Being the cheap skate that I am, I tend to browse the Web and find DIY projects. Also, being pregnant I've got that nagging "Hey! Do something with your house!" Mini #1's room just happened to be at the top of the list this weekend.
We've decided to move Mini #1 from the striped nursery into the polka dot bedroom. Mini #1 is still sleeping in his crib, or I guess, the crib Mini #2 is going to sleep in, so he needed a new bed.
I personally believe toddler beds are stupid...sorry to those who think otherwise...and would rather use a twin bed for Mini #1. Unfortunately, my pregnancy brain got the better of me and "toddler bed" is what I started my Google search on.
(Yes, Google is my hero.)
I loved the idea and petitioned Engineering Man (EM) to make it for me.
That was 2 months ago.
EM finally got the urge to flex his "man skills", and with the help of Mini #1 and his lovely wife, created a twin size platform bed using the tutorial above as a guide.
(Really, it was all EM. I just stood there and held boards as he cut them. Mini #1 stepped on Snap-N-Pops. Yes, I said Snap-N-Pops.)
EM started with a 4x8 sheet of 1/2" plywood. He cut the four side pieces from this sheet; two that were 15 inches by 76 inches and two that were 15 inches by 41 1/2 inches. (Dimensions of a normal twin size mattress are 75x39. Also found via Google.)
He then used scraps of plywood to cut four "mattress slats". Two 16x40 inches and two 18x40 inches. No particular reason other than the fact that those are the sizes he could get out of the leftover plywood. It ended up working nicely becuase there are slight gaps between each of of the slats to provide some air flow to the mattress.
Next, he cut the four supports for the mattress slats from scrap pieces of a 2x4. Two were 76 inches and two were 37 inches.
These he screwed to the plywood sides 2 inches below the top to provide a ledge for the mattress slats to set on.
(Notice how my pictures are fewer and farther between here. It was 6 p.m. Pregnant people need to eat.)
Finally, he screwed the four sides together, and placed the slats on top of the supports.
Before screwing the slats down he checked to make sure the box was square (I did help with this one. Hence the photograph. Holding a tape measure is tough work.)
The box wasn't square. He fixed it by having me hold one corner and him kicking from the other direction. You'll have to ask him for exact details on this one, but whatever he did worked.
Finally, he screwed the slats down to hold the box square.
He's still debating if he wants to add another 2x4 support crosswise below the slats in the middle of the bed. It currently holds EM bouncing on the middle of the slat, but who knows if it's going to hold three little boys jumping up and down. We've got a couple years before I'm hoping it'll be tested.
I still need to upholster it, but that's a next weekend thing. What do you think Mini #1?
Yea, little hard. Sorry about that sweetie. I'll get you a mattress next week.
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