NotchLoading plan…
Loading plan…
This bed's headboard is the whole project: a field of ten 1x6 panel boards, trimmed at the edges in 1x2, sitting on a 2x6 base and flanked by 2x4 legs — and then wrapped in real moulding, chair rail on the lower tier and base cap on the upper, with every corner mitered at 45°. The moulding is intentionally left uncut in the source's own cut list — fit and cut it to your own assembled headboard rather than to a plan number, since moulding this visible has almost no tolerance for a gap.
The platform frame underneath is ordinary and sturdy: 2x4s screwed together like wall framing, joists spanning the width, and 1x8 siderails as the finished visible faces. The headboard attaches to the platform's legs after the fact, screwed but not glued, at a marked 14-1/2" leg height — deliberately no glue, in case the bed ever needs to come apart for a move.
Before committing to moulding cuts, test on scrap: 45° corners on real chair rail and base cap moulding are far less forgiving than the same angle on plain 1x stock, and a bad test cut costs a few inches of scrap rather than a piece of moulding you already bought for the visible corner of a headboard.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 1x6, 8 ftHeadboard panel boards. | 3 each |
| 1x2, 8 ftPanel side and top/bottom trim. | 2 each |
| 2x6, stud length or 8 ftHeadboard base. | 2 each |
| 2x4, stud length or 8 ftLegs and platform frame. | 8 each |
| 1x3, 8 ftTop of headboard. | 1 each |
| 1x8, 12 ft | 1 each |
| 1x8, 8 ftSiderails and footrail. | 1 each |
| 2x2, 30" long | 1 each |
| Self-tapping wood screws, 2-1/2" | 60 each |
| Self-tapping wood screws, 3" | 30 each |
| Brad nails or wood trim screws, 1-1/4" | 60 each |
| Chair rail moulding, 8 ft stickBottom tier of the headboard trim. | 1 each |
| Base cap moulding, 8 ft stickPanel trim and top tier of the headboard. | 3 each |
| Wood glue, wood filler, and sandpaper | 1 set |
Overall cost: $$$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Headboard panel boards1x6Cut at 23-7/8" to account for the saw kerf if you need to conserve boards. | 10 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 24" |
| Panel side trim1x2Cut at 20-7/8" if the panel boards are cut at 23-7/8". | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 24" |
| Panel top/bottom trim1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 55" |
| Headboard base2x6, stud length or 8 ft | 1 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 55" |
| Headboard legs2x4, stud length or 8 ft | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 48" |
| Headboard top1x3, 8 ft | 1 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 64" |
| Platform joists2x4, stud length or 8 ft | 5 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 57" |
| Platform sides2x4, stud length or 8 ft | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 80" |
| Siderails1x8, 12 ft | 2 | 3/4" × 7 1/4" × 80" |
| Footrail1x8, 8 ft | 1 | 3/4" × 7 1/4" × 61 1/2" |
| Platform legs2x2, 30" long | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 14 1/2" |
| Platform legs, moulding-trimmed2x4, stud length or 8 ft | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 14 1/2" |
| Panel moulding trimBase cap moulding, 8 ft stickCut to fit your assembled panel — corners mitered at 45°. | 1 | 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 96" |
| Headboard lower-tier trimChair rail moulding, 8 ft stickCut to fit — corners mitered at 45°. | 1 | 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 96" |
| Headboard upper-tier trimBase cap moulding, 8 ft stickCut to fit — corners mitered at 45°. | 2 | 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 96" |
Some parts are longer than a 8 ft board, so there is no honest board count to show here. Open the board plan to pick a longer stock length — it names every part that does not fit.
1 board
9 boards
Attach the 1x2 trim to the panel boards, using screws from the back (1-1/4") to hide screw holes if you don't have a finish nailer. Use glue and square up the assembly as you go.
Attach the 2x6 base to the bottom of the panel. Predrill at an angle from the back if you only have a countersink bit, and use 2-1/2" screws and glue.
Attach the headboard legs to the back of the panel the same way as the base. Then attach the 1x3 top panel — for extra confidence, a scrap 1/4" plywood strip across the top and legs from behind can back up a shallow toe-nailed angle screw.
Fit and cut the chair rail and base cap moulding to your own assembled headboard and panel rather than to the cut list numbers — test 45° corner cuts on scrap moulding first. Glue and pin-nail in place if you have a finish nailer, or glue and clamp otherwise. Avoid letting glue dry on bare wood in areas that will be stained.
Screw the platform joists and sides together like wall framing, checking for square as you go. Use glue and 3" screws, countersunk.
Attach the siderails and footrail, either screwed from the inside with 2" screws and glue, or finish-nailed from the outside.
Build the platform legs and attach flush to the top of the platform frame. Mark the headboard legs at 14-1/2" and predrill from the back of the headboard into the platform frame. Attach with 3" screws and NO glue, so the bed can be disassembled later.
Fill any exposed holes and imperfections with wood filler, let dry, sand with medium grit in the direction of the grain, and vacuum clean. Prime and paint, or stain, as desired. Add plywood or wood slats on top of the platform frame if using without a box spring.
No reviews yet
Sign in to review this plan or share your build.
No reviews yet. Be the first to build this.
1 board
3 boards
4 boards
1 board
2 boards
0 boards
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →