DIY Plans on How to Make a Pallet Bed

It is a common idea that wood pallets can easily be repurposed in several creative and cool ways. They can be turned into custom furniture, such as a pallet bed. It may be complicated to look at if you are a beginner in woodworking, but putting together one is not very difficult. The best part is that you can play with your creativity, and explore different variations of making a pallet bed. Learning how to make a pallet bed will allow you to enjoy a sense of accomplishment while producing an eco-friendly product at the same time. The following are DIY plans on how to make a pallet bed. Check out your best options!

1. Pallet Bed on a Budget

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What You Need

• Plywood
• Cable ties
• Pallets (12 or more)
• Carpet tiles
• LED strip lights

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1 – Build the Frame

It is up to you whether you want the bed to be higher or lower. A higher bed means having access to warmer air. The pallets can be tied to the others using cable ties. They are affordable and do not require tools or skills. Extra parts can be cut and will still look fine. For a more secured and fancier method, you can also use screws, nails, or brackets. 

Before placing plywood on top, you can place some LED lights. They can be placed through the holes, attaching them using cable ties. Cover the pallets with your plywood, nailing them using small nails. This will protect the wood. 

Step 2 – Apply Finishing Touches

To complete the look of your pallet bed, you can then place some carpet tiles on top, allowing it to look better than just its plain look with plywood. You can also experiment using other types of materials, fabric, or even paint. As the LED lights are turned on and off, the room becomes a lot cooler. 

2. Underlit Pallet Bed

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What You Need

• Pallets
• paint
• peel-and-stick felt bumper pads
• zipping ties/staples

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1 – Planning and Preparation

This part of the process requires planning your design on graph paper and doing a test dry-fitting using your pallets. 

Step 2 – Build the Foundation

Connect the pieces, making the bottom part of the bed. Since there is a need to put legs, you can assemble the bed upside down. The bed legs can be made using 2 x 6” lumber screwed on the bottom of the board, mounting them on top of the other. The legs can be made with a depth of four layers, forming a lift of 8 inches. 

Step 3 – Paint, Light, and Finish

Painting the entire bed all at once can be too heavy for you. You may want to start with the underside part first, allowing it to dry. You can also opt to add a string of lights in the middle of the boards. They can be fastened using stapes and zipping ties. 

To complete the finish of the feet, you may want to use peel-and-stick felt bumper pads that will prevent the scratching of the floors while making it easy to move the piece around for cleaning. 

Step 4 – Work on the Headboard and Footboard

To create the headboard, you can varnish and sand a pallet and connect it to the bed after drying. You may need another pallet half a size to complete the width. For the footboard, you may use a portion of the pallet with extra wood for filling the spaces in between the boards. They can also be attached after sanding, varnishing, and drying is done. 

A string of lights can also be added and plugged into the ones that are beneath the bed. To complete the last footboard piece, some leftover pieces can be used, especially those that come from other projects. 

Step 5 – Add Modifications

If you are adding lights, you may want to smooth out the final design. If the output is poorly lit, then you may want to add extra wood slats, with a piece on every end to close the area, allowing the light to shine in the dark. 

Conclusion

Knowing how to make a pallet bed is a cool project to take into consideration. A pallet bed is a good way to make use of free wooden pallets that are easy to source. Beds are known to be quite costly, but you can get a more affordable option by making a pallet bed. 

With the DIY plans mentioned above, you are now in a better position to choose a design that will meet your needs and preferences. You can even inject your creativity, creating a structure model that will represent your style, with the durability and features that you like. Have you tried making your pallet bed before? Share your experience with us in the comments section below. Feel free to share this article if you like!