5 Wise Tips for Building Your Own Bedroom Furniture

Whether for yourself or someone else, building bedroom furniture by hand is an excellent way to add unique character to the room where many of us spend the most time. There’s arguably no better way to add a personal touch to any bedroom than by using a sawmill bandsaw to mill your own lumber, adding thoughtful details and finishing each piece yourself. 

Sawmill Bandsaw

With the right tools, quality lumber, and a bit of know-how, you can achieve stunning results. But there are some important things every woodworker should keep in mind when approaching such a project. Several factors can cause unanticipated delays or even derail your work, but giving due consideration to each can help you avoid any issues.

In this handy guide, we’ll cover some of the most vital elements regarding handcrafting bedroom furniture. With these items in mind, you can finish your project on time and under budget, with finished products you can be proud of.

Design with the Occupant in Mind

If the furniture you’ll build is for you, then, by all means, enjoy your creative license to its fullest. But if you’re creating bedroom furniture for a family member or friend, it pays to keep their preferences in mind.

No matter how much time you’ve spent with the person for whom you’re building, your tastes and theirs likely aren’t in lockstep, and that’s okay. You don’t need to stress about intuiting their desires, either—if you have questions about what they’re looking for, just ask. They’ll appreciate your consideration.

Keep Your Designs Manageable

It’s easy to go overboard during the design process. To help prevent you from getting in over your head, remember two things:

1. This project doesn’t call for museum-quality pieces, and

2. You will actually have to build all of this, so don’t put yourself behind the eight ball.

Also, if you’re trying a new technique or design for the first time, prototype it on a single piece before incorporating it into the entire project.

Measure Twice, Mill Once

No matter how gorgeous your handcrafted bedroom furniture turns out to be, it won’t be of much use unless it fits into the intended space. Before you even start designing, take accurate measurements—and photos, if possible—of the space where this furniture will end up.

It’s not enough to design based on preferences. You also need to keep the room and its dimensions in mind. That way, you won’t end up making a bed so large the room becomes cramped, or dressers that inadvertently cover the windows because they’re too tall.

Plan Transport and Set Up Before You Start Working

Another often-overlooked practical consideration is the final installation of your new bedroom furniture. If you designed furniture that’s too large to transport using your vehicle, or a dresser that won’t fit through the bedroom door, you could find yourself up a creek without a paddle.

Once you settle on the design of each piece, compare it to the space you have to work with. Will that bookcase turn the corner to fit through the door? Do you have everything you’ll need to assemble the bedframe on site? Give these items some thought before you start building.

Inspect All of Your Equipment Before Beginning

Whether you’re milling your own lumber with a bandsaw mill or using a miter saw to cut perfect joints, the last thing you need in the middle of your woodworking project is to get stuck because you didn’t stock up on replacement parts or consumables.

Hopefully, it goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway: Keep your equipment in good working order with regular inspections and preventative maintenance. When you take care of your tools, you can bet they’ll take care of you.

About Woodland Mills

By astutely combining imaginative design, cost-effective manufacturing processes, and direct-to-customer sales, Woodland Mills has grown into a global leader in the forestry products industry. From portable bandsaw sawmills to stump grinders, PTO wood chippers, and more, the products from Woodland Mills are known for their uncompromising capability and unsurpassed value. Whether you’re a hobbyist woodworker, weekend sawyer, or a landowner with acreage to manage, you can count on Woodland Mills for world-class customer service and the industry’s best-valued products. The North American engineers at Woodland Mills continue to innovate with you in mind to deliver versatile ATV trailers, rugged log arches, and other products to help you tackle your next project.

Take your woodworking to the next level with Woodland Mills at https://woodlandmills.com/