hanging bed

  • Difficulty
    medium
  • Cost
    100-200 £
  • Duration
    3 - 8 h

It isn't just kids who sleep better when they rock gently into the Land of Nod: with our hanging bed, you'll drift off to sleep with gentle, soothing motions. In our step-by-step tutorial, we show you how to build your own hanging bed using wooden beams and rope – sweet dreams, guaranteed!

You need
  • meter rule
  • floor protector or cover sheets
  • triangle
  • ear plugs
  • g-clamps
  • face mask
  • carpet/utility knife
  • work gloves
  • safety glasses
  • stick to stir up colour
  • ladder
  • 4 ceiling or swing hooks with matching wall anchors: 10 x 140 mm (D x L)
  • Rope (depending on the ceiling height): 12 m (L), 12 mm thick
  • 4 eyebolts (closed): 12 x 15 mm (D x L)
  • 8 screws: 6 x 200 mm (D x L)
  • 10 screws: 4 x 40 mm (D x L)
  • 2 old wooden beams or birch logs: 2 m each (L)
  • 2 old wooden beams or birch logs: 91 cm each plus the beam thickness (to be cut at your local DIY store)
  • 4 smooth-edged wooden planks: 300 x 14.4 x 2.7 cm
  • 2 supporting slats: 200 x 4 x 1.8 cm
  • White 2-in-1 paint: 345 ml
L: Length, W: Width, H: Height, D: Diameter

Let's go - step by step

Step 1 9

Measure out the wood to build your hanging bed

A smooth-edged plank is measured out for the hanging bed using a steel square and a digital laser measure.
First measure the wood for your DIY hanging bed

You need: Laser measure, pencil, triangle, meter rule, set square, smooth-edged wooden planks, supporting slats

First measure the smooth-edged planks that will be used as the slat frame for your mattress. You'll need 11 pieces measuring approx. 91 cm long. To measure the planks, you can use a steel square and the digital laser measure. Then use a pencil to mark up the wood so you know where to cut it.

You'll need two supporting slats measuring 200 cm long.

It's best to have the old wooden beams sawn for you at your local DIY store. You'll need two beams measuring 2 m long plus the wood thickness, and two measuring 91 cm plus the wood thickness.

Step 2 9

Follow the markings and saw the wooden planks for the hanging bed

A smooth-edged plank for the hanging bed is cut to size with a NanoBlade saw.
Secure the planks ready for sawing

You need: NanoBlade saw, g-clamps, safety glasses, work gloves, ear plugs

Now saw the planks in the places you marked previously. To do this, secure the planks to your work surface using screw clamps and make sure you wear your protective gear, including work gloves, ear defenders and safety goggles. Then switch on the saw and cut the planks to the desired lengths.

Step 3 9

Sand down the wooden parts of the hanging bed

A wooden plank for the hanging bed is sanded down using a green multi-sander with a rectangular grinding plate.
After sawing, sand the planks with a 120-grit sanding paper

You need: Multi-sander, Sanding sheet for multi-sander G120, g-clamps, safety glasses, work gloves, face mask

As splinters of wood can appear along the sawn edges of the planks after sawing, be sure to sand down the wood thoroughly. You should also sand down the flat wooden surfaces, as this will prepare them for painting.

Step 4 9

Paint the wooden slats and planks

A wooden slat for the hanging bed is painted white using a paint spray system.
Paint the wood. It's easiest to do this with a paint spray system

You need: Paint spray system, work gloves, face mask, safety glasses, ear plugs, protective sheet, stick to stir up colour, white 2-in-1 paint

It's now time to give the sawn planks for your slat frame a lick of white paint. Cover the floor with a protective sheet or floor covering and put on your protective gear. Then stir the paint and pour it into the paint spray system. Spray the paint evenly onto the wooden slats and planks, then leave them to dry. You can find the paint drying times on the paint can.

Step 5 9

Secure the wooden slats and screw together the frame for the hanging bed

A white-painted wooden slat is screwed to the thick wooden beams using a cordless combi drill.
Screw the wooden slats for your hanging bed's supporting structure to the wooden beams
The wooden beams are screwed together using a cordless combi drill to make the frame for the hanging bed.
Now assemble the frame for your hanging bed

You need: Cordless Drill, g-clamps, safety glasses, 8 screws: 6 x 200 mm (D x L), 10 screws: 4 x 40 mm (D x L)

Your hanging bed will slowly start to take shape as you screw the white-painted wooden slats to the underside of the wooden beams as a supporting structure for the bed. Secure them with screw clamps and screw the short screws into the wood. To make this task easier, you can pre-drill the holes for the screws.

Once the two rails are secure, it's time to build the frame for your hanging bed. Form a right-angle with a pair of short and long wooden beams. If you place the frame against your bedroom wall, you will be able to screw them together more easily without the frame moving. Make sure to pre-drill the holes, or it will be difficult to screw in the screws and you could tear the wood.

Step 6 9

Secure the eyebolts for hanging your hanging bed and assemble the slat frame

A hole is drilled into a wooden beam using a cordless combi drill, ready to suspend the hanging bed.
Drill a hole in each corner to suspend your hanging bed
A silver eyebolt is twisted into the wood using a screw clamp threaded through the eyelet.
You can use a screw clamp to help you twist the eyebolts into the wood
White-painted wooden slats are laid in the frame of the hanging bed. A steel square is held against them.
Place the slats for your hanging bed into the wooden frame spaced out evenly

You need: Cordless Drill, Brad point drill bit, safety glasses, g-clamps, triangle, set square, 4 eyebolts (closed): 12 x 15 mm (D x L)

To enable you to secure your DIY hanging bed to the bedroom ceiling, screw the eyebolts into the corners of the frame. First, drill a vertical hole into each corner of the wooden beams from above using a 12 mm wood drill bit. You can then twist the eyebolts into the wood using a screw clamp threaded through the eyelet.

Now place the sawn smooth-edged planks into the frame to form the slat frame. Leave a space of approx. 4 cm between each slat.

Step 7 9

Secure the ceiling hooks for the hanging bed

A digital detection device is held up against a white wall.
Before drilling, use a digital detection device to make sure there are no electric cables or metal objects in the place you're planning to drill
The mounting points are plotted out onto the bedroom ceiling using a cross-line laser and a laser measure.
Mark the spots where you plan to secure your hanging bed to the bedroom ceiling
A cordless drill driver is used to drill a hole in the bedroom ceiling.
Drill the holes for suspending your hanging bed from your bedroom ceiling

You need: Cross Line Laser, Laser measure, Cordless Drill, Cordless combi drill, The Bosch Rotary hammers, Detectors, meter rule, ladder, ladder

Now it's time to find the perfect spot for your hanging bed. Using a cross-line laser, you can project straight lines onto your bedroom ceiling and mark the positions of the ceiling hooks. Before you do this, we recommend measuring the distance between the eyebolts on the hanging bed – that way, you'll know which measurements to mark out on your ceiling.

Then drill the holes for your ceiling hooks. The right drill for the job will depend on what type of wall you have. You will need to use either a cordless drill driver or a hammer dill. Once you've drilled the holes, screw in the ceiling hooks securely. For more tips about different types of drills check out our article here.

Before you start drilling, you should check the ceiling for electric cables and metal objects using a detection device. We recommend getting someone to help you to hold the ladder steady or hand you your tools. You can find more tips for drilling safely in our article.

Another tip: before you drill into the ceiling, you should find out its load-bearing capacity. Ask your landlord or a qualified architect.

Step 8 9

Decide how high you want your hanging bed to be and secure the rope

A laser measure on the floor. It is displaying the height of the ceiling.
First measure your ceiling height – this will help you to work out the right height for your hanging bed
A loop of rope is pictured on a wooden floor.
Thread the rope through the eyelet and make a loop
The end of the rope is threaded through the loop to suspend the hanging bed.
Now bring the end of the rope through the loop
The end of the rope is wrapped around the rest of the rope.
Then wrap the end of the rope around the other part of the rope and thread it through the loop again
A bowline knot is pictured on a wooden floor.
Use a bowline knot to secure the rope to the eyelets of the hanging bed

You need: Laser measure, carpet/utility knife, ladder, rope

First measure the height of your ceiling. This is really quick and easy if you use a laser measure. You can then work out the height of your hanging bed and the length of the ropes used to suspend it. Remember to leave enough rope to tie your knots – you'll need around one metre extra per rope. Cut the ropes to the right length with your knife and secure them to your hanging bed using a bowline knot.

Tip
HOW TO TIE A BOWLINE KNOT

To tie a bowline knot, first thread the rope through the eyelet attached to the hanging bed and make a loop. Then thread the end of the rope through the loop from behind and wrap the rope once around the long end of the rope. Finally, thread it through the loop again. Pull the rope tight and your knot is complete!

Step 9 9

Knot the hanging bed securely to the ceiling

A rope is threaded through a silver ceiling hook.
Thread the rope for your hanging bed through the ceiling hooks
The rope is laid alongside the other part of the rope, once from the front and once from behind.
Now wrap the end of the rope around the long end of the rope
The end of the rope is threaded through the loop.
... and thread it through the loop
The ends of the rope are pulled tight using two hands.
Finally, pull both ends of the rope tight to secure your hanging bed
Securing the hanging bed: three ceiling hooks, each of which is threaded with a rope tied in a hangman's knot.
Knot the ropes onto the ceiling hooks one by one – and make sure you get someone to help you!

You need: ladder

First, lift the bed – together with your helper – onto a bench or several chairs. This will give you more room for manoeuvre when knotting the rope. Stand on a ladder and take the rope attached to one of the corners. Then thread the rope through the ceiling hooks, allowing you to slowly lift the hanging bed into the air. Your helper should lift the bed at the same time. While you're doing this, make sure that you are stood firmly on the ladder.

Knot the ropes securely onto the ceiling hooks one by one, moving from corner to corner. This time, use a hangman's knot: thread the rope through the ceiling hooks and lay it alongside the other, longer part of the rope, first from the front and then from behind. Then thread the end of the rope through the loop and pull everything tight. Now you just have to remove the bench or chairs and you'll be able to try out your new hanging bed.

 

Tip
Tip
Check your knots again carefully if the bed seems be hanging lower than expected.