Quick/DIY bed frame & mattress ideas?

[JamesR]

I'm back in Toronto, planning on renting a room from a friend. The downside is that it's unfurnished.

I bought a $65 sleeping bag and I've just been sleeping on the floor. I've been looking at buying IKEA furniture, $200 for the cheapest foam mattress, and another $200 for the cheapest queen-sized bed frame.

Floor + sleeping bag is not a big deal (I don't mind firmness). However, I would prefer to be OFF the floor, hence a frame of some sort. I would also prefer something compatible for eventual (hopeful) company, hence queen-sized.

I don't have any tools on hand, so I'm not sure about building my own bed frame.

Any thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?

[JamesR]

http://www.instructables.com/id/Portabl ... /?ALLSTEPS

This could be interesting. A bed frame made of 12 LACK side tables, $10 (CAD) each, for a total cost of $120.

I could even start with just 8 of these tables, and sleep on top of that with the sleeping bag until I'm ready to get a queen mattress. I didn't mention that I'm not 100% certain if I'm staying in Toronto so I don't exactly want to make a major commitment in terms of furniture.

[JL13]

I had success scouting for sales on Wayfair.com. I got a queen frame + mattress for less than an equivalent Ikea full frame + mattress. I want to say $350 shipped to my door?

[Dragline]

If you don't mind the bag, get a cot -- like this: http://www.target.com/p/kamp-rite-doubl ... lsrc=aw.ds

They come in various sizes.

[Toska2]

Mattress on the floor with nicer sheets? A scented Yankee candle might blow the budget tho. Go with an oil lamp.

[JL13]

A couple sheets of plywood and some 2x4s is even cheaper than concrete blocks I think. The issue is you're really fighting the cost savings of mass production. They make SO MANY beds than they can be had for a song. The components can easily approach the cost of a proper bed (resell-able) if you're not careful, while the component bits just need to be discarded at a loss.

[jacob]

Buying used is often cheaper because you can sell it again and recover some of the money. If you get a really good deal, you can even make money.
http://toronto.craigslist.ca/search/fua ... _price=100
http://toronto.craigslist.ca/search/fua ... x_price=50

There's also air mattresses to be had for cheap. They probably won't last long and you'll be reinflating it regularly.

You can also build a cheap cot using duck cloth (or something similarly heavy duty) and 2x4s. Here's the principle (we're using wood instead of tubing). All you need to do is to be able to sew (a needle is needed) and a saw. Saw the 2x4s in the appropriate lengths and just wedge them together. The whole thing is held by tension. No nails, no screws, no glue. I doubt you can make it queen-sized though.

[OTCW]

If they have a business that cuts foam rubber to size in your area, I would try that. They can make any size of any firmness they have much cheaper than a mattress.

[Scott 2]

I've been sleeping on a mattress on the floor for twenty years now. It's fine. If you must have a frame, used is definitely the way to go.

Personally, I couldn't handle buying a used mattress. Yuck. If you can, I bet they are cheap.

I'd suggest paying a little more to buy from some place with a good return policy. Getting stuck with a bad mattress is incredibly frustrating. In the US, Costco is the place to go. Order online, free returns, decent selection and prices. No sale BS.

You might give a memory foam topper on a platform bed a try. Something like these:

http://www.costco.ca/CatalogSearch?stor ... ord=Topper

No risk thanks to the return policy.

[Gilberto de Piento]

I'll second the vote for craigslist. The metal folding ones in any size should be about $10 to $20. They are also frequently found on the curb.

I'm not sure if these will work with a foam mattress or not though. Maybe you can add boards to make it platform style? Or maybe they would flex too much or break. I'm not sure.

When I was last looking for a mattress there were also very rarely some deals on craigslist for beds that had only been slept in a couple of times or never because they were in a guest bedroom. If you believe the seller and you don't end up with bed bugs I don't find this to be gross (certainly no worse than a hotel).

[jacob]

I'm not sure if these will work with a foam mattress or not though. Maybe you can add boards to make it platform style? Or maybe they would flex too much or break. I'm not sure.

We have a bed (free by the way) that's supposed to work with a box spring but we use a foam mattress on it. What I did was just to use some 2x4s to make slats and glue some spacer blocks to the rail to keep the slats from "walking" all over the place.

[tommytebco]

I made a rectangular box from plywood and laid plywood over it.

(e.g. I cut two pieces 12 in. wide by mattress length minus 12in. (76=12 =64)and two pieces mattress width minus 12 (54-12 = 42) ) and fastened together at the corners with brackets or a piece of 2x4) Full mattress dimensions from memory. may be off an inch or so.

So I had a rectangular stand sized about 6 inches in from the outer edge of the top sheet that the mattress sat on. a bed cover hung over the edges to the floor, hiding the frame from sight.

I second the idea that you should be able to get a frame on craig's list for near nothing. My craigslist has many asking $15 for twin/full size.