I’ve been dreaming of an upholstered bed frame for as long as we’ve been married. Which is {not so} coincidentally the same amount of time we’ve been sleeping on a rickety metal bed frame. The good news was- I found my dream bed. The bad news? It was $920. Definitely not in the “I just want a new bed” budget.
So today I’m going to walk you through exactly how I built my own upholstered wingback bed frame, complete with midcentury modern feet and cozy cushioned headboard! The total cost of this project was $365. It’s going to seem like a lot but stay with me- I know you can do this! Let’s get started!
This tutorial is for a QUEEN size bed! At the end of this post, I will include measurement conversions for Double/Full, King, and California King size beds.
Tools
- Tape measure
- Circular saw (a miter saw and/or table saw would be make things faster, but they’re not necessary)
- Drill/driver
- Staple gun
- Drill bits (1/8″ and 1/2″)
Supplies
- (1) 3/4″ sheet of plywood (48″x96″)
- (2) 1×8 boards (8′ length)
- (2) 2×8 boards (8′ length)
- (1) 1×12 boards (6′ length)
- (2) 1×12 boards (8′ length)
- (2) 2×4 boards (8′ length)
- (8) 1×4 boards (6′ length)
- Twin size memory foam mattress topper
- Spray adhesive (I used DAP Weldwood Contact Cement)
- Batting (7 yards)
- Upholstery fabric (7 yards) (this is the chenille fabric I used and made up a majority of the budget!)
- 2″ wood screws
- 1-1/4″ wood screws
- Staples
- Bed rail brackets (non-mortise type)
- Decorative feet (these are the 6 inch feet I used but you can use any style and size)
Cut List
Step 1: Cut and cushion the headboard
Cut down the plywood sheet to 61 1/2 inches by 34 inches. I used the Kreg Accu-Cut with my circular saw to get a nice straight cut but you could also use a table saw or mark a straight line and use any saw you have.
Lay your mattress topper or foam padding on top of the board and trim it to size. Then apply foam-friendly glue to the wood and glue your padding in place. Allow it to dry while you move on to work on the wings!
Step 2: Build the wings
Cut your two 1×8 boards and two 2×8 boards to size. Attach the 1×8 to the edge of the 2×8 using 2″ wood screws. The narrow edge of the 1×8 and the wide edge of the 2×8 should be flush (see photo above). Be sure to mirror the second wing so that the 1×8 is attached to the opposite edge of the 2×8 (see photo below).
Step 3: Build the bed rails
Cut the three 1×12 boards and two 2×4 boards to size. Save the trimmed ends of the 2×4’s for later. Attach the longer (80 inch) 1×12 boards to the edge of the 2×4 boards with 2″ wood screws. Be sure that the narrow edge of the 1×12’s and the wide edge of the 2×4’s are flush (see photo above).
Step 4: Upholster the headboard, wings, and rails
Take your assembled pieces to a large, flat space. Lay out your head board, foam side down, on your batting and staple to the back side of the board. Do the same with the two shorter rail boards, wrapping batting over the outward facing side. Wrap the wings and rails with batting according to the photos below, covering both board ends (highlighted in red) with batting – these will be the visible ends on the finished bed.
Repeat steps with fabric, pulling it as tight as possible as you go. A second hand when wrapping the cushioned headboard would be helpful to avoid lumps at the top edge of the cushion. I can’t focus too much on the upholstery portion of this project because I’m not an expert. Instead I will direct you to these YouTube videos that will help you better than I could!
Corners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvjvLuvqHgk
Turning over the top of the wings with a tack strip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCX3sUtHPgg
Step 5: Assemble the wingback headboard
Set aside the rails for now and lay the headboard out on a table, cushion side down. Lay the 1×8 board on top of the headboard, flushing up the upholstered ends of the wings with the top edge of the headboard. Fasted through the 1×8 into the headboard with 1-1/4″ screws. Repeat for the other wing. Lean headboard against the wall where the bed is going to go.
Step 6: Attach decorative feet
Grab the longest rails (the boards with the 2x4s attached) and flip them on their side with the 2×4 facing up. Mark a spot 2 inches from the outside edge and 2 inches from the end of the 2×4 board (see photo below). Measure the depth of the decorative feet hardware and mark that depth on your drill bits with tape. Use the 1/8″ bit to make a pilot hole on your marked spot. Then use the 1/2″ bit to carefully drill out to the appropriate depth. Repeat for all four feet on each end of the longest rails.
Insert decorative feet hardware into the drilled out hole and secure with screws. Screw on decorative feet.
Step 7: Assemble bed rail frame
Put rail brackets together so that the prongs slide down into the receiving brackets. The bed rail brackets will allow the whole bed frame to disassemble for easier moving/transporting. Hold one of the longest rails (upholstered side facing out) into the inner corner of the headboard wing. Push the rail brackets into the inside corners. Attach with the included screws. Repeat for the other longest rail on the other side of the headboard.
Use blocking to support the shortest end rail at the same height as the long rails. Push the brackets into the corners and attach with the included screws. Test the brackets as you go to make sure they lift in and out properly.
Step 8: Install the bed slats
Lay your eight 1×4’s cut to length across the short width of the bed rails so that each end of the slats lands on the 2×4 supports. Secure the slats into the 2×4 supports with 2″ screws.
Measure the height between the floor and the underside of the slats. Grab those 2×4 trimmed ends that you saved from Step 3 and trim them to length so that you have 4 equal pieces. Attach them to the center of the slats, alternating slats, to add extra weight support in the center of the bed frame.
Lower your box spring inside the sunken frame, place your mattress on top, and viola! You have a brand new, solid wood bed for a fraction of the cost!
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and it inspired you to tackle your own bed build! As always, drop your comments and questions below and I’ll see you next time.
**Here are the measurement conversions for King and California King size bed!
