Make A Set Of Stackable Pine Beds
Stackable beds are great space-savers making them ideal for a children's bedroom if you need an extra bed for a sleepover.
23/05/2021
Just because Ikea furniture isn't available locally doesn't mean you can't use their clever designs to make your own furniture. These stackable beds are a good example of how clever Ikea designs are and you can easily make the beds following the step-by-step plans below. We re-designed the bed slightly to allow for locally available materials but it should still look as good as the original.
To make it easier for you to make the stackable beds shown on this page, we have modified all the components so that you can pop into your local Builders store and have everything cut to size for easy assembly. Plus, we have allowed for local PAR pine for all the components which will bring down the cost substantially.
These stackable beds are an excellent idea for a children's bedroom where the opportunity may arise for a sleepover, or where you have two children sharing a bedroom. The stackable beds can easily be placed side-by-side or stacked on top of each other when not required to make more space in a bedroom.
You can even arrange the beds to fit into a corner, as shown below if you need to make extra room in a small bedroom.
As an extra bed for sleepovers, stack the beds on top of each other when not in use and easily remove and lower one of the beds as an extra bed.
The first difference between the original Ikea design and the plans below is that of the round corner posts. We have substituted with a pine pole - one that is normally used as a curtain pole - and it is slightly smaller than that in the original design. If you can get your hands on a larger diameter dowel/pole, you can substitute with this.
Another modification is the addition of a solid BisonBord base rather than pine slats. We use the base to add stability and strength to the bed and it also serves as a sturdy frame on which the mount the sides and ends of the bed.
The base for the beds measures 940 x 1900mm, which allows for a standard single mattress plus a little bit extra to tuck bedding in at the side and the bottom of the bed. You can adjust the size of the base for any mattress. Adjust the width of the Base and the length of the Bed Ends.
YOU WILL NEED:
2 of 32 x 94 x 1900mm PAR pine - bed sides
2 of 32 x 94 x 940mm PAR pine - bed ends
1 of 940 x 1900mm BisonBord - base
4 of 34mm diameter x 245mm length pine (cut from pine rod/pole)
4 of 20mm diameter x 100mm length meranti dowels
32mm and 64mm coarse-thread pocket-hole screws
Wood glue
TOOLS:
Drill/Driver plus assorted bits
20mm spade bit
Kreg pocket-hole jig
Sander plus 180-grit sanding pads
Tape measure and pencil
Safety gear
HERE'S HOW:
Step 1
Set the pocket-hole jig for 16mm-thick material. You need to drill pocket-holes around the edges of the sides and ends of the base. Drill [5] pocket-holes at both ends and [8] pocket-holes along the long sides.
Step 2
Now set your pocket-hole jig for 32mm-thick material and drill [3] pocket-holes at both ends of the bed Sides and bed Ends. These will be for joining the bed Side and bed End to the Legs.
Step 3
To attach the bed Sides and then the bed Ends, place the bed Side with a 30mm lip below the Base. Repeat for the bed End, making sure to allow space for mounting the Legs. See diagram below. Secure with wood glue and 32mm screws.
Step 4
In order for the Legs to fit snug between the bed Sides and bed Ends, use a sander to flatten out in these areas to make it easier to secure the legs to the bed Sides and bed Ends.
Step 5
Apply wood glue to the sanded side of the pole and then drive 32mm screws through the Sides and Ends into the Legs.
Step 6
To stack the beds you need to cut dowels to fit into the poles for the Legs. We have allowed for a 20mm-diameter meranti dowel and there should be a 20mm-diameter hole in the centre of each Leg. The hole in the Legs should be 50mm deep at both ends so that when you want to stack the beds, you pop in the 100mm-long dowel and line this up when placing a bed on top of the other bed.
To stack the beds on top of each other, pop in the dowels and carefully lift and align the second bed over the top.
FINISHING
Sand both beds for a smooth finish and then wipe clean. If you want the look and finish as shown in this project, apply 2 coats of clear polyurethane sealer in matt or gloss.
Based on Ikea design