How to Make a Pallet Bed

Besides several pallets, you will need:

• Mitre saw

• Screw driver

• Nail gun

• Sander

• Rotating multi-tool

• Crowbar or shuttering lever

• Chisel

• Hammer

• Brush

• Planks of wood measuring 290 x 290 x 2000mm

• Laminated wooden panel measuring 600 x 900 x 5mm

• Mounting brackets

• Coach screws

• Coloured varnish

• Paint

We recommend this DIY project to those who already have some experience and skill when it comes to DIY projects, as this is rated as a medium difficulty project.

If you already have some of the tools and the pallets required, then the approximate price of the project is less than £30.

To make a bed from pallets like the one in this tutorial, you will need a couple of days. You should keep in mind that dismantling and sanding the pallets takes some time. Also, you will have to wait for each coat of paint or varnish to dry.

Enjoying a great night's sleep in a bed you’ve made yourself is possible, just follow the steps below:

To start with, you need to make the bed frame. To do so, use the mitre saw to cut various planks as follows:

• 2 measuring 190cm (length of the bed)

• 2 measuring 90cm (width of bed)

• 4 measuring 30cm (height of the bed)

To assemble the frame, join the length and width planks to the height planks using angled clamps.

Next, you will have to dismantle several pallets to make use of the individual planks. You should keep in mind that you will need planks measuring at least 90cm in length for the bed base.

Note that here are various ways to take pallets apart, in this specific case, we used a crowbar or shuttering lever as follows:

1. Position the end of the crowbar between the block and planks of the pallet. If there isn't enough space, insert a chisel, as these tend to be thinner.

2. Next, strike with the hammer to insert the crowbar as far as possible.

3. Leverage the crowbar to separate the planks. If the nails are very long, cut them using a rotating tool to remove them with ease.

Once the planks have been dismantled, sand them to smooth the surfaces and remove roughness and splinters.

The next step involves assembling the bed base. To do this, cut all the planks to 90cm, then nail them width-wise to the bed frame.

Next you will reinforce the outside of the whole bed, as well as the legs, using planks from the pallets. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Cut the pallet boards in a way that gets rid of the part with the holes made from nails.

2. Place the boards horizontally over the bed frame, except at the headboard area, and nail using a nail gun.

3. To make the planks used for the legs look more attractive, cut them to a 30º angle using the mitre saw.

4. Next, screw a plank vertically on to each external edge of the legs, except for the headboard area, where only one plank will be used.

5. Lastly, sand everything to smooth the surfaces and joints between each board.

With the bed frame assembled, the next step is to coat the wood. As we wanted to highlight its natural grain, we used an oak coloured varnish, applied with a small brush.

To make the headboard, firstly you have to build a frame using 2 x 90cm planks, which will be nailed to a plywood panel measuring 90cm wide and 60cm high. As a frame, nail planks to both the top and bottom of the panel also.

Then, varnish the outer edges of the headboard with the same stain-varnish you used for the bed frame.

Next, use the mitre saw to cut various planks at a 45º angle, which you will arrange diagonally in the centre. The rest of the planks should be varnished and painted in different colours, then arranged in such a way as to fully cover the panel of the headboard.

Lastly, screw the headboard on using various coach screws to attach it firmly to the bed frame.

Once you have completed all of these steps, your bed is done. We bet the effort was worth it!

All that's left to do is grab a mattress, a cosy duvet...and sweet dreams!

What did you think of this guide for a bed made from pallets? Surprise your friends and family with a quirky and unique bed. They'll love it so much you'll have to make one for them too!