Once a child is able to leave his crib by himself, the passage to a bed is necessary. Since a small child size bed is smaller in size and closer to the floor than a normal single size bed, it can be a safer alternative for parents who wish to transition their child from the crib to a bed. In addition to housing the crib mattress you already own, building a child's bed frame from affordable materials that are readily available at home improvement stores makes it a cost-effective option for parents, too.
Zinus Arnav Modern Studio 10 Inch Platform 2000 Metal Bed Frame / Mattress Foundation / No Box Spring Needed / Wooden Slat Support / Good Design Award Winner, King
Instructions
1 Cut the wood for the frame of the box. Use a tape measure to find 55 ½ inches from the end of each 2-by-8 and mark with a pencil. Cut to the location of each pencil mark with a circular saw. With the wood remaining from 2-by-8, measure the distance from one end to 28 inches and mark with a pencil on each piece of wood. Cut in each pencil mark.
2 Place the frame parts together. Use a drill and 2 ½-inch cover screws to secure the 55 ½-inch pieces of wood for the 28-inch pieces of wood to create a rectangular frame. The frame should measure 55 ½ inches long and 28 inches wide. Use two cover screws at each end when securing.
3 Measure and mark in 28-inch increments from one end of a 2-by-4 to four 28-inch segments have been measured. Because each 2-by-4 is 96 inches long, two 2-by-4's will be required for this step. Use a circular saw to cut into each pencil mark. These form the mattress supports.
4 Secure the mattress supports. Place a 28-inch mattress support on each end inside the bed frame and place from the inside with cover screws. Measure 18 inches from each end and insert the third and fourth mattress supports. Drill a shallow hole in the place where the intermediate supports are screwed into the frame before fixing with cover screws. Make sure that the mattress supports are flush with the bottom of the box frame before fastening with screws.
5 Insert a dabbed wooden plug with wood filler into each hole to hide the screws.
6 Cut the corner posts. Measure and mark two 27-inch pieces and two 20-inch pieces, the 2-by-4. Cut into each pencil mark with a circular saw and sand the edges to remove rough areas.
7 Place the posts in the corners of the ends of the box frame. Place a corner post 27 ¾ inches on either side of one end of the frame and a corner post 20 ½ inches on each side of the opposite end of the frame. Measure 5 ¾ inches from one end of each corner post and use a pencil to mark the location. Drill a shallow hole in each pencil mark to accommodate a wooden dowel before using cover screws to secure the post to the frame. Drill a second hole a few inches above the first and fix with a screw.
8 Insert the dabbed wood plugs with wood filler to cover the screw holes.
Header and feet pieces 9 Cut. Measure and mark three segments 31 7/8 inches, the 2-by-4. Use a circular saw to cut into each pencil mark. Use sandpaper to sand each piece until it is smooth.
10. Join the head and foot pieces. From the top of the posts at the longest corners, measure 8 ¼ inches down and mark with a pencil. The upper part of the lower head piece must be level with this mark. Fix with a cover screw for each post, drilling a small hole for the first time for a wooden plug. From the top of the same corner posts, measure 2 ¼ inches down and mark with a pencil to find the location of the top of the top head piece. Measure 1 inch down from the top of the shorter corner posts to find the location of the top of the foot of the bed. Place all plates with cover screws and cover with wooden plugs.
11. Join the plywood support. Place the inside plywood of the frame on top of the mattress supports and secure it with wood screws.
12 to stains or paint. Apply a latex paint with a brush or a finish with a wood stain followed by a final layer of polyurethane protection.
Tips and warnings
- Measure from the inside of a corner post inside the other to determine the exact width of the head pieces, as they may vary slightly from 31 7/8 inches.
- Sand the outside of the joints and all the edges.
- Use any standard crib mattress.