How do you make bed slats?

Make bed slats by cutting the sideboards, top boards and bottom boards and attaching the boards together. This should take only one hour or two. You need boards, a saw, screws and a drill.

1. Cut the sideboards

   Cut two boards so that they are 4 inches shorter than the total length of the bed.

2. Carve out the lips

   Carve a 2 by 4-inch lip on both sides of each sideboard. First, measure and mark 4 inches in from each end of the board. At the mark, cut straight down 2 inches. At the end, cut through the middle of the board horizontally until you hit the first cut. Remove the cut block of wood on each end.

3. Cut the top and bottom boards

   Cut the two boards for the top and bottom of the bed frame that are the width of the bed.

4. Carve out the lips

   Measure and mark 4 inches in on the ends of each board. Make a 2 inch vertical cut through half the board at the 4-inch mark. Make sure to stagger the cuts so that on one board the cut as at the top half of one end and the bottom half of the other. Cut horizontally through the middle of the board at the ends, and remove the chunk of wood.

5. Attach the boards

   Screw the boards together where the grooves meet so that you have a rectangular frame. Attach six boards for slats horizontally across the frame.