I’ll walk you through my crazy idea to upgrade my bed frame by turning a bookcase into a cover for my box spring!

So I had just bought my new condo and moved everything in. I had the most BASIC (and ugly) bed frame (see image below).

….which is pretty lame. So I knew I was going to have to do something about it eventually. But I also have 2 cats and they kept using my box spring as a scratching post (see image below). So I really NEEDED to do something. It was just embarrassing. To be fair, it looked hideous before my cats tore it apart.

Then—on an unrelated note—I realized that my bookcase was sagging and didn’t look good anymore, so I took it apart expecting to get rid of it.

Then I walked past it and realized it was about the same width as my box spring… and my crazy self thought this might actually work… Yupp, you guessed it! I decided to turn my old bookcase into a cover for my ugly box spring. And to be honest, I absolutely love the outcome of this project! So, let’s dive in!

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STEPS

First, check out my video on YouTube on how I turned my bookcase into my box spring cover / bed frame. And be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel! 

So let’s jump into how to upgrade your bed frame:

1. First, measure the width and length of your mattress / box spring / metal bed frame to figure out how long and wide (to cover length of bed and width of box spring) you need the boards to be
2. Then, remove the mattress and box spring from your bed frame
3. Afterwards, turn your bed frame around so that the part that usually connects to the headboard (see red arrow in the picture below) is at the bottom of the bed
4. Now, it’s time to get the boards you will be using
   • If you don’t have any spare materials you can use around the house (e.g., an old bookcase like me), then you can find something to use at your local home improvement store! Your local store may have good deals, so I would go in and ask the people working there. Here are just a couple examples of materials you can use:
     • 3/4″ sheet of plywood (requires cutting to be the size you need – so would require table saw, saw track, or some local home improvement stores will cut it for you)
     • 3/4″ MDF boards (requires cutting to be the size you need – so would require table saw, saw track, or some local home improvement stores will cut it for you)
     • Rubbermaid shelves — these are what I used to make my shoe cabinet. The nice thing is that they come in a bunch of different lengths and widths. The one I used for my shoe cabinet (10″ x 72″) was $15 at the time. I just checked again and the price is now $16 from Home Depot.
5. Then, cut the boards to be the length and width of your mattress/box spring
   • I had to connect multiple boards on one of the sides so that it would be long enough. I used my Kreg pocket hole jig to connect them.
   • See my YouTube video about how to use a Kreg pocket hole jig if you haven’t used one before!
6. Then, connect board that will be at the bottom of the bed (by your feet) to the frame using the part that the bed frame usually connects to the headboard (see red arrow in the picture below)
   • This part of the frame usually has holes for screws, so instead of using those holes to connect the bed frame to the headboard, use those holes to connect the bed frame to the board that will go at the foot of the bed
   • It will be easier if you put that board up against the bed frame and mark with a pencil where the screws will go. Then pre-drill the holes so you can easily use a screwdriver to screw that board in place!
7. Afterwards, use a kreg pocket hole jig to connect the long boards (spanning the length of the two sides of the bed) to the board at the bottom of the bed frame
   • Again, here is my YouTube video about how to use a Kreg pocket hole jig
8. Then connect long boards to the headboard with, you guessed it….the handy, dandy kreg pocket hole jig!
   • Again, here is my YouTube video about how to use a Kreg pocket hole jig
9. Finally, use wood filler to cover any big gaps to make it look smoother and paint over it if you have to or because you just want to
   • Depending on the material you are using, it may be hard to find a wood filler that is that exact color. If you are using an MDF board that has a wood veneer cover (like my bookcase shelves) and you don’t want to lose that wood look, I would recommend using a universal repair kit to cover the areas that you put wood filler. Check out my YouTube video on universal repair kits if you want to use one!
   • Alternatively, if you don’t have a wood look, you can use RetiqueIt Liquid Wood to create that look like I did for my office shelves and my pantry door or use peel and stick wallpaper that looks like wood, like I did for my laundry room shelves!
   • If you decide you want to paint the entire bed frame, check out the “Paint & Supplies” tab of my product page to see the products I use for painting!

And that’s it!

I used the rest of the old bookcase for a shelf for my small laundry room update!

Be sure to comment to let me know your thoughts or if you have any questions! And please share any pictures if you recreated this in your home!

And don’t forget to check out my entertainment suggestions if you get bored!