A child’s bedroom should be a place of calm where your child can find a relaxing space away from the rest of the home. Although many kids share rooms with siblings, it can still be a wonderful place to take refuge from busy school schedules and homework assignments. Now is a great time of year to consider revamping the kids’ bedrooms giving them a sanctuary within the family home. A space that is uniquely theirs. A camp loft bed is perfect for little ones who love to spend time in their room where every adventure begins. Ana White shows us how.
What You Need
Timber
- 15 – 38 x 89 mm at 2.5 meters
- 4 – 38 x 140 mm 2.5 meters
- 2 – 38 x 38 mm 2.5 meters
- 1 – 19 x 38 mm 2.5 meters
Other
- 2 ½” pocket hole screws
Cut List
- 4 – 38 x 89 mm @ 65 ½” – legs
- 2 – 38 x 140 mm @ 37 ½” -bed siderails on ends
- 5 – 38 x 89 mm @ 37 ½” – guardrails on ends
- 5 – 38 x 89 mm @ 75” – guardrails and base support
- 2 – 38 x 140 mm @ 75” – bed siderails
- 2 – 38 x 38 mm @ 75” – cleats
- 2 – 38 x 89 mm @ 30 ½” – platform
- 2 – 38 x 89 mm @ 37 ½” – platform
- 1 – 38 x 89 mm @ 41 ½” – platform
- 2 – 38 x 89 mm @ 20 ½” – platform
- 12 – 38 x 89 mm @ 22” – decking
- 2 – 38 x 140 mm @ 43” (both ends cut 45 degrees off square, ends NOT parallel) – to be trimmed down in later steps
- 6 – 19 x 38 mm @ 7 ¾” (both ends cut at 45 degrees off square)
- 6 – 38 x 89 mm @ 20 ½” – stair treads
Step 1
Build the ladder end as shown in diagram with 1 1/2″ pocket hole screws and 2 1/2″ pocket hole screws. Use glue to fasten – these joints are permanent. If you are building this loft bed without the stair platform, add 2x4s (38 x 89 mm) all the way down to make a “ladder” for the kids to climb up.
Step 2
Build front end of loft bed same as ladder end.
Step 3
Now here’s where we skip the glue. To make this loft bed easy to disassemble, I did not use glue here. The inside width for the mattress area should be 39″, in setting the side rails 1 1/4″ from outsides. I did this so that your pocket hole screws have lots of board to grab into. This bed has NOT been weight tested or guaranteed. If you feel you need extra support – add metal brackets under the 2x6s (38 x 140 mm). An alternative method is to attach metal bed brackets directly to the ends if you have those. Notice the cleat is added in this step too. I used 2 1/2″ screws and glue to attach, screws every 6-8″ all the way down.
Step 4
Now we’ll start building the stair platform for the loft bed with stairs.
Step 5
Attach stair framing to the loft bed legs.
Step 6
And then the decking is placed on top of the stair platform.
Step 7
The stairs are easy to build – just 45-degree angles! We went ahead and drilled 1 1/2″ pocket hole screws along top edge of the stairs to connect the stairs to the bed later.
Step 8
Then we added the stair treads. We also drilled 1 1/2″ pocket hole screws along ends of the stair treads and attached with 2 1/2″ pocket hole screws just for extra strength. Everything gets glued.
Step 9
The bed was finished outside and then assembled in the room. TIP: We haven’t found our bed needs it, but for extra support, you could add another 2×4 (38 x 89 mm) to the base of the bed to further support the bottoms.
Finishing Instructions
Fill all holes with wood filler and let dry. Apply additional coats of wood filler as needed. When wood filler is completely dry, sand the project in the direction of the wood grain with 120 grit sandpaper. Vacuum sanded project to remove sanding residue. Remove all sanding residue on work surfaces as well. Wipe project clean with a damp cloth.
It is always recommended to apply a test coat on a hidden area or scrap piece to ensure colour evenness and adhesion. Use primer or wood conditioner as needed.
