My boys have been wanting bunkbeds for so long. We were on board with the idea because we wanted the extra space in their room. With two twin beds next to each other it always seemed so crowded.

D I Y B U I L T I N B U N K B E D S

I used the existing twin bed frames. They were made from a sheet of plywood and some trim boards around the outside, then reinforced with 2 x 4’s underneath. I then screwed in six 2 x 4’s to the end of the bed frames. I wrapped the 2 x 4’s with white trim boards. This also added some stability under the upper bunk. I also screwed the bed frames in to studs in the wall.

After wrapping all of the 2 x 4’s I moved on to the built in bookcases on either side of the bed. I used trim pieces and cut shelf boards to make them.

I used some unfinished pine boards for the railing. I used wood glue, nails and screws to attach it. I wanted a simplistic look. So I matched the railing to the ladder. I covered the railing with a furniture wax. For the ladder, because it was a different type of wood, I did a light coat of stain before the furniture wax to make it match the railing better.

I screwed in the ladder to fit very snug in between the posts. Once everything was attached, I caulked and putty’d then after a good sanding, painted a final white coat of paint.

One of my favorite parts of the bunkbed is the little trundle bed underneath. I didn’t want to take away much space from the boys (I wanted them to be able to sit upright on their beds). So that left about a 4 1/2 inch space left for a mattress. Luckily, I found a thick, 4 inch mattress at Ikea that’s perfect.

The mattress can simply slide in and out. Then to cover the mattress, I attached some cabinet latches to a trim board and the bottom of the bed.

My daughter loves having sleepovers in here with the boys. This little trundle bed is perfect for her.