Rigging Your Bed

A one inch aluminum pipe crosses the frame horizontally. A blue rope runs alongside the pipe and makes three eight inch long loops at event points along the pipe. Each loop is secured to the pipe.

If you want to tie someone to your bed, you’ll need something to tie off to. You can usually find some kind of attachment point on most beds, but unless you have a purpose-made bondage bed, you’ll be better off taking a few minutes to add your own attachment points.

Rigging Your Bed

A length of one inch diameter aluminum pipe crosses the frame horizontally. A blue rope has been tied to it in a way that makes a six inch loop. The bight of the rope forms the loop and the tail of the rope goes around the pipe and then makes two half hitches around itself.

Simplest option

The simplest option is to add rope loops to your bed. You’ll want about two feet of rope for each loop. Double the rope and tie the ends to a secure point on your bed using two half hitches.

To keep the rope from sliding around, consider tying to the legs of the bed.

A length of one inch diameter aluminum pipe crosses the frame horizontally. A blue rope is tied to the pipe with two half hitches. Six inches away, the other end of the rope is tied to a rappel ring with two half hitches. The rappel ring is made of shiny black metal and is about two and half inches in diameter. The metal that makes up the ring is about half an inch in diameter.

Upgrade: rappel rings

Rappel rings provide a wide, smooth surface that’s easy to tie to and won’t damage your rope.

Begin by tying a short piece of rope to your bed using two half hitches. Tie the other end of the rope to the rappel ring, again using two half hitches.

What type of rope?

You can use almost any kind of rope for this. If you want to be fancy, we recommend something like 3mm utility line. It’s strong, easy to work with, and available in black (which is less conspicuous).

Rope rails

A one inch aluminum pipe crosses the frame horizontally. It is supported by two vertical pipes of the same material. A blue rope is tied off to the left support and runs along the horizontal pipe, making three evenly spaced loops along its length. It is then tied off to the right support.

We like having plenty of attachment points on our bed. With many beds, the easiest way to do this is to build a “rope rail” along the side of the bed.

Two one inch diameter aluminum pipes meet at a ninety degree angle. One exits the frame to the right and the other exits the frame at the bottom. A single length of blue rope is tied to the vertical pipe with two half hitches.

1Tie the end of an undoubled rope to a secure anchor at one end of your bed (the foot of the bed often works well for this).

A one inch aluminum pipe crosses the frame horizontally. A blue rope runs alongside it. In the middle of the frame, an eight inch bight of the rope has been tied in an overhand knot, making a six inch loop that extends at a perpendicular angle to the pipe.

2To add an attachment point, make a loop in the rope by making a bight in the rope and tying an overhand loop.

The rope exiting the overhand knot goes over and around the pipe, coming around itself on the left and then exiting the frame to the right. The crossover secures the loop to the pipe.

3Wrap the end of the rope around the bed frame and over itself before continuing along the bed frame.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 to add as many attachment points as you like.

A one inch aluminum pipe enters the frame from the left. Near the right edge of the frame, it connects at ninety degrees to another pipe that exits the frame to the bottom. A blue rope enters the frame from the left, running along the pipe. It is tied in a on overhand loop knot that is secured to the pipe, and is then tied off to the vertical pipe on the right with two half hitches. A black rappel ring has been attached to the overhand loop using a lark’s head on a bight.

4Finish by pulling the rope taut and tying it to the end of the bed with two half hitches.

If you like, you can add rappel rings to your attachment points using a lark’s head on a ring.

Rigging under the mattress

You can always rig your bed, even if it’s just a mattress sitting on the floor.

A plain gray board lying on the floor represents a mattress. It is about three feet from left to right and two feet from top to bottom. Two green ropes cross the board vertically, one three inches from the left edge and one three inches from the right edge. Two blue ropes cross the board horizontally, crossing over the green ropes. One is three inches from the top edge and the other is three inches from the bottom edge.

1Lay four pieces of rope on top of your mattress in a cross configuration. You can position them however you like, but a good starting point is to place each rope about one foot from the edge of the mattress.

This is a closeup view of the top right corner of the board. A green rope crosses the board vertically, about three inches inside the right edge of the board and a blue rope crosses the board horizontally, about three inches below the top edge of the board. The ends of both ropes have been tied in overhand loop knots, making loops that are about three inches long.

2Add attachment points to each rope end by doubling it and tying an overhand loop in it.

If you like, you can add rappel rings.

The ropes lie in the same position as before, but they are now tied together with an overhand knot at the point where the blue rope crossed the green rope.

3At each of the four corners, bring the two ropes together and tie an overhand knot in them to secure them together.

We are now looking at the whole board again. It is lying on top of the ropes, but we see four green loops and four blue loops sticking out from underneath the board. The green loops are on the top and bottom edges of the board, three inches from the left and right edges. The blue loops are on the left and right edges of the board, three inches from the top and bottom edges.

4Move the ropes underneath your mattress.

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