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How to make underbed storage drawers

If you need extra storage in a bedroom, making underbed storage drawers with caster wheels allows you to pack away bed linen, winter blankets, clothes, shoes, or use as storage for children's toys to free up space and contain clutter in a bedroom.

You can use this same method to make a pullout or trundle bed to fit underneath an existing bed. This is a great way to add an extra bed for sleepovers without taking up valuable floor space in a small bedroom.

Measuring up

Measure up the available space underneath the bed. Allow for any obstacles that might interfere with pulling the underbed storage drawers in and out, such as wider legs, base support, etc.

Making the storage drawers

To make up your storage drawer/s, take the width of the bed and deduct the thickness of board you will be using:

For the length of the storage drawers, take the length and allow approximately 30mm (or 10mm between each drawer) for clearance room.

The distance between the base of the bed and the floor is 184mm. For this example we have set the height at 150mm for the drawers, which leaves plenty of room for clearance and mounting castors to the drawers.

Calculate the size of the base for the drawers by subtracting the thickness of the sides from the total length.

Now we know that we need:

4 of 150 x 825mm - drawer fronts

4 of 150 x 1496mm - drawer sides

2 of 925 x 1496mm - drawer base

Assemble the drawers

Pre-drill 3mm countersunk pilot holes through the drawer fronts into the sides and use 4 x 35mm screws to join together. You can fill in the screw holes once finished with wood filler.

The total height allowance under the bed is 34mm, which includes a 10mm gap at the top of the drawers. This means the base needs to be fitted inside the frame to allow a 21/22mm gap for fitting 45mm castor wheels. Caster wheels are available in different sizes but the 45mm size is sufficient for mobile storage drawers.

Because we are using 12mm supawood for lightweight and affordable storage drawers, attach the casters to the base using 12mm screws. Also apply 5-minute epoxy glue when securing the wheels to the base.