A DIY Captain's Full-Size Storage Bed

Sidepieces

• 1

  Create a rectangle out of two 62-by-12-by-1-inch pine boards and two 15-by-12-by-1-inch pine boards. Rest the longer boards on the inside edges of the shorter boards. Apply wood glue where the wood pieces meet. Hammer 3-inch nails every 5 inches through the side of the shorter boards into the ends of the longer boards.

• 2

  Slip a 13 1/2-by-12-by-1-inch pine board into the space between the two longer boards. Rest the 13 1/2-inch board perpendicular to the longer boards, situated halfway between the two 15-inch boards. Secure the board in place by nailing three 3-inch nails through the side of the longer boards into the ends of the 13 1/2-inch board.

• 3

  Place a 63 1/2-by-15-by-3/4-inch piece of plywood against the back of the shelf. Apply wood glue where the plywood touches the pine. Hammer 3-inch nails every 5 inches through the plywood into the edges of the 62-inch, 15-inch and 13 1/2-inch boards.

• 4

  Turn the sidepiece so the plywood is facing up and the open side is down. Place a 63 1/2-by-3-by-1-inch board along the length of the plywood to create a cleat. Slide it down 1 inch from the edge of the shelf. Secure it in place by screwing a 3-inch woodscrew through the cleat into the shelf beneath. Place the screws at either end of the cleat, screwed into the 15-inch end boards and into the 13 1/2-inch centerboard.

• 5

  Repeat Steps 1, 2, 3 and 4 a second time using more pine, plywood, nails and screws to create a second sidepiece.

End Piece

• 6

  Create a rectangle out of two 54-by-12-by-1-inch pine boards and two 15-by-12-by-1-inch pine boards. Rest the longer boards on the inside edges of the shorter boards. Apply wood glue against the edges of wood where they meet. Secure the rectangle by hammering three 3-inch nails through the side of the shorter boards into the ends of each of the longer boards. Space the nails every 5 inches.

• 7

  Insert a 13 1/2-by-12-by-1-inch pine board between the two longer boards. Situate it halfway between either end of the longer boards. Secure it in place by hammering three 3-inch nails through each side of the longer board into the end of the shorter board.

• 8

  Place 55 1/2-by-15-by-3/4-inch plywood against the back of the shelf. Apply glue between the plywood and pine where the pieces touch. Hammer 3-inch nails through the plywood into the edges of the wood, including the centerboard. Space the nails every 5 inches.

Assembly

• 9

  Place the two sidepieces 30 1/2 inches apart with the cleats facing in and open sides facing out. Place 11 pine slats with 30 1/2-by-3-by-1-inch dimensions in the space between the two sidepieces. Rest the slats on the cleats. Space them evenly down the length of the cleat. Secure the slats in place by screwing one 2-inch screw through the top of the slat into the cleat below.

• 10

  Set the end piece against the end of the sidepieces. Adjust it so the edges are flush. Drill two holes through the side of the sidepieces into the back of the end piece. Insert a 2 1/2-inch-long bolt through the holes. Place a washer and a nut on the end of the bolts and tighten them to keep the pieces secure.

• 11

  Position the bed with the end without the shelves against the wall. Place your mattress on top of the slats.