One of the 25 things on my list I was most excited about was building something with my dad. I’d had the idea for a while to build a bed out of old wood, and since my dad just finished building two new rooms in the upstairs part of my parents house, I knew he’d be able to help me get it done.

This project really started back in February when I decided I wanted this bed to be queen-size rather than full, so I bought a new mattress and box springs. We started building the new bed in March, and worked on it occasionally when we both had a free night or weekend. In total, we spent about 25 hours actually working on the bed, and about $175 on materials.

We started by looking at some examples online. After drawing up a plan, we went on the first of several trips to Lowe’s to pick up lumber and stain. We didn’t use a kit or any instructions, just a lot of drawing and a little trial-and-error.

First, we built the frame — simple, with four 4×4 posts and 2×6 side rails. We added a center support beam and slats across the middle to support the mattress.

Then we built the footboard, which we designed to simply slide over the end of the bed frame and bolt into place. The headboard is designed the same way, so that it would be easy to disassemble and move the bed when necessary.

We considered using some old barn wood for the project, but to make everything fit together perfectly and for ease, we decided to distress new boards instead. We mixed and blended seven different stains to give each board a unique, weathered look.

After staining all of the boards, we began to lay them out how we wanted them on the headboard.

We built the headboard using two 4×4 posts. We nailed the different colored 1×6 boards across, and mixed in a few 1×4 boards to give it a little variety. Overall, it’s 7 feet tall and just as heavy as it looks.

After getting everything built, it was time to bring it to my apartment. With less than an inch to spare, we got the headboard through the door and the bed set up.

Before:

After:

I’ve never really built anything before, so it was really cool to see my idea turn into a reality. It was also nice to have a family project that we could all work on together (my mom helped stain some of the boards, and my brother helped set it up at my apartment). Not only do I have a functional piece of furniture, but something I can look back on in 50 years and still be proud of and remember doing with my family — and after all, that’s exactly what #25before25 is about.