For today’s project, we’ll cover the process of how to build a DIY Murphy bed. A Murphy bed will make your home or space more efficient and will free up the room to use for other purposes. That guest bedroom can now be used as an office, exercise area, or playroom for the kids. The investment in time and money for this DIY Murphy bed will be well worth it with your finished build!

DIY Murphy Bed Options
100% DIY Hardware ( cheapest method )
There are a number of ways to build a DIY Murphy bed. I chose to use a DIY Murphy bed kit for all of the hardware to save time and to make sure the bed works perfectly. I wanted our DIY Murphy bed to look professional and also be easy to raise and lower. If you are willing to take the time and don’t care about the gas springs or pre-made hardware, then I’d recommend checking out DIY Tyler’s Murphy bed build. He’s a great guy and has a lot of really cool projects.
DIY Murphy bed with hardware kit ( my choice )
For those who want the professional DIY Murphy bed kit, you’ll invest around $300-500 depending on where and who you purchase the DIY Murphy bed kit from. I did a lot of research and ended up purchasing a gas spring kit on Amazon made by CreateABed for $299. I’ve been very happy with it and certainly would definitely recommend it. The DIY Murphy bed kit does come with plans for any size bed. I used their DIY Murphy bed plans for this build and customized the final product by adding trim on the front and sides.

Here is an affiliate link to the DIY Murphy Bed kit I used, in case you want to purchase it. If you do purchase it on Amazon, I’ll get a small kickback from Amazon for recommending it which will help fund new projects on my website. Thank you in advance! The DIY Murphy bed kits are available for all sizes of beds. The Murphy bed I built is a vertical Murphy bed, but they have horizontal Murphy beds available as well.

Purchase a complete DIY Murphy bed cabinet and hardware
Complete DIY Murphy bed systems that you can buy online and assemble start in the $1250 range and go to about $2500. I looked at quite a few systems on Amazon and BeStar brand makes quite a few DIY Murphy bed solutions that are reasonably priced and have 4 to 5-star reviews. Here is an example of a Bestar Murphy bed that costs close to $1300. You would have to assemble it similar to Ikea furniture, but the wood is already stained or painted and can be put together typically in a few hours. If you are not a DIY’er or simply want to save time then I’d recommend buying a Murphy bed. However, if you love to build and want a custom project then building one is going to be a good fit.

Why is it called a Murphy bed?
The Murphy bed was patented by William Murphy in the early 1900’s. The story goes that William had a single bedroom apartment in San Francisco. According to Wikipedia, Murphy was an opera singer who would fold up his bed to convert the room into an area guests could visit and where he could host in his small apartment. Murphy beds are commonly referred to as wall beds.

Approximate cost to build my DIY queen size Murphy bed?
Total Cost for Wood: $214
Cost for Wood and Optional Trim: $291
Total Cost for Wood and all supplies listed below including optional trim: $402
Total Cost of all supplies + Kit $70
*This does not include the cost of tools or a mattress
Create-a-bed Hardware Kit: $299
4 Sheets of 3/4 inch cabinet grade pine plywood $151 ( $37 / board )
2 Sheets of 1/4 inch pine plywood $45.00 ( $22.50 / board )
* Please note that these are the nominal wood dimensions you will see on the price tags when buying the wood. The actual size of a 1×4 board is actually 3/4 inches thick by 3 1/2 inches wide. I would recommend ordering the kit first, to double check all of the supplies.
Frame struts and sides QTY 12 – 1x2x8 boards $14.64 ( $1.22/ board )
Trim boards ( Optional ) Qty 7 1x4x8 boards $40 ( $8 / board )
Baseboard and upper trim ( Optional ) Qty 3 1x6x8 boards $37.50 ( $12.50 / board )
Leg Support Rail – 1x1x6
1 1/4 inch star screws #8 size $8.58
1 1/2 inch star screws #8 size $9.97
2 inch star screws #8 size $10.52
Plywood edge banding – ( I used birch which was the closest match. You’ll need about 80 feet total. $27.44
Wood glue: $4.00
1 1/2 inch and 1 1/4 inch finishing nails $6.00
Cabinet pulls ( Price varies ) These are similar 10 inch pulls to what I used. $11.50
Wood conditioner $13.00
Wood stain $8.00
3 inch wood screws to attach the unit to the wall ( approximately 4-8 )
Mattress – You will need a queen size mattress that is no more than 12 inches thick. The mattresses I had around the house were all between 10-12 inches. You will not need a box spring.
Tools and Supplies Needed
Forstner bits ( 1/2 inch and 5/8 inch )
Table Saw – I recommend using a table saw for this project if you have access to one. However, it can also be done using a circular saw and a guide. Many people do use this method. I feel it is nice to have a table saw to rip boards and for getting accurate cuts.
Circular Saw – I would recommend using a guide to help get straight cuts
Miter Saw
Drill and Impact wrench ( Impact wrench optional )
Jigsaw
Sander – I’d recommend 220 grit sandpaper
Hammer or air nailer
Drill bit set – Pick up a drill bit set for under $10 if you don’t already have bits.
Household iron – Use to apply the edge banding to the plywood
Razor blade knife
Plywood edging tool
Clamps
Wood putty to fill nail holes ( optional )
Sawhorses
Pencil
Square
Straight edge
Circular saw guide
Rags and paint brush
Dust mask
Respirator when applying stain/sealer
Rubber Gloves
Tape Measure
Scissors
Safety Glasses
Hearing Protection
Stud Finder
Step stool or ladder
How long does it take to build a DIY Murphy bed?
In my experience, a Murphy bed can be assembled in a weekend. Of course, this all depends on your skill level. You’ll also want to stain and seal the project which will take additional time. I would plan to build this project over the course of a week. This way you won’t be rushed, and can work on it a little each evening and during the weekend.

Steps to build a DIY Murphy bed
Gather your materials, tools, and plan.
The DIY Murphy bed plans for the bed will come in your kit. My video will cover the queen size vertical Murphy bed. Other sized beds follow the same overall process, but the placement of the hardware will be different and the boards will be cut to different sizes.

Cut plywood and boards to size
Use a table saw or circular saw to cut the plywood down to size. Having an extra person to help with this process will make things much easier. A table saw is my tool of choice, but you can use a circular saw with a guide if you do not own a table saw.

A circular saw works great for cutting the boards down in length. I use a 12 inch sliding compound miter saw from Dewalt.

Build the frame for the mattress
The mattress frame is built out of solid 1×2 boards. I used pine. A 1×2 board is actually 3/4 inches thick by 1 1/2 inch wide. Cut the boards according to the plans you will get with Create-a-bed. Pre-drill all holes. Use 1 1/2 inch screws and wood glue to assemble each of the 5 struts. Then use 2 inch screws to attach the side frame to each strut.

Build bed rails
The bed rails are made out of plywood. CreateaBed ( the manufacturer ) recommends using plywood due to the strength. Templates are provided to help with hardware mounting locations. Apply edge banding to all plywood with exposed edges that will be seen. This will give the wood a nice finished look and the appearance of a solid piece of wood.