Bed Frame?

[rainbowmeow]

Right now I'm sleeping on an air mattress.... which is on the floor.  I can't really afford to buy a frame, not even the cheap metal ones, so I need some ideas.  The main purpose of having the bed off the floor is so that I can store some boxes underneath.  (Small, weak boxes that couldnt hold up the bed) Any help is appreciated. :-)

[kategirl]

well, what kind of a budget do you have?  you could do it for not too much with wood.  kind of like a dorm room loft, except really low.

[PollyEsther]

You can usually find the basic metal frames super cheap at thrift stores, and sometimes for free in trash piles (esp. if you live in a college town  ).

[rainbowmeow]

I'm looking at less than $30.  And as I said before, I can't use those metal frames, due to price plus the wood I would need to buy for on top of it.

[Xanthia]

My metal frame was $20 at a mattress shop. I agree with the thrift angle too

[K8upL8]

do you have a local freecycle? www.freecycle.org

[asveraluz]

yeah metal frames can be found for cheap.
umm. st.vincent de paul's sometimes have a bedding dept. for pretty cheap.
or keep a look out at other thrift shops where you can find metal frames for less than $30 easy.

[bookgirl]

Here's an easy plan for a platform bed you can build using particle board (cheap!):
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_design_bedroom/article/0,,HGTV_3366_1373741,00.html.  The base is only 12 inches high, but you can build it to be as high as you'd like to accommodate your boxes.  I don't know if you can build this for $30, but if you can scrounge some of the materials like L brackets from other furniture (broken or abandoned pieces you might find), you'll cut into the cost.

Here's a taller platform, with storage space built in: http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_furniture_beds/article/0,,HGTV_3439_2767319,00.html

You can use two old doors for the platform instead of new particle board or plywood.  If you find old cabinets (like from a remodeled kitchen), you can use them as the base.  Freecycle would be a great source for that kind of stuff.

[rainbowmeow]

Thanks Bookgirl!  I think that second link would work out really well.  Anyone else with ideas?  I was really hoping for something "recycled"

[susank]

Friends of mine used a whole bunch of (cleaned) milk crates as the platform for their bed.  It was just a futon mattress on top of crates, which can be free/recycled.  You can turn the outter ones so that you can use them as storage, and store stuff you won't need often in the inner ones.
--susank.