This DIY outdoor wooden daybed bench cost under $50 to build—and two years later, it’s still my favorite spot to sit.
June 20, 2025|Woodworking & DIY
How I built a $50 diy daybed: a cheap diy
—Two Years Later, This DIY Daybed Hasn’t Moved an Inch—
Two years ago,
armed with 2x3s, grit, and a stubborn kind of joy,
I built something that lasts.
It started as a sketch—
a nap-worthy daydream with sharp angles,
cut corners, and a whole lot of screws.
What it became?
A resting place with backbone.
A soft space with a story.
I followed the tutorial from Lovely Etc.—simple, clean, and under $50 if you’ve got a stash of paint already whispering your name.
Here’s what it took to make the thing that still holds me:
🪵 Supplies:
- (14) 2x3s @ 8 ft – framing lumber
- (1) 2×4 @ 8 ft – framing lumber
- (1) 2×2 @ 8 ft
- 1/4″ plywood – cut to 36″ x 73″
- 2.5″ Kreg screws and pocket hole plugs (or wood filler)
- Nail gun (or hammer and finishing nails)
- Exterior paint or stain + sealer (if outdoors)
- Twin mattress
🔧 Tools I used:
- Miter saw (for angled cuts) Ryobi
- Kreg Jig (I used the smaller version—plenty strong) but I have since bought the larger and I love it.
- Drill
- Pencil + paintbrush
- Optional: scrap wood slat supports (8.5″ tall = lifesavers)
I built the frame in layers:
two sides, a back, a platform.
Cut clean lines. Sanded soft edges.
I traced my confidence
with each pull of the drill.
Then came the moment—
paint mixed from leftovers,
applied with a brush that’s seen better days.
But the result?
Still beautiful.
Still strong.
Now, two years later,
it’s more than furniture.
It’s where I’ve sipped coffee,
read too-late texts,
and watched my kids climb up just to be near me.
It hasn’t wobbled.
Hasn’t chipped.
Hasn’t let me down.
So if you’re looking to build a place that holds more than just weight—
build this.
Even if you don’t think you know how.
Especially then.
Full tutorial and cut list:
👉 How to Make a DIY Daybed for $50 – Lovely Etc.
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