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A queen bed built from three plywood cabinet benches side by side — no headboard, no frame rails, just cabinetry that holds a mattress, with optional drawers in each bay.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bench tops/bottoms One per bench. | 3 | 3/4" × 19 3/4" × 60" | 3/4" plywood | ☐ |
| Bench ends and dividers Three per bench. | 9 | 3/4" × 19 3/4" × 14 3/4" | 3/4" plywood | ☐ |
| Bench shelves Two per bench. | 6 | 3/4" × 19 3/4" × 28 7/8" | 3/4" plywood | ☐ |
| Bench backs | 3 | 1/4" × 15 1/2" × 60" | 1/4" plywood | ☐ |
| Face frame stiles | 3 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 60" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| Face frame rails | 3 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 60" | 1x4 | ☐ |
| Face frame dividers | 9 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 11 1/4" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| End bench side trim, rails End bench only — the one bench whose side actually shows. | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 20 3/4" | 1x4 | ☐ |
| End bench side trim, stiles End bench only. | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 20 3/4" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| End bench side trim, dividers End bench only. | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 11 1/4" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| Center support strips Bridges the gap where the three benches meet in the middle of the bed. | 2 | 3/4" × 7 1/2" × 60" | Scrap plywood | ☐ |
| Center support cross pieces | 3 | 3/4" × 7 1/2" × 20" | Scrap plywood | ☐ |
| Drawer slide cleats Optional. | 12 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 18" | 1x4 | ☐ |
| Drawer box sides Optional — sides always match your drawer slide length. | 12 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 18" | 1x6 | ☐ |
| Drawer box front/back Optional — adjust to fit your actual openings and slides. | 12 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 24 7/8" | 1x6 | ☐ |
| Drawer bottoms Optional — cut to fit your assembled drawer box. | 6 | 1/4" × 18" × 26 3/8" | 1/4" plywood | ☐ |
| Drawer faces Optional. | 6 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 27 1/2" | 1x12 | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| 3/4" cabinet-grade plywood, MDF, or AC plywood, 4x8 sheet Cabinet-grade plywood for a stained finish; MDF or AC plywood work for paint, at lower cost and more sanding. | 3 each | ☐ |
| 1/4" plywood, 4x8 sheet The three bench backs. | 1 each | ☐ |
| 1x2, 8 ft | 4 each | ☐ |
| 1x4, 8 ft Face frames. | 3 each | ☐ |
| 1x4, 8 ft (optional drawers) Drawer slide cleats. | 3 each | ☐ |
| 1x6, 8 ft (optional drawers) Drawer box sides, fronts, and backs. | 6 each | ☐ |
| 1/4" plywood, 4x8 sheet (optional drawers) Drawer bottoms. | 1 each | ☐ |
| 1x12, 8 ft (optional drawers) Drawer faces. | 2 each | ☐ |
| Drawer slides, 18" Optional — six drawers total across the three benches. | 6 each | ☐ |
| Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4" | 150 each | ☐ |
| Self-tapping screws, 1-1/2" Assembling the center support and joining the benches, if desired. | 40 each | ☐ |
| Brad nails, 1-1/4" and 3/4" | 100 each | ☐ |
| Wood glue | 6 oz | ☐ |
Overall cost: $$$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig, Tape Measure. Materials: 3/4" cabinet-grade plywood, MDF, or AC plywood, 4x8 sheet, Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4"
Attach the bench ends and one divider to the bench top with 3/4" pocket holes and 1-1/4" pocket hole screws, three per joint, placed about an inch from each edge. Use one of the shelf boards from the next step as a spacer to center the divider perfectly.
Build all three benches this way before moving on to the next step.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig. Materials: 3/4" cabinet-grade plywood, MDF, or AC plywood, 4x8 sheet, Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4"
Drill 3/4" pocket holes on each end of the shelf boards and attach them to the sides and divider of every bench. Scrap wood blocks cut to the shelf's height make handy spacers while you position and screw each one in.
Continue for all three benches.
Tools: Brad Nailer. Materials: 1/4" plywood, 4x8 sheet, Brad nails, 1-1/4" and 3/4", Wood glue
Nail and glue the 1/4" plywood back to each of the three benches.
Continue for all three benches.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Miter Saw. Materials: 1x2, 8 ft, 1x4, 8 ft, Brad nails, 1-1/4" and 3/4", Wood glue
Cut the 1x2 and 1x4 face-frame pieces with a miter saw and build each face frame flat, on a bench, rather than in place. Nail the completed face frames to all three benches.
For whichever bench sits at the end of the row (the only one whose SIDE will actually show), build two additional face frames sized to trim out that exposed end, and nail and glue them on now — don't wait until the benches are arranged in the room to remember which one needs it.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 1x4, 8 ft, Self-tapping screws, 1-1/2", Wood glue
On the two SIDE benches only (not the end bench), attach a 1x4 cleat to the back, held down 3/4" from the top of the bed, nailed into the divider and end backs with glue.
Arrange the three benches side by side in the room. Screw them together if you'd like the assembly to stay put, then lay scrap plywood (random sizes are fine) across the opening in the center of the bed where the three benches meet. Screw the scrap down rather than glue it — that keeps the whole bed easy to take apart later if it ever needs to move.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig, Tape Measure. Materials: 1x4, 8 ft (optional drawers), 1x6, 8 ft (optional drawers), 1/4" plywood, 4x8 sheet (optional drawers), Drawer slides, 18", Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4", Brad nails, 1-1/4" and 3/4", Wood glue
Mark a line on each 1x4 cleat 1" up from its bottom edge. Attach the drawer slide's cabinet member to the cleat, front edge flush, with the slide's mounting holes lined up on your pencil mark — that keeps every slide level. Remember the opposing slide in each pair installs as a mirror image.
Set the cleats inside the cubbies, front edges flush with the plywood carcass fronts, and nail to the sides with 1-1/4" brad nails.
Build the drawer boxes from 1x6, with the sides always matching your slide length exactly — adjust the front and back length to fit YOUR actual openings and slides rather than the plan number. Join with 3/4" pocket holes on the outsides (hidden later by the drawer face) and 1-1/4" pocket hole screws. Nail the 1/4" plywood bottom on with glue and 3/4" brad nails, then install the drawer-member slides and fit the drawers in place.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Random Orbit Sander. Materials: 1x12, 8 ft (optional drawers), Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4"
Measure and cut the drawer faces to fit, trimming down on a table saw if needed. Nail each face to the front of its drawer box in a few spots with an even gap on all four sides, avoiding anywhere hardware will be mounted.
Remove the drawer and further secure the face with 1-1/4" screws driven from inside the drawer box, again avoiding the hardware locations.