How To DIY a Loft Bed (Image credit: The Bumper Crop) Since most everyone sleeps, a bed is a necessary part of any habitation — but it sure does take up a lot of space. But if your ceiling height is tall enough (and you don't mind climbing a ladder to get into bed), you can reclaim all that space by lofting your bed. You can purchase a loft bed from a furniture store, like IKEA, or, if you're especially crafty, you could use one of these DIYs to make your own. 1. Hanging Bed DIY from Ana White The hanging beds pictured above are from The Bumper Crop, and were built from instructions available from Ana White. These are pretty basic — just a bunch of 2x4s screwed together. Just be careful when hanging them up that they're well secured to the ceiling joists. (Although the instructions call for just hanging the beds, the Bumper Crop folks went a step further and screwed them to the walls as well.) (Image credit: Manda Townsend) 2. Twin Bed Loft DIY from Manda Townsend
Here's another twin bed loft DIY — this one fits into a corner and is attached to the walls as well as the ceiling. (Image credit: Ana White) 3. Full/Queen Loft DIY from Ana White If you want your loft bed to sleep multiple people (or just accommodate a bigger mattress), that's where things get a little more complicated. This plan is for a loft bed with supports underneath — it's sized for a twin bed but can easily be sized up to fit a full of queen mattress. You can also add bookcases underneath for extra storage, as in this example. 4. Loft Bed with Built-in Bookshelf Ladder from Instructables This loft bed has a built-in ladder that doubles as a bookcase. The directions are super detailed, and there are even Sketchup models of the bed that you can download. All the dimensions are in milimeters, but this should be fairly easy to convert in Sketchup. 5. DIY Sleeping Loft from Woodgears This DIY really takes things to the next level — these detailed instructions show how to built a sleeping loft that will stretch the entire length of the room (or apartment).
If you have a tiny apartment with sufficient ceiling height, this is a great way to save the space taken up by your bed, and add a little storage area as well. (Image credit: The Handmade Home) 6. DIY Loft from The Handmade Home This sleeping loft is pretty low, since it's designed for kids, but you could adjust the measurements to make it a little taller for your adult-sized needs. The best part is, this particular loft doesn't screw into the wall (it rests on 4 posts instead) so you can disassemble it and take it with you when you move to a new place.These free loft bed plans will help you build a beautiful bed that will be a keepsake for your child or grandchild for generations to come.A loft bed is a bed that's accessible by stairs or a ladder that has room beneath it for a desk, fort, storage, or a play area. It gives a small room more space and the child will truly feel like king of his castle.All these free loft bed plans include step-by-step instructions, diagrams, photos, videos, and sometimes user comments so you can have a successful and fun building experience.
You can also find other free bed plans including free bunk bed plans.If you like these free woodworking plans, be sure to check out ones for building a swing set, bookcase, desk, coffee table, tree house, jewelry box, and kitchen island. Free Junior Loft Bed Plan at Lowe's This plan lets you build a modern loft bed with easy stair access, a twin bed on top, and enough empty space below for a table, toy box, or seating.A video overview can be watched to see how the bed will be put together, but there are also detailed step-by-step instructions with pictures for cutting the parts, assembling the bed, and making the stairs.You can also find a full list of the required tools and materials. Ana White's Free Fire Station Loft Bed Plan This bed is perfect for kids interested in fire fighters. Room under the bed may be used for fire trucks and other toys.With a few changes to the plan, you may even be able to incorporate a pole on the other end of the stairs for another fire station touch.
As with all of these free bed plans, you can see a shopping list, tools list, cut list, and detailed, step by step picture and text instructions for building the loft bed. Ana White's Free Loft Bed Plan With a Small Bookcase and Desk Use this free loft bed plan to build a relatively cheap, space-saving bed, desk, and bookcase combo.This plan includes a list of tools and materials that you need, as well as all the instructions for putting it together. Instructable's Free Loft Bed Plan With Playhouse This is a very interesting loft bed because while it's similar to the others in this list, it's also much different. It's designed to look like a retro bus, so the while the top is used as a bed, the inside is a playhouse.This loft bed plan details all the lumber, hardware, and tools, and accents that you'll need to complete the job. Illustrations and actual images are shown to help you along the way. Free DIY Lego Loft Bed Plan at The House of Wood As shown in the picture, this plan has lots of storage, and room for a table below the bed.