Updated: Hang Your Bed From the Heavens! All for Around $100

    In this instructable (My first) I will show you the basic, easy process of hanging your own bed from your ceiling. This is a great way to get that extra POW factor to your room. The reason I finally did this project is my bed spring wouldn't cut the last corner downstairs into my bedroom.

     When I was making it I wasn't sure if people would go for it or think I was a freak, but it turned out to be great. The weight limit is 600 pounds if done properly, so you have about 500 people pounds after the mattress and wood weight. This is enough for almost any couple to safely sleep and with proper safety should never fail sans advanced warning.

     This bed is also adjustable. I can make X's with the cable to raise it around 5.5 feet above the floor. Also, making the wire loops "longer" lowers the bed. Please buy plenty of cable so you too can adjust your bed to the right height. I am just short of 6 feet and I can crawl up just fine, but most need a stool or chair, keep this in mind along with the added risk of having a bed 4 feet off the ground.

     There are a few requirements for your dwelling you need to make this happen. I would hate for you to start chopping up your place to find no trusses to hang from. Before you begin you should know you will probably only be able to do this is you live in a house (duplex, town home ect) and NOT an apartment. From my experience of building homes and living in apartments those of you will be out of luck :-(

I recently finished this instructable as it was only half completed for a long time; reason I believe for low rating (IMO)

If you like this please rate 5 stars*****

Step 1: First Step Is Gathering Supplies

     The hardest thing I had to do what make the (economical and safety) choices to ensure the best way to DIY. The trip to Home Depot should only take one try. I bought everything I needed from there and spent about $90.00 

8"                 Wall or ceiling hooks  (x 16)

3/32"           Coated wire                  (x 60 Feet)

3/32"           Wire Clamps                 (x 16)(-Come in 3 Packs)
Same Thread SAFETY NUTS        (x 32 TO ENSURE THE CLAMPS NO NOT SLIP)

2" x 4"         Board                             (x 4)(-84" Boards)

84" x 60"    Plywood Sheet             (x 1)


Drill of Choice


     I wanted this project to be safe as well as fun. It puts me to sleep faster than Ambien and Scotch. It should be noted this bed moves with your natural body movement. Until I slept in this bed it wasn't something that was clear to me. When suspended you are able to moves forward backward and side to side without much resistance, and this is what can makes some folks feel motion sickness. To my understanding it is just a false sense of security many beds provide that this one does not. It moves exactly reflective of your own movement.

     When I said this project was rated to 600 pounds that is the amount the weakest link can safely ensure. The weight rating on the Hooks is 75 lbs. per on a vertical load. (That drops to 35 for  a horizontal load) This means that with 8 hooks the vertical safe load is 600 lbs. The cable is doubled over and rated at 320 pounds, so each loop is viable at 640 lbs. The clamps have a rating of 200 lbs. and since we are using 2 clamps per loop of cable this is overall a very safe setup.

Hook Load     (8 X 75LBS = 600lbs)

Cable Load    (640 X 8 = 5120 lbs)

Clamp Load   (200 X 16 = 3200 lbs

Step 2: Assembling the Frame.

 The next few steps could be in any order, this is just the order I choose. 

In this step we need 3 of the supplies; The Drill, the Plywood Sheet, and the 2x4's

1)  Place the 2 x 4's evenly along the length of the plywood sheet. They should be roughly 1/4 of the length apart. They do need to be spaced evenly to disperse the weight, balance, and load. The easiest way is to place the starter board at the beginning and the end board at the other end. Then divide the distance for the remaining two 2x4's.

2)  Screw 4 screws into each board using (4) 2" wood screw.

3)  Do this for each board so you have 4 evenly spaced boards. This ensures the best weight distribution.

4)  Clip off any screw heads on the opposite side of the board to prevent scratches on walls, floors, ect.

I know the frame looks pretty weak, but I am broke and in college. I  would love to have made this from exotic wood with polished stainless hooks, and plywood & deck screw will have to work. 

Step 3: Getting Hooked

This is the most important part of the project. If you get this wrong, or install this bed into a ceiling that is not load bearing, you could seriously injure yourself. Please understand you just might not be able to install this bed. If you are, test each hook individually for hanging the bed.

Use a stud finder to locate the trusses. 

I would suggest finding any trusses in an unfinished part of the house (attic or furnace room) where you can actually see and measure the trusses without having to cut sheetrock from the ceiling first. As I learned, and as you can see by the photo, I figured they would extend across the basement from the unfinished room to bed placement. My drill holes tell a different story and that's when i realized they were not the same boards. 

Measure your drill holes in conjunction where the 8 2x4's terminate. You don't want the bed to pull on the hook except for downward. This could possible work a hook loose after time?

Using your stud finder locate the sides of each truss, as to measure your hole in the middle.

I went ahead and cut all the sheetrock so I could visually see the hole in the wood as a whole. You might run the risk of drilling off mark in the middle of the wood if you don't verify hole placement. Especially with a cheap stud finer. 

I drilled out most of the size of the hooks screw. The truss wood is very strong, but without pre-drilling I was certain the truss would crack. The threads are what hold the weight. As will most drill holes, slightly smaller than the screw.

Repeat process 15 times for all your contact points. 

To install the hook into the 2x4's the process is the same. 

I did use a smaller bit for the 2x4's because the wood is much softer than the truss word, and has more give.

You want the hooks as tight as possible for maximum tension.

Step 4: String It Up, and Let the Sway Begin!

This is the step that is the biggest safety issue for the bed. These wires and clamps must be done right!

Depending on how high you want your bed will determine the length of wire you will need to cut for each hook set.

Mine were 5 feet apart, so each cable needed to be 126 inches long. We're looping the cables and need a few extra inches for the clamps. 

Cut the wire to desired length

Loop cable with few extra inches for double cable clamp crimp. 

Make 8 total, and tighten them just enough to bear 20 pounds or so. The friction of the plastic on the cable was enough to keep it snug without being too tight.  You will waste much time if you over tighten and lock too quickly. This is the only part of the bed that is adjustable, so you must complete this step later on after hanging the bed. 

Hang all 8 loops over installed ceiling hooks. 

Hang bed hooks into cable loops. Presto!

Now you can begin the process of making your bed level. This is done by pulling more or less cable through the clamp to adjust that loop length with the others. Once you have made your bed level, tighten down on the clamp bolts, and then add the safety washer. 

Step 5: Get Down

Now that you have the coolest bed in the city, (Unless you have the bed that floats on magnets) you will have no problem finding dates for Valentines day, or opposition to watching a movie on your laptop and cuddle. 

You could attach a projector to the bed and use the ceiling as the screen! That was my next plan, but the smaller projectors were just coming out and I thought they were overpriced. 
Imagine going from a livingroom like this, to a regular bed...

But now you have your heavenly bed!