NotchLoading plan…
Loading plan…
Use your browser's Print (Ctrl/Cmd + P) and choose Save as PDF. This page works offline once you've opened it with a signal.
Four solid plywood-and-trim walls build a real playhouse below and a twin mattress on top — with windows, a working door opening, and a ladder wall reinforced for years of little hands.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rails The vertical lattice pieces spanning the front and back rail frames. | 53 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 11 1/2" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| Rail frame tops and bottoms Two per rail frame — front and back. | 4 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 80" | 1x4 | ☐ |
| Rail frame ends Front and back rail frames. | 4 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 11 1/2" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Front plywood Window and door openings cut with a jigsaw before trim goes on. | 1 | 3/4" × 48" × 80" | 3/4" plywood or MDF, 4x8 sheet, sanded | ☐ |
| Legs | 8 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 68 1/2" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Top front trim Overlaps the rail-to-plywood joint by 1". | 1 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 75" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Door trim, sides | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 36" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Door trim, top | 1 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 31" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Front trim, long | 1 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 38" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Front trim, short | 1 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 6" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Front window trim, sides | 6 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 21" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Front window trim, top/bottom | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 26" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Top leg filler pieces Closes the small gap left at the top of each leg. | 4 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 2" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Back leg filler pieces | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 45 1/2" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Back base trim | 1 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 80" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Side rail frame tops and bottoms The end wall without the ladder. | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 37 1/2" | 1x4 | ☐ |
| Side plywood One for the non-ladder end, one for the ladder end. Cut the ladder end's window opening before trimming. | 2 | 3/4" × 48" × 37 1/2" | 3/4" plywood or MDF, 4x8 sheet, sanded | ☐ |
| Side end trim | 4 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 37 1/2" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Side window trim Non-ladder end. | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 25 1/2" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Ladder-end rail top and bottom | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 21 3/4" | 1x4 | ☐ |
| Ladder rail inside support Backs the full length of the ladder-end top rail from the inside — this is what keeps the rail from working loose under years of climbing. | 1 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 66 1/2" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| Ladder spacer | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 43" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| Ladder sides | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 48" | 2x2 | ☐ |
| Ladder rungs Space about 7" apart, less room at the top. | 5 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 15 3/4" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| Ladder-end window trim | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 13 1/2" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Mattress support cleats | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 75" | 2x2 | ☐ |
| Mattress slats Count and spacing per your mattress manufacturer's recommendation. | 10 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 39" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| 3/4" plywood or MDF, 4x8 sheet, sanded The front, back, and two end wall panels. | 2 each | ☐ |
| 1x2, 8 ft Rail lattice, ladder support, ladder spacers and rungs. | 7 each | ☐ |
| 1x3, 8 ft Legs and all trim. Does not include the mattress slats. | 15 each | ☐ |
| 1x4, 8 ft Rail lattice tops and bottoms. | 6 each | ☐ |
| 2x2, 8 ft Ladder sides and mattress-slat cleats. | 3 each | ☐ |
| Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4" | 150 each | ☐ |
| Self-tapping wood screws, 2" Ladder assembly and final wall-to-wall assembly. | 60 each | ☐ |
| Brad nails, 1-1/4" Trim. | 100 each | ☐ |
| Brad nails, 2" | 40 each | ☐ |
| Wood glue | 8 oz | ☐ |
| Wood filler | 6 oz | ☐ |
| 1x3, for mattress slats Cut to 39" — adjust count and spacing to your mattress manufacturer's recommendation. | 10 each | ☐ |
| Finishing supplies (primer and paint) | 1 set | ☐ |
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: 1x2, 8 ft, 1x3, 8 ft, 1x4, 8 ft, Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4", Wood glue
Build two rail frames — one for the front wall, one for the back. Drill two pocket holes on both ends of every rail and end piece, then mark the top and bottom frame boards with 3" spacing between rails.
Use the ACTUAL board widths for this layout, not the nominal ones — a 1x3 is really 2-1/2" wide and a 1x2 is really 1-1/2" wide. Marking off the nominal sizes is the single most common way this lattice comes out uneven. Attach with glue and 1-1/4" pocket hole screws and set both frames aside.
Tools: Jigsaw. Materials: 3/4" plywood or MDF, 4x8 sheet, sanded
Mark out the window and door locations on the front plywood panel, then use a jigsaw to carefully cut them out. Cut openings before any trim goes on — the trim is what finishes the raw plywood edge, so the order matters.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Drill / Driver. Materials: 1x3, 8 ft, Brad nails, 1-1/4", Wood glue
Attach the plywood and the rail frame to the front legs with 1-1/4" screws and glue, keeping the bottom and outside edges flush. Then attach the top front trim over the joint between the rail lattice and the plywood, overlapping it by about 1" — this hides the seam and is what makes the finished wall read as one panel instead of two parts screwed together.
Add the remaining front trim, door trim, and window trim the same way — 1-1/4" nails or screws and glue throughout. Fill the small gaps left at the tops of the legs with the top leg filler pieces.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Level, Tape Measure. Materials: 1x3, 8 ft, Wood glue
Attach two legs to the back rail frame (one on each side), leaving 2" clear at the top of the legs and adjusting for square as you go. Attach the back base trim, then fill the remaining exposed gaps with the back leg filler trim pieces — glue and 1-1/4" fasteners throughout.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig. Materials: 3/4" plywood or MDF, 4x8 sheet, sanded, 1x2, 8 ft, 1x3, 8 ft, 1x4, 8 ft, Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4", Wood glue
Build the side rail frame the same pocket-hole way as the front and back frames. Center the side plywood and the rail frame on the two end-wall legs and attach — pocket holes drilled from the plywood into the legs, and from the railing into the legs, work well here.
Add the end trim, overlapping the railing by 1" as you did on the front wall, then trim out the window. Building the window frame separately with a pocket-hole jig and tapping it on with finish nails and glue gives a cleaner result than fastening each piece in place one at a time.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Drill / Driver, Jigsaw. Materials: 3/4" plywood or MDF, 4x8 sheet, sanded, 1x2, 8 ft, 1x3, 8 ft, 1x4, 8 ft, Wood glue
Build this end wall the same way as the other end — rail frame, plywood (with its window opening cut first), legs, and trim.
Then add the one extra structural piece this wall needs and the others don't: run the 1x2 ladder rail support along the FULL inside length of the top rail, flush with the rail's end, and attach with 1-1/4" screws and glue. A ladder's top rail takes years of a kid's whole body weight pulling on it, and without this backing it eventually works loose.
Add the trim, overlapping the railing by 1" to hold it in place, then add the ladder spacer — the spot the ladder will secure to next.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Random Orbit Sander. Materials: 1x2, 8 ft, 2x2, 8 ft, Self-tapping wood screws, 2", Wood glue
Build the ladder from the 2x2 sides and 1x2 rungs, using 2" screws and glue. Space the rungs about 7" apart, leaving a bit less room near the top. Ease every rung's edges with the sander before it ever meets bare feet.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Level. Materials: Self-tapping wood screws, 2"
Attach the ladder to the ladder-end wall from the back side, then stand and join all four wall panels together. This bed is designed so the four legs meeting at each corner read as one solid post once assembled.
Use 2" screws from the inside at every wall-to-wall joint and leave the glue OFF here — that's what lets the whole bed come apart again if it ever needs to move through a door it wasn't built in. Check and adjust the whole assembly for square before moving on. Climb the finished ladder yourself before any kid does.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Random Orbit Sander. Materials: 2x2, 8 ft, Self-tapping wood screws, 2", Wood filler, 1x3, for mattress slats, Finishing supplies (primer and paint)
Screw the two 2x2 cleats to the inside faces of the long rails, low enough that the mattress will sit at the height you want. Lay the slats on top of the cleats and screw down — leave the glue off here too, so the slats lift out if you ever need to.
Space and count the slats per your mattress manufacturer's recommendation. Fill any visible fastener holes, sand the whole structure, and finish before a mattress goes anywhere near it.