• Two 6-foot 2x6 knot-free boards (such as poplar, fir, or birch)
• 28 dowels 3/4 inch in diameter and 48 inches long
• One 8-foot 1x8 board
• Table or circular saw
• 6d finish nails
• Yellow carpenter's glue
• Metal frame for a daybed

Step 1.

1. Cut the 2x6s into four 36-inch lengths. Draw a 5-1/2-inch-diameter circle at one end of each for a rounded top. (The straight bottoms will be 4 inches wide.) Mark each board as shown and cut away the gray area with a table saw or circular handsaw.

2. Measure 14 inches from the bottom of each leg and mark on each side the width and depth of the 1x8. Use a scrap of 1x8, set it on end on the leg, and draw around it for the cutout. Cut out this section from each leg.

3. To determine the length of the dowels, measure the depth of the metal bed frame, subtract the combined width of the two legs, and add 2 inches (1/2 inch for the depth that the dowel will sink into each leg and 1/2 inch to accommodate the bed frame front and back).

Step 4.

4. Make a template for drilling the holes for the dowels and mark the legs. Be sure to align them so the holes will be drilled on the correct side of each leg.

5. To drill the holes exactly 1/2 inch deep, use a drill press or an attachment on your portable drill that will keep the depth consistent and the drill perpendicular to the surface.

Step 6.

6. To cut the 1x8 lower panels the correct length, measure the depth of the metal frame and add 1 inch. Cut two. Place a drop of glue in each dowel hole and on the notched areas of one front and back leg. Place the dowels in the holes (this may require two people). Place the 1x8 in the notches, keeping the ends flush with the outside front and back legs. Nail in place to hold until the glue dries.

7. Repeat for the remaining side. When the glue dries, sand and prime the wood and paint.

8. Bolt the metal frame to the 1x8 cross pieces, positioning the top of the frame 17 inches from the floor. This leaves clearance for a trundle bed underneath.