If you have more than one kiddo and they have things – maybe even quite a few things- a bunk bed with rolling trundle and bookshelf storage is going to be your new bff slash sanity saver. Today’s plan is an exciting one but it is quite a whopper of a furniture plan, broken down into a lot of steps, so I am breaking it up into 2 parts for easier digesting! Otherwise we will be here all week typing out the instructions… eek! This plan focuses on the upper and lower bunk beds or basically the bunk bed portion of this plan – duh! The next plan will cover the rolling trundle and the bookshelves. I can’t wait to see your builds of this project, don’t forget to submit them to our Builder’s Showcase.
As with all of our plans, you are building at your own risk and you should have a firm understanding of building in general before you attempt many of our plans (some are easy as pie and perfect for beginners). With that, go forth, have fun, take lots of pictures and share them in a showcase on the site or on social media with the hashtag #builtTDCtuff and we will share our faves! Be sure to tag @thedesignconfidential on Instagram / FB and @thedesconf on Twitter / Pinterest. If you are a blogger and you post about your build, don’t forget to include a link to your post on your showcase here. Don’t forget… for all of our newer plans, clicking on the images will let them expand to enormous sizes with much greater clarity. The older plans may need updating so please let us know if you need one fixed!
- Tape Measure
- Saw – Jig Saw, Circular, Table, or Miter Saw
- Drill
- Multi-Square and Carpenter’s Square
- Sander
- Kreg Jig – if you build frequently, invest in this one.
- Nail Gun – optional
- Router with Patterning bit – or bit set – optional
5/16″ Drill Bit
- 6 – 1×2 at 8’
- 16 – 1×4 at 8’
- 8 – 2×4 at 8’
- 6 – 2×6 at 8’
- 3 – 4×4 at 8’
- 1 – 1/4” sheet of plywood at 2’x4’
- 5 – 3/4” sheets of plywood at 4’x8’
- Qty 8 – 5/16 x 6 ½” Carriage Bolts – *if you can’t find 6-1/2″ Bolts, 5/16 x 7” Carriage Bolts will also work
- Qty 8 – 5/16” Washers
- Qty 8 – 5/16” Cap Nuts (rounded top)
- 5/16″ Drill Bit or Spade Bit Set
- 2-1/2″ Pocket Hole Screws
- 1-1/4″ Pocket Hole Screws
- 2″ Wood Screws
- 2-1/2″ Wood Screws
- 1-1/2” Wood Screws
- 6 – 2-1/2” (in total height) Caster Wheels
- Countersink Drill Bit
- Pocket Hole Plugs – Paint Grade, Pine, Oak – optional
- Clamps
- Safety Gear
- Edge Banding – optional
- Wood Filler
- Wood Glue
- Sanding Supplies
- Paste Wax
- Finishing Supplies
- 4 – 4×4 at 70” – Bed Posts
- 4 – 2×4 at 78” – Back Panel Frames
- 4 – 2×4 at 43” – Side Panel Frames
- 4 – 2×6 at 82” – Front and Back Rails
- 4 – 1×4 at 82” – Front and Back Cleats
- 4 – 2×6 at 43” – Side Rails
- 2 – 1×2 at 55-1/2” – Front Frame Top and Bottom
- 2 – 1×2 at 12-1/2” – Front Frame Sides
- 2 – 2×4 at 57-3/4” – Ladder Rails
- 5 – 2×4 at 18” – Ladder Rungs
- 28 – 1×4 at 40”– Slats
- 1 – 3/4” plywood at 15”x78” – Panel A
- 1 – 3/4” plywood at 12-1/2”x78” – Panel B
- 1 – 3/4” plywood at 11”x43” – Panel C
- 1 – 3/4” plywood at 8-1/2”x43” – Panel D
- 1 – 3/4” plywood at 9-1/2”x55-1/2” – Panel E
- 1 – 3/4” plywood at 11”x43” – Panel F
- 1 – 3/4” plywood at 28-1/4”x43” – Panel G
- 1 – 3/4” plywood at 8-1/2”x43” – Panel H
Before beginning to build, always check in on my site to make sure you have the most up to date set of plans, I occasionally update and change the plans to make the building process easier or to allow for less expensive purchasing of materials! Read through the entire set of instructions and all comments before beginning this project. If you print out or save plans, be sure to check in on my site to be sure you have the most up to date set of plans, as I occasionally update things for ease of building or buying. If you are new to building, read through the GETTING STARTED section and other articles found under the BUILD tab in the menu on my site, it has valuable information about how to get started, tools and techniques. If you are unfamiliar with the finishing process, visit my Finishing school for some tips and tricks for painting like a pro and for special finishing practices. Use glue to secure your joints and Consider Painting or Staining individual sections prior to assembling. This makes the paint application virtually flawless. Coat with a spray on Poly or Wipe on Poly to protect your finish and your piece and it will last for ages. Adhere to all safety standards and guidelines, and be sure you follow safety protocol throughout your build. If you are unsure about whether you are building safely, run a quick online search for the tool or technique you are using, or contact me via email or post to the forum before you move ahead. My contact info can be found in the menu of my site.
Cut the pieces for the Bed Posts and Panel Frames. Set the Kreg jig for 1-1/2” material and drill pocket holes in the both ends of each Panel Frame piece. Assemble as shown with glue and 2-1/2” pocket screws.
Cut the pieces for the Front and Back Rails and Front and Back Cleats. Attach a Cleat to the bottom edge of a Rail using 2” Wood Screws. Clamp each Rail/Cleat “set” into place as shown, leaving a 1-1/2” space on each end for the Side Rails. The Rail, Cleat, and bottom of the Panel Frame should be flush with one another. After making sure that everything is completely square and aligned, use a 7/16” Drill Bit to drill through the Rail, Cleat, and Bed Post. You should have two holes on each end for the Bolts. Fasten with Carriage Bolts and Tighten. This step should be done a total of 4 times – twice for the top bed (front and back) and twice for the bottom bed (front and back).
Cut the pieces for Side Rails. With the Kreg jig still set for 1-1/2” material, drill pocket holes in each end of the Side Rails. Assemble as shown with glue and 2-1/2” pocket screws.
Next, cut the pieces for the Front Frame. With the Kreg jig set for 1-1/2” material, drill pocket holes in each end of the Front Frame Top and Bottom. Assemble as shown with glue and 2-1/2” pocket screws. Attach the Front Frame to the Front Rail with 2-1/2” wood screws.
Cut the pieces for the Ladder Rails and Ladder Rung. With the Kreg jig set for 1-1/2” material, drill pocket holes in each end of the Ladder Rungs. Assemble as shown with glue and 2-1/2” pocket screws. Attach the Ladder to the Bed with glue and 2-1/2” wood screws.
Cut the pieces for the Bed Slats. On each end of the bed, there will be three Slats placed next to each other. The reason for this is that the Bunk Beds need to be longer than necessary to accommodate the Trundle underneath. Because of this, a twin-sized mattress will be approximately 6” shorter than the length of the Bunk Bed. We have extra Slats at the ends because we don’t want any feet falling through the Bed! Repeat for both the top and the bottom Bed, laying out the Slats with spacing as shown. Attach the Bed Slats to the Cleats with 1-1/2” wood screws.
Cut the pieces for the Panels. With the Kreg jig set for 3/4” material, drill pocket holes in each side of each Panel. Assemble as shown with glue and 1-1/4” pocket screws.
(back view followed by front view)
We will pick up right here next time and build the bookcase and trundle, yahoo!
Fill any Screw, Nail or Pocket Holes, Sand and Finish as Desired. For Finishing Tips and Tricks visit my Finishing School
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Hiya Rayan,
I’m trying to track down the Pod bunk bed plans. I have a PDF version I’ve had for a few years.
Are there updated plans?
I’m a little confused by some of the timber lengths and their relation to the cut list. It seems to be an awful lot of waste. Am I off base?
I’m in Australia. I’ve had a lot of fun converting the measurements and amounts into metric. I want to make three of these Pods.
MikeR
Hi mike! So the plans you are referring to were actually removed from the site at the request of the manufacturer. I don’t typically do that as I am always completely within my rights to post my plans and nothing about how I design is not infringing upon anything proprietary but she seemed like a small maker and I was happy to oblige. Naturally after taking the plans down she became one of the most horrid creatures I have ever encountered and now I wish I hadn’t taken them down! Maybe I shall put them back up! Ha!