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A substantial queen bed frame — chunky 4x4 legs, 1x12 side rails, a real internal 2x4 support frame — with one showpiece move: the headboard and footboard panels are covered in a mosaic of tapered cedar shims. Cheap bundles of shims, arranged in a herringbone or fanned pattern and nailed down flat, turn two plain plywood panels into the reason people notice the bed.
Build it in stages. Face the plywood panels while they're flat on a bench — trimming the edges with 1x3 and, ideally, applying the shim art before the panels are ever stood up, because working flat is far easier than working vertical. Then attach the 4x4 legs, cap them with the 1x6 headers, and finally build the 2x4 support frame that carries the mattress and ties the side rails to the footboard.
The legs are the joint that matters. If you're not using pocket holes, counterbore and screw through the legs into the panels: drill a wide hole partway to hide the screw head, then a shaft-sized hole the rest of the way to stop the leg from splitting. A 2x2 cleat behind the panel or small metal L-brackets are honest alternatives. Whatever you pick, this is a bed — it gets loaded and moved, so don't rely on glue alone at the legs.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| Plywood, 3/4", 4x8 sheetHeadboard and footboard panels. | 1 each |
| 1x3, 8 ftPanel trim. | 4 each |
| 4x4, 8 ftHeadboard and footboard legs. | 2 each |
| 1x6, 6 ftHeaders over the panels. | 2 each |
| 1x12, 8 ftSide rails. | 2 each |
| 2x4, 8 ftFrame long rails. | 2 each |
| 2x4, 10 ftFrame slats — cut 57" pieces from these. | 3 each |
| Cedar shims (bundles)The shim-art facing. Buy extra — you'll cull for color and figure. | 4 each |
| Pocket-hole screws, 2-1/2" | 30 each |
| Wood screws, 3" (and 4"+ lag screws if used at legs) | 24 each |
| Finish nails, 1-1/4" | 200 each |
| Wood glue | 8 oz |
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 panel3/4" plywood | 1 | 3/4" × 32" × 60" |
| Footboard panel3/4" plywood | 1 | 3/4" × 16" × 60" |
| Panel trim1x3 | 4 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 60" |
| Headboard legs4x4 | 2 | 3 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 53 1/2" |
| Footboard legs4x4 | 2 | 3 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 20" |
| Headers1x6 | 2 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 69" |
| Side rails1x12 | 2 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 83" |
| Frame long rails2x4 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 88 1/2" |
| Frame slats2x4Cut from the 10-ft 2x4s. | 6 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 57" |
Buy 20 boards at 8 ft.
2 boards
8 boards
1 board
1 board
2 boards
2 boards
4 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 →
Cut the plywood sheet to 60" long x 48" wide, then rip that into the 32"-wide headboard panel and the 16"-wide footboard panel. If you have a pocket-hole jig, drill 3/4" pocket holes along the side and top edges of both panels now for attaching legs and headers later. Attach the 1x3 trim at top and bottom with finish nails from the back and glue.
This is the moment to apply the wood-shim art, while the panels are flat on a bench — laying and nailing shims is far easier horizontal than vertical. Sort the shims for color, lay your pattern, and brad them down flat.
Fasten the 4x4 legs to the panels. With pocket holes, screw from the panel edge into the legs. Without: predrill through the legs into the panel using the counterbore trick — a wide hole partway to swallow the screw head, then a shaft-sized hole the rest of the way, which both hides the head and keeps the leg from splitting. A 2x2 cleat behind the panel or small metal L-brackets are equally valid ways to marry legs to panels.
Attach the 1x6 headers across the tops of the headboard and footboard. Screw them, don't just nail — over time a nailed header lifts. A few trim screws into the 4x4 legs hold well and their tiny heads are easy to hide.
Build the mattress support frame from the 2x4s — 1-1/2" pocket holes with 2-1/2" pocket screws, or 3" wood screws countersunk. Check it for square before you lock the last joint; a bed frame out of square telegraphs to every part above it.
Attach the 1x12 side rails to the frame and to the 4x4 legs, tying the headboard and footboard together. Do any remaining shim work, sand the exposed wood, and finish. Set the mattress on the frame — the platform carries it, so no box spring is needed.
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