Homemade Poster
Bed With Netting
Poster beds lend a romantic feel to almost any bedroom. But when that bed is draped with netting, the romance takes on an almost tropical feel. If the lure of building your own poster bed seems irresistible, take heart. The task is not as difficult as it might seem. Does this Spark an idea?
Pencils
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that not all poster beds are created equal. Most poster beds are designed for use with heavy drapery. If you want to use a lightweight fabric, like mosquito netting, you will want a bed with thinner, more delicate posts. These are called pencils, and the beds built using them are called (appropriately enough) pencil post beds.
Testors
Poster beds will not automatically have a canopy of any type. It is common for poster beds to have four tall posts, one at each corner, and no canopy at all. The frame that attaches the four posts together and supports the drapery material is called a testor. For a pencil post bed like the one you will be building, the testor will be quite light, even delicate. Make certain that any plans you decide to use either include a testor or have companion plans for building a testor.
Post-Making Techniques
Because the base of a pencil post canopy bed will be made with the same sturdy construction as any other bed, the posts themselves can cause a problem. They need to be slim and even delicate-looking near the top but thick and sturdy near the base. There are a couple of ways to achieve this balance.
A common method is to taper the posts, either by turning them on a lathe for round pencils or by sawing them with a table or band saw to create squared pencils. In the first case, the posts will likely need to be turned in pieces, because few lathes will be long enough to handle the full length, then joined with dowels and glue. In the second case, you will need to saw off long thin wedges of wood, then reattach them with tape; otherwise, further sawing will result in uneven tapers on the remaining sides.
Another possibility is to create the posts with layers. Begin with a long, thin, square post. Build up the thickness of the post in layers by gluing quarter-inch slats to each side--one set of slats that cover the bottom three-quarters of the post, another set that covers the bottom half, then a final set that covers the bottom where the foot- and headboards are. This gives the posts a stair-step look. If you use 2-by-2 material for the inner post, you will end up with posts that are 1 1/2-inch thicker at the bottom. You can alter how high the layers go to give the posts a different profile or use a thicker slat for the final layer if you wish to have thicker posts at the bottom.
Final Touches
Beyond this, the remainder of the bed's construction is the same as any other bed. All that remains is to choose a finish and netting that you like. Simply drape the netting over the testor. The only right way to do it is the way that looks good to you.
Tags: pencil post, building testor, covers bottom, Homemade Poster, Homemade Poster With, long thin