As my son has transitioned from a pre-teen, into a mid teen, he no longer wanted his bed to be raised in a full loft fashion. So it was time to do a little remodel and change his full loft into a mid-loft full size bed. Let me preface this post for DIY plans with the comment that just taking apart the loft bed I built several years ago was in-and-of itself a full days work. I must have used 20 – 30 lbs of screws and bolts. However, if I do say so myself, I thought that loft bed with an L desk was pretty cool.

Now, onto this mid-loft full size bed. These DIY bed plans are designed for a double mattress, which is sometimes also called a full mattress. This mid-loft bed is designed to fit over an IKEA dresser, to still allow saving some floor space vs a regular bed. It also has a 4×4 shelf for extra storage, but it also serves to add stability as a stretcher between the two leg assemblies.

Tools Required:

• Table saw or track saw
• Miter saw
• Sander and sandpaper
• Drill/Driver
• Pocket hole jig
• 1/2” chisel
• Tape measure
• Square

Materials List:

• 1 – 4×4 sheet of 1/2″ plywood
• 1 – 4×8 sheet of 1/4” plywood
• 4 – 2x4s @ 8’
• 6 – 2X4s @ 10’
• 3 – 2x8s @ 8’
• 4 – 1x3s @ 8’
• 1 – 1×3 @ 6’
• Wood screws
• Pocket hole screws
• 5” Lag Screws
• Wood Glue

Step 1: Build the leg assemblies

These mid-loft full size bed plans use 3×3 posts for legs. Like a lot of my builds and plans, I recommend gluing two pieces of 2×4 together, letting the glue dry, then trimming off the corners and sides to get a nice square 3×3 post. For these legs, we’re going to cut one piece of 2×4 to 30”, and the other to 32 1/2” before gluing. This 2 1/2” difference will allow for a place for the beams to rest in the next step. Note that if you use two 2×4 @ 10’, you can get three leg pieces from each, and then the other two leg pieces from a 2×4 @ 8’.

After you have your four legs glued and trimmed, it’s time to cut and attach the cross braces. Use the other two 2x4s @ 10’ to create these four pieces. Use two pocket hole screws and wood glue on each end to attach.

Step 2: Connect the leg assemblies and attach cross beams

Once you have the legs assembled, we’re going to connect them using two beams made from 2x4s. Take two of the 2x4s @ 10’ and cut them in half and glue them together. Once the glue has dried, trim them down to 2 1/2” high, leaving the width at 3” so the width matches the legs we cut in the previous step.

Next we’re going to cut two of the 2×4 @ 8’ board in half to create the cross-braces that will also serve as supports for the mattress. One of these four pieces needs to be ripped to 2 1/2” high to match the beams, and then attached at the headboard end using pocket screws. For the other three, we’re going to leave them at 3 1/2”, but cut out a 3” x 1” notch on each end. This will allow for the bed platform to rest in the notches and the middle of these boards to add support to the plywood board under the mattress.

Step 3: Build the mattress platform

For the mattress platform of these mid-loft bed plans, we’re going to take the three 2x8s and rip them down to 7” wide. Then we’re going to cut one into 2 pieces 42” long, and the other two pieces to 75” long. Once these are cut, use wood glue and pocket screws to attach the pieces together. After attached, you’ll need to route a 1/2” wide x 1/4” deep rabbet all around the inside of the top of the platform. Then use a chisel to square up the corners.

You’ll then need to cut three of the 1x3s and use pocket screws to attach them as a skirt around the bottom of both sides and the footboard. The headboard doesn’t need a skirt board since it will be against the wall. After the skirt boards are attached, you should be able to slide the platform on top of the base. Use four 2 1/2” wood screws on each end and the across the headboard in order to attach the platform to the base.

Cut your 1/4” plywood to fit (43” x 62”) and you should be able to just rest it in the rabbets and on top of the cross-braces.

Step 4: Build and attach the shelf

The last step of these mid-loft bed plans consist of building and attaching the shelf. You’ll use the remaining 2×4 for the outer beams, ripped down to 2 1/2” high. Then rip the cross supports 1x3s, they should be 2” high. You’ll want to attach them 1/2” from the top of the 2×4 boards in order to leave a recess for the 1/2” sheet of plywood which will be the shelf. Use pocket hole screws to attach the boards.

Once the shelf frame is ready, you can either cut supports for the shelf to rest on, or use the 5” lag screws to attach it to the legs. I prefer using the lag screws, as it adds more structure to the base. You can mount the shelf however high you would like. If you’ve maintained square throughout the entire build, your 4×4 sheet of 1/2” plywood should drop in.

If you have comments or question, please feel free to connect with us via the comments section below. We love the feedback! Also, don’t forget to check out our other free DIY furniture plans.

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