Ikea Malm Bed Assembly Instructions

The Malm bed by Ikea features sleek, modern lines. It comes in several colours, so you can choose a bed that matches your current decor. One downside of the Malm is that, like most other products made by the Swedish company, you need to assemble it yourself. Fortunately, the company usually includes all the screws, dowels and small pieces you'll need for assembly in the box. While some people enjoy deciphering the graphic instructions the company includes with the pieces, you may not.

Open the Malm box and take out the pieces. Place them on a carpeted surface or cover a hard floor with a blanket. Carefully open the bag that contains the screws and other tools.

Use the small wrench included in the box to screw the double sided metal fasteners into the second hole down on each side of the headboard. You should position the fasteners so that the pointy thread side goes into the hole and the flat threaded side is up. Also screw the fasteners into the middle hole on the foot board.

Turn the headboard and foot board so that the bottom faces up. Push the plastic feet into the pre-drilled holes on the bottom of the boards. You will put two feet on each board for the twin sized bed and three from the full size or larger beds.

Push the wooden dowels included with the bed parts into both sides of the bed rails. You will put three dowels on each side, for a total of 12. The dowels should fit nicely into the pre-drilled holes.

Attach the rails to the head and foot boards. Position the rails so that the flat side is inside the bed. Slide the metal threaded fastener on the head and foot boards into the hole in the middle of the dowels on both sides of the rail. Push the small, half-circle shaped fasteners over the threaded fastener. Top the threaded fasteners with the included nuts. Tighten the nuts onto the fasteners with the wrench tool.

Position the two metal rails inside the bed frame and attach to the side rails with the included 1 inch screws. Align the rails so that they are even with the pre-drilled holes and use a screwdriver to attach the screws. You may need a friend to hold the rails up while you attach the screws. If you are making a twin-sized Malm, the bed is ready to go at this point. Put the box spring and mattress on top.

Screw the two metal plates to the inside centre of the foot and head board if making a full size or larger Malm. Use the four smaller screws included with the parts. Push the screws through the holes on the top of each plate and into the pre-drilled holes on the boards.

Balance the thin, expandable metal rails on the two lower holes on the metal plate. One rail should attach to each side of the plate. Screw into place using the very tiny screws included with the bed parts. Angle and expand the rails so that they reach holes in the metal rails on the sides of the bed. Don't expand the rails so much that they make the bed bulge out. Make sure you expand them enough, though so that bed does cave in. Screw the tiny screws into the holes on the expandable rails and the side rails to attach them.

Screw a tiny screw into the a hole in the centre of each expandable rail to hold it in place.

Place the large metal rail in the centre of the bed, balancing it on the metal plates on the head and foot boards. It should snap into place. Put the box spring or bed base on top of the rails and top with your mattress.